How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have actually Wound Up In Debt

For audiences tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be right in assuming that its stars need to be earning a large fortune.

Whether it be the steadfast hours of training, or being an on-screen component for weeks on end, the program’s expert dancers have assisted make the series a fascinating watch throughout the autumn months.

However, while it has actually been presumed that Strictly professionals need to make a quite penny, and years of success, through their time on the program, for a lot of it’s an entirely different story.

Pros who have bid goodbye to the Strictly dancefloor in current years have shared their struggles with stacking financial obligations and cash problems, with some even facing the possibility of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff end up being the most recent stars to be struck by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year love ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then exposed it was the severe monetary problems they had actually recently experienced are believed to have actually lagged their split.

MailOnline peels back the glitter behind Strictly stars’ paychecks to reveal the truth about how for numerous, the money stops as quickly as the ballroom lights go dark …

Kristina Rihanoff

How Strictly’s popular dancers have actually wound up in financial obligation – as Kristina Rihanoff’s monetary difficulties are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (envisioned on the program in 2013)

Kristina previously appeared on Strictly as a professional from 2008 to 2015, making headings when she started a romance with her celeb partner Ben Cohen.

However, last year, the couple shared fears that they could lose their home after being hit by money troubles, with Ben laying bare their monetary troubles in court.

The level of the couple’s battles were laid bare in unusual situations – during a court look last September when Kristina, 47, was captured driving without insurance coverage.

Giving evidence during the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, admitted he had actually mishandled the handling of their cars and truck insurance coverage policy and told how he was ‘fighting to save his relationship and home’.

A pal of the couple told the Mail he stated: ‘The previous 6 months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their household, they have chosen to move forward as separate individuals.

‘Those near to them who understand them as a couple had hoped they would have the ability to work things out however for now it’s over and it looks like there’s no going back.’

The couple were entrusted to crippling financial obligations after they tilled every penny they had into a yoga studio which plunged into crisis throughout the Covid pandemic.

In a tortuously frank admission Ben told the court: ‘I get up every day and I combat not to lose whatever – to lose my cars and trucks and my house and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.’

Last year the couple shared fears that they could lose their home after being struck by cash problems, with Ben laying bare their financial woes in court (envisioned in 2021)

When questioned about the stress on his and Kristina’s relationship, he stated: ‘We’re still cohabiting. We remain in it financially.

‘We’re in service together so the problem is that we opened the service before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is simply another problem for me to handle.

‘I have actually got charge card that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a service financial obligation because of Covid. It’s simply another issue.’

The business was listed to be compulsorily struck off on December 27, 2022, however the action was suspended 9 days later on and discontinued on April 28, 2023.

Records likewise expose that a food services company called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 percent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was effectively ₤ 6,633 in the red, taking into consideration future liabilities, in its last represent the period ending on July 31, 2020.

The company’s accounts for the year ending in July 2021 have actually still not been submitted and are now almost 29 months overdue.

Another business called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is also owned by the Soo Yoga Group, was set up in December 2021 and dissolved by a voluntary strike off in February this year without ever submitting accounts.

A 4th business called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by three other individuals was likewise incorporated and willingly struck off on the same dates.

A fifth business called Yoga Wellbeing which is one hundred percent owned by Rihanoff was ₤ 5,041 at a loss, taking into consideration future liabilities, at the end of July 2020. Its accounts are likewise nearly 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard

AJ first rose to fame as a candidate on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the show just months before the Covid pandemic (imagined with Saffron Barker in 2019)

But AJ has considering that clarify the cash woes some Strictly stars can deal with, and shared that he was plunged into debt when his dance trip was cancelled in 2020

AJ first increased to popularity as a participant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the show simply months before the Covid pandemic.

While the star had actually previously hoped to kickstart a new era of dance success by departing the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his planned dance tour, plunging himself and brother Curtis into debt.

Speaking to MailOnline, AJ shed light on the money issues some Strictly stars can face after leaving the show.

He said: ‘We had a business where we were running our own tour and the trip was interrupted. We paid all of our dancers because, personally, I seemed like that was the right thing to do. We ended up with a barrel expense which came out of our own pocket.

‘We didn’t earn money, myself or Curtis, however we paid all of our dancers. It’s a hard choice to be made, but that’s what it is when you are running your own business.

‘They absolutely did appreciate it. I maybe didn’t value the debt that I was left in however, hello, it’s a choice that was made.’

AJ said it is hard when a great deal of his good friends think he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, however, he explained that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he earns is nowhere near that.

The dancer said: ‘I think a lot of individuals expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and immediately be a millionaire. Once you’ve paid your tax and your VAT, and if you’re a restricted business, that’s not even close.

‘I believe transparency is a favorable thing in this day and age, but the majority of individuals do not actually wish to talk about their financial resources.

‘And I think people are interested by cash. People like to see numbers and enjoy to see great things, and a great deal of times you need to live within your own means.’

After leaving programs such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were tossed into a variety of big money deals and AJ says some individuals have no idea how to handle that kind of amount of cash.

Former I’m A Celebrity star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‘wish to make a difference’ and have set up ‘using our own cash’ a monetary investment company called FINT to assist to ‘inform’ people.

AJ became very open about how in some cases the TV reservations and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars have to learn how to ‘adjust’ their profession.

AJ said it is hard when a lot of his buddies believe he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, as after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes is nowhere near that

He continued: ‘It’s really hard I think in our market, the entertainment industry and a great deal of other industries right now because a lot of people are being laid off. It does play on your mental health if you don’t have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have actually invested money, from my very first salary on Strictly I have actually always had actually that money invested into various portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t work in six months time, I do have cash there that I can make use of if I require it.

‘And at the end of the day, there are always jobs out there. It’s just often having to change what it is you think you are going to do and adjust a bit. Adapting is tough but you do have to adapt in some cases.

‘It is essential that people enter into these huge programs that they’re taking pleasure in however they have an occupation behind them like myself and Curt. We’re both expert dancers, we can go all over the world and teach.’

Every day, people are dealing with the expense of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no different and is routinely snapped back into the ‘real life’ as he’s noticed the remarkable increase in daily products.

He described: ‘Each and every single day I’m reminded truth. I brought up at the gas pump today and the diesel was 10p more pricey due to decisions that have actually been made much greater up than my paycheck. That’s the genuine world.

‘I resembled, ‘What 10p more expensive from yesterday to today’, like that’s crazy. I think individuals forget, the cost of living and inflation’s gone up.

‘Even when inflation comes down, it doesn’t mean that it returns to what it was. Life is going to be hard for a lot of people this year and I do not think it’s going to get any simpler.’

Robin Windsor

Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately passed away with just ₤ 879 in his business’s organization account

Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately passed away with just ₤ 879 in his business’s organization account.

The dancer was discovered dead in a London hotel in February last year, and in the wake of his passing it was revealed his firm had not traded for a long time and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‘active proposal’ to be struck off.

The business Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed practically ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, however owed financial institutions ₤ 15,000, meaning it was ₤ 8,350 in the red.

At the height of his celebrity in 2015 and 2016 he held more than ₤ 23,000 in the company and advanced himself ₤ 35,000 from the business, which was paid back.

The business had transported earnings from a ‘wide range of agreements to supply performing arts services within the media industry’, documents stated.

In the months prior to his death, Robin had actually been dealing with a Fred Olsen Cruise – alongside fellow Strictly professional Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and posted images of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.

Robin previously informed how he was paid ₤ 100,000 a year throughout his time on Strictly which concerned an end after the 12th series in 2014.

The dancer was found dead in a London hotel in February, and in the wake of his passing it was revealed his company had actually not traded for some time (visualized on the program in 2013)

He also remembered one time he earned ‘ridiculous cash’, telling This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were as soon as paid ₤ 10,000 each to remain in a high-end resort in Mauritius for a week and dance the cha-cha-cha at an event. Our dance lasted two minutes.’

He kept in mind in September 2022 that the ‘finest’ year of his monetary life was 2010, ‘my very first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.

He said: ‘All of a sudden, I was making money I had actually only dreamt about. I probably made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not simply from Strictly but from work off the back of the program such as the tour and personal efficiencies.

‘When you’re on prime-time TV, everyone desires a little slice of you.’

Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin said he ended up being so ‘bitter’ about not being enabled to return that he could not bear to enjoy it, and he went into a ‘steady decrease’ after leaving the program.

Graziano Di Prima

Graziano was significantly sacked by bosses last year following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott

Following his departure from the program, Graziano tried to cash on his appearances on the program, with personalised video messages on Cameo

Graziano was once considered a preferred amongst Strictly fans, but in 2015 he was drastically sacked by managers following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celeb partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later on validated and regretted his actions against Zara.

Addressing his exit from the program, a ‘ravaged’ Di Prima wrote on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the events that caused my departure from Strictly.

Strictly Come Dancing abundant list: The professional dancers waltzing all the way to the bank after earning MILLIONS thanks to the program

‘My intense passion and decision to win might have impacted my training routine.

‘While respecting the BBC HR procedure, I acknowledge it’s just right for the sake of the program that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online newspaper article, and I take on board the level of sensitivity of the circumstance.

‘There’s more to this story that I am not able to discuss at this time, but I am devoted to being strong for my friends and family. I want the Strictly family absolutely nothing but success in the future.’

Following his departure from the program, Graziano tried to cash on his looks on the program, with customised video messages on Cameo.

The dancer charged $100 (₤ 78) for a video message, and continued to describe himself as a ‘expert dancer on Strictly’ on his profile.

And the stars who have capitalized their Strictly success …

Oti Mabuse

For many fans, Oti is thought about one of Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champion for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020

Since then, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and likewise earned a reported ₤ 200,000 cost for her stint on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! last year

For numerous fans, Oti is thought about among Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020.

The dancer was reported to be on a ₤ 410,000 salary before she left the program in 2022, and considering that her exit has accumulated a substantial fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.

Since then, she has actually appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was likewise a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The Greatest Dancer, adding to a rumoured fortune of more than ₤ 1.4 million.

Before signing up with the Strictly lineup, Oti also worked as an expert dancer on Strictly’s German equivalent, Let’s Dance.

Oti is noted as a director of Pure Mabuse Limited, which she established with her husband Marius Iepure, which was established in February 2017, and has actually listed assets of ₤ 510,953, according to its latest accounts.

In 2022, Oti also signed a big-money deal to team up with Bravissimo on a ‘confidence enhancing’ underclothing variety, and she and spouse Marius also share a ₤ 590,000 London estate.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of properties in four personal business, which they co-own. consisting of the residential or commercial property company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in properties since in 2015.

And Oti has only contributed to her fortune in recent months by appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! where she was supposedly paid a ₤ 200,000 charge.

Kevin Clifton

Kevin Clifton was crowned Strictly champ in 2018 with Stacey Dooley, and after leaving the show in 2020, has moneyed in with a string of phase functions

However, the dancer has previously shared that it hasn’t constantly been easy, exposing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his vehicle while attempting to kickstart his performing profession

Since leaving Strictly in 2020, Kevin Clifton has actually taken to the stage, carrying out in Strictly Ballroom, Rock of Ages and War of the Worlds.

His firm Supreme Dance stated ₤ 104,993 in its latest properties with ₤ 42,234 staying after bills.

However, the dancer has previously shared that it hasn’t always been simple, revealing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his car while attempting to kickstart his carrying out profession, while handling it with an office task.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he said: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll oversleep my cars and truck and after that I can manage two of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‘I spent loads of time sleeping in my car living out of my car – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People believe we live these easy, showbiz, glamorous lives and it’s not like that.

‘There’s been times where I was just getting fired from task after task – typical office tasks, just attempting to sustain my dancer profession.

‘I was essentially searching in my wallet going, I have actually just been fired from another task. I’ve got four lessons tomorrow; I already can’t spend for 2 of them.

‘I’m going to have to blag it with the teacher and state,” Oh, there’s been a problem at the bank. I’m going to need to give you the cash on my next lesson.” James and Ola Jordan

Business: James and Ola Jordan have actually cashed in on their joint weight-loss over the last few years, establishing a fitness website called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe

James Jordan left Strictly in 2013 with his other half Ola doing the same two years lateer.

James has actually appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, returned a few years later on for the All Stars version and won Dancing On Ice in 2019.

The couple have actually cashed in on their joint weight-loss in the last few years, establishing a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe.

The pair offered their Kent mansion for ₤ 2.5 million previously this year and have because downsized to a home more ‘ideal’ for their child Ella.

Much of their earnings is funnelled through their company James and Ola Dance Academy which most recently had ₤ 774,023 in assets and ₤ 465,002 after expenses.

They earn money by selling signed pictures for ₤ 9.50 while Ola provides dance lessons to fans at ₤ 300 a pop.

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC