How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have Ended up In Debt

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

Whether it be the determined hours of training, or being an on-screen fixture 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 assumed that Strictly specialists must earn a quite cent, and years of success, through their time on the show, for the majority of it’s an entirely various story.

Pros who have actually bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor in recent years have shared their struggles with piling financial obligations and cash problems, with some even facing the prospect of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff become the most recent stars to be struck by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year romance ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the serious financial problems they had actually recently experienced are thought to have been behind their split.

MailOnline peels back the shine behind Strictly stars’ incomes to expose the truth about how for lots of, the cash stops as quickly as the ballroom lights go dark …

Kristina Rihanoff

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

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

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

The level of the couple’s battles were laid bare in uncommon circumstances – throughout a court appearance last September when Kristina, 47, was captured driving without insurance.

Giving proof throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had actually bungled the handling of their car insurance plan and informed how he was ‘battling to conserve his relationship and home’.

A good friend of the couple informed the Mail he said: ‘The previous 6 months have actually been hell for them and it has actually torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their household, they have picked to move forward as separate people.

‘Those close to them who understand them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it’s over and it appears like there’s no going back.’

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

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

In 2015 the couple shared fears that they might lose their home after being struck by cash woes, with Ben laying bare their monetary issues in court (imagined in 2021)

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

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

‘I have actually got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got an organization financial obligation 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 nine days later and discontinued on April 28, 2023.

Records also 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 in the red, taking into consideration future liabilities, in its last accounts for the duration ending on July 31, 2020.

The company’s accounts for the year ending in July 2021 have actually still not been filed and are now nearly 29 months past due.

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

A fourth company 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 exact same dates.

A 5th 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 almost 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard

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

But AJ has considering that shed light on the cash issues some Strictly stars can deal with, and shared that he was plunged into financial obligation when his dance trip was cancelled in 2020

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

While the star had formerly intended to kickstart a brand-new age of dance success by leaving the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his scheduled dance tour, plunging himself and bro Curtis into financial obligation.

Talking to MailOnline, AJ clarified the cash problems some Strictly stars can face after leaving the show.

He stated: ‘We had a company where we were running our own trip and the trip was interrupted. We paid all of our dancers since, personally, I seemed like that was the best thing to do. We wound up with a barrel bill which came out of our own pocket.

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

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

AJ said it is hard when a lot of his buddies think he’s a ‘millionaire’ after on Strictly, however, 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 great deal of people expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and quickly be a millionaire. Once you’ve paid your tax and your VAT, and if you’re a restricted company, that’s not even close.

‘I think transparency is a positive thing in this day and age, however many people don’t actually want to talk about their finances.

‘And I think individuals are fascinated by cash. People enjoy to see numbers and enjoy to see nice things, and a great deal of times you require to live within your own means.’

After leaving programs such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a number of big money offers and AJ states some people have no concept how to deal with that sort of amount of cash.

Former I’m A Celeb star AJ exposed he and Curtis ‘desire to make a distinction’ and have established ‘utilizing our own money’ a financial investment firm called FINT to help to ‘inform’ people.

AJ ended up being very open about how sometimes the TV reservations and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars have to discover how to ‘adapt’ their profession.

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

He continued: ‘It’s really difficult I think in our industry, the entertainment industry and a great deal of other markets today since a great deal of individuals are being laid off. It does play on your mental health if you do not have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have actually invested money, from my very first wage on Strictly I have actually always had that money invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job in six months time, I do have cash there that I can draw on if I require it.

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

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

Every day, people are facing the cost of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no different and is regularly snapped back into the ‘real world’ as he’s discovered the remarkable increase in everyday items.

He described: ‘Every day I’m brought back to reality. I brought up at the gas pump today and the diesel was 10p more pricey due to choices that have actually been made much greater up than my income. That’s the real life.

‘I resembled, ‘What 10p more pricey from the other day to today’, like that’s crazy. I believe individuals forget, the expense of living and inflation’s increased.

‘Even when inflation comes down, it does not mean that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be hard for a lot of individuals this year and I don’t believe it’s going to get any simpler.’

Robin Windsor

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

Despite pulling in an excellent ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically died with just ₤ 879 in his business’s business account.

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

The business Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed practically ₤ 5,000 the last time it submitted accounts, but owed creditors ₤ 15,000, implying it was ₤ 8,350 in the red.

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

The company had directed incomes from a ‘wide range of agreements to provide performing arts services within the media industry’, documents said.

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 published photos of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.

Robin formerly told how he was paid ₤ 100,000 a year throughout his time on Strictly which came 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 revealed his company had actually not traded for a long time (imagined on the show in 2013)

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

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

He stated: ‘Suddenly, I was earning cash I had actually only dreamt about. I probably made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not just from Strictly but from work off the back of the show such as the tour and personal efficiencies.

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

Speaking about his Strictly exit, Robin stated he became so ‘bitter’ about not being permitted to return that he couldn’t bear to watch it, and he entered into a ‘steady decrease’ after leaving the show.

Graziano Di Prima

Graziano was dramatically sacked by bosses in 2015 following claims of gross misconduct towards his previous celebrity partner Zara McDermott

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

Graziano was when considered a favourite amongst Strictly fans, however in 2015 he was dramatically sacked by employers following claims of gross misbehavior towards his previous superstar partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later on verified and regretted his actions versus Zara.

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

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

‘My intense enthusiasm and decision to win may have affected my training program.

‘While appreciating the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only ideal for the sake of the show that I step away. I am distressed that I wasn’t enabled to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the circumstance.

‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to talk about at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my friends and family. I want the Strictly family nothing however success in the future.’

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

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

And the stars who have capitalized their Strictly success …

Oti Mabuse

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

Ever since, she has actually appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and likewise earned a reported ₤ 200,000 fee for her stint on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! last year

For numerous fans, Oti is thought about one of Strictly’s most effective 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 generated a big fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.

Since then, she has looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was also a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The best Dancer, contributing to a rumoured fortune of more than ₤ 1.4 million.

Before joining 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 Pure Mabuse Limited, which she set up with her spouse Marius Iepure, which was set up in February 2017, and has listed assets of ₤ 510,953, according to its newest accounts.

In 2022, Oti also signed a big-money offer to collaborate with Bravissimo on a ‘confidence enhancing’ underclothing range, and she and spouse Marius likewise share a ₤ 590,000 London mansion.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of assets in four personal companies, which they co-own. consisting of the home firm, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in properties as of in 2015.

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

Kevin Clifton

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

However, the dancer has actually formerly shared that it hasn’t constantly been simple, exposing in 2019 that he used to oversleep his vehicle while attempting to kickstart his carrying out career

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

His company Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its latest assets with ₤ 42,234 staying after bills.

However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t always been easy, exposing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his vehicle while trying to kickstart his performing profession, while juggling it with an office job.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he said: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll sleep in my cars and truck and then I can afford 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.

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

‘There’s been times where I was just getting fired from task after task – typical workplace jobs, just trying 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 need to blag it with the instructor and state,” Oh, there’s been an issue at the bank. I’m going to need to offer you the money on my next lesson.” James and Ola Jordan

Business: James and Ola Jordan have actually capitalized their joint weight loss recently, setting up a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe

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

James has 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 capitalized their joint weight-loss in current years, establishing a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 each month to subscribe.

The pair sold their Kent mansion for ₤ 2.5 million previously this year and have because scaled down to a home more ‘ideal’ for their daughter Ella.

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

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

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC