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

For viewers tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be ideal in presuming that its stars should be earning a large fortune.

Whether it be the vigorous hours of training, or being an on-screen component for weeks on end, the show’s expert dancers have actually helped make the series a captivating watch throughout the fall months.

However, while it has been presumed that Strictly specialists must make a pretty penny, and years of success, through their time on the show, for most it’s a completely various story.

Pros who have bid goodbye to the Strictly dancefloor recently have actually shared their struggles with stacking debts and cash problems, with some even facing the possibility of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff become the most current stars to be hit by the infamous ‚Strictly curse‘ after their 12-year romance ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the severe monetary troubles they had actually just recently experienced are thought to have actually been behind their split.

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

Kristina Rihanoff

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

Kristina previously appeared on Strictly as an expert from 2008 to 2015, making headings when she began a love with her celebrity partner Ben Cohen.

However, in 2015, the couple shared fears that they might lose their home after being hit by cash concerns, with Ben laying bare their financial concerns in court.

The degree of the couple’s battles were laid bare in uncommon situations – during a court appearance last September when Kristina, 47, was caught driving without insurance.

Giving evidence throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had actually made a mess of the handling of their cars and truck insurance plan and informed how he was ‚combating to conserve his relationship and home‘.

A friend of the couple told the Mail he said: ‚The previous 6 months have been hell for them and it has actually torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their household, they have selected to go forward as separate individuals.

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

The couple were entrusted crippling debts after they ploughed 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 everything – to lose my vehicles and my home and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.‘

In 2015 the couple shared worries that they could lose their home after being struck by money concerns, with Ben laying bare their financial issues in court (imagined in 2021)

When questioned about the pressures on his and Kristina’s relationship, he stated: ‚We’re still living together. We’re in it financially.

‚We’re in company together so the issue is that we opened business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another issue for me to deal with.

‚I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a company debt due to the fact that of Covid. It’s just another issue.‘

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

Records likewise expose that a food services business called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 per cent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was effectively ₤ 6,633 at a loss, considering future liabilities, in its last represent the duration ending on July 31, 2020.

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

Another company called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is likewise 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 integrated and willingly struck off on the exact same dates.

A 5th business called Yoga Wellbeing which is one hundred percent owned by Rihanoff was ₤ 5,041 in the red, taking into consideration future liabilities, at the end of July 2020. Its accounts are also almost 29 months past due, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard

AJ first rose to popularity as a participant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program just months before the Covid pandemic (envisioned with Saffron Barker in 2019)

But AJ has considering that clarify the money issues some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into financial obligation when his dance trip was cancelled in 2020

AJ initially increased to fame as a candidate on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program just months before the Covid pandemic.

While the star had actually previously intended to kickstart a brand-new era of dance success by leaving the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his organized dance tour, plunging himself and bro Curtis into debt.

Speaking with MailOnline, AJ clarified the cash issues some Strictly stars can deal with after leaving the show.

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

‚We didn’t get paid, 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 company.

‚They certainly did value it. I maybe didn’t appreciate the debt that I was left in but, hey, it’s a choice that was made.‘

AJ said it is hard when a great deal of his good friends believe he’s a ‚millionaire‘ after starring on Strictly, nevertheless, he described that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes is no place near that.

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

‚I believe transparency is a favorable thing in this day and age, however the majority of people do not actually wish to discuss their financial resources.

‚And I believe individuals are captivated by cash. People enjoy to see numbers and love to see nice things, and a great deal of times you need to live within your own ways.‘

After leaving shows such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a number of huge money offers and AJ says some individuals have no idea how to manage that type of amount of money.

Former I’m A Celeb star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‚wish to make a distinction‘ and have actually set up ‚using our own money‘ a financial investment business called FINT to assist to ‚educate‘ individuals.

AJ ended up being really open about how sometimes the TV reservations and photoshoots can all of a sudden stop and stars need to find out how to ‚adapt‘ their profession.

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

He continued: ‚It’s really tough I believe in our industry, the show business and a great deal of other markets today because a lot of individuals are being laid off. It does use your mental health if you don’t have that next job.

‚Myself and Curtis have invested cash, from my very first wage on Strictly I have actually always had actually that cash invested into different 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 simply in some cases needing to change what it is you believe you are going to do and adjust a little bit. Adapting is tough but you do have to adapt sometimes.

‚It is necessary that individuals enter into these huge programs that they’re enjoying but they have a profession behind them like myself and Curt. We’re both expert dancers, we can go all over the world and teach.‘

Every day, individuals are facing the expense of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no various and is routinely snapped back into the ‚real world‘ as he’s seen the significant increase in daily products.

He discussed: ‚Every single day I’m brought back to truth. I brought up at the gas pump today and the diesel was 10p more pricey due to choices that have been made much greater up than my income. That’s the real world.

‚I resembled, ‚What 10p more pricey from yesterday to today‘, like that’s insane. I think people forget, the cost of living and inflation’s increased.

‚Even when inflation boils down, it does not mean that it returns to what it was. Life is going to be tough for a great deal of people this year and I don’t think it’s going to get any much easier.‘

Robin Windsor

Despite drawing in an excellent ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately passed away with just ₤ 879 in his business’s company account

Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately died with simply ₤ 879 in his business’s company account.

The dancer was found dead in a London hotel in February in 2015, and in the wake of his passing it was exposed his company had actually not traded for some time and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‚active proposition‘ to be struck off.

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

At the height of his star 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 funnelled profits from a ‚wide array of contracts to provide carrying out arts services within the media market‘, documentation said.

In the months prior to his death, Robin had been working on a Fred Olsen Cruise – together with fellow Strictly expert Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and published images of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.

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

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

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

He remembered in September 2022 that the ‚best‘ year of his monetary life was 2010, ‚my very first year on Strictly Come Dancing‘.

He said: ‚All of a sudden, I was generating income I had only dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not simply from Strictly but from work off the back of the show such as the tour and private performances.

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

Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin stated he became so ‚bitter‘ about not being permitted to return that he could not bear to watch it, and he entered into a ’steady decline‘ after leaving the program.

Graziano Di Prima

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

Following his departure from the program, Graziano attempted to cash on his appearances on the show, with customised video messages on Cameo

Graziano was once thought about a preferred among Strictly fans, however last year he was dramatically sacked by employers following claims of gross misconduct towards his former superstar partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later confirmed and regretted his actions against Zara.

Addressing his exit from the show, a ‚devastated‘ Di Prima composed on Instagram: ‚I deeply are sorry for the events that caused my departure from Strictly.

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

‚My extreme passion and determination to win might have impacted my training program.

‚While appreciating the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the program that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to provide a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the level of sensitivity of the scenario.

‚There’s more to this story that I am not able to go over at this time, however I am committed to being strong for my household and friends. I wish the Strictly family absolutely nothing but success in the future.‘

Following his departure from the show, Graziano attempted to cash on his appearances on the show, with customised video messages on Cameo.

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

And the stars who have cashed in on their Strictly success …

Oti Mabuse

For many fans, Oti is considered 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 looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also earned a reported ₤ 200,000 fee for her stint on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! last year

For lots of fans, Oti is thought about among Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for 2 years in a row, in 2019 and 2020.

The dancer was reported to be on a ₤ 410,000 wage before she left the program in 2022, and because her exit has actually collected a big fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.

Since then, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was also 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 likewise worked as a professional dancer on Strictly’s German equivalent, Let’s Dance.

Oti is listed as a director of Limited, which she set up with her spouse Marius Iepure, which was set up in February 2017, and has noted possessions of ₤ 510,953, according to its latest accounts.

In 2022, Oti also signed a big-money offer to team up with Bravissimo on a ‚confidence increasing‘ underclothing variety, and she and hubby Marius also share a ₤ 590,000 London estate.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of properties in 4 private companies, which they co-own. including the residential or commercial property company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in possessions as of in 2015.

And Oti has only included to her fortune in current months by appearing on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! where she was reportedly paid a ₤ 200,000 fee.

Kevin Clifton

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

However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t always been easy, exposing in 2019 that he used to oversleep his cars and truck while attempting to kickstart his performing profession

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

His firm Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its most current assets with ₤ 42,234 staying after costs.

However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t constantly been easy, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to sleep in his cars and truck while attempting to kickstart his carrying out career, while juggling it with an office task.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he said: ‚If there’s nobody there, I’ll sleep in my automobile and after that I can afford 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‚I spent loads of time oversleeping my automobile – basically living out of my vehicle – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People think we live these easy, showbiz, attractive lives and it’s not like that.

‚There’s been times where I was just getting fired from job after job – normal workplace tasks, simply trying to sustain my dancer career.

‚I was generally looking in my wallet going, I have actually simply been fired from another task. I’ve got 4 lessons tomorrow; I already can’t spend for 2 of them.

‚I’m going to need to blag it with the teacher and say,“ Oh, there’s been an issue at the bank. I’m going to need to provide you the cash on my next lesson.“ James and Ola Jordan

Business: James and Ola Jordan have actually capitalized their joint weight loss in the last few years, setting up a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 per month to subscribe

James Jordan left Strictly in 2013 with his wife Ola following suit two years lateer.

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

The couple have actually cashed in on their joint weight reduction in current years, setting up a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 per month to subscribe.

The pair offered their Kent estate for ₤ 2.5 million earlier this year and have given that scaled down to a home more ’suitable‘ for their daughter Ella.

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

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

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC