About Us

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

For viewers tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be best in presuming that its stars need to be making a substantial fortune.

Whether it be the tireless 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 fascinating watch throughout the autumn months.

However, while it has been presumed that Strictly professionals should make a quite cent, and years of success, through their time on the program, for a lot of it’s a completely various story.

Pros who have bid goodbye to the Strictly dancefloor in the last few years have shared their struggles with piling financial obligations and cash woes, with some even facing the prospect of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff end up being the latest stars to be struck by the infamous ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year romance ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the extreme financial troubles they had actually just recently experienced are believed to have lagged their split.

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

Kristina Rihanoff

How Strictly’s popular dancers have ended up in debt – as Kristina Rihanoff’s financial problems are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (imagined on the show in 2013)

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

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

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

Giving evidence during the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had actually mishandled the handling of their automobile insurance coverage and told how he was ‘combating to conserve his relationship and home’.

A friend of the couple told the Mail he stated: ‘The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have actually picked to go forward as different individuals.

‘Those near them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able 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 cent they had into a yoga studio which plunged into crisis during the Covid pandemic.

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

Last year the couple shared worries that they could lose their home after being hit by money concerns, with Ben laying bare their financial issues 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 economically.

‘We stay in business together so the issue is that we opened the organization before Covid and we got the worst seriousness of it and in all truthfully 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 an organization debt due to the fact that of Covid. It’s just another problem.’

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

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

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

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

A fourth business called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by 3 other individuals was likewise included and willingly struck off on the same dates.

A 5th company called Yoga Wellbeing which is 100 percent owned by Rihanoff was ₤ 5,041 in the red, taking into account future liabilities, at the end of July 2020. Its accounts are also almost 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard

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

But AJ has considering that shed light on the cash woes some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into debt 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 hoped to start a new age of dance success by departing the program, the pandemic forced him to cancel his scheduled dance trip, plunging himself and bro Curtis into financial obligation.

Talking to MailOnline, AJ clarified the cash woes some Strictly stars can deal with after leaving the show.

He said: ‘We had a business where we were running our own trip and the tour was cut brief. We paid all of our dancers since, personally, I felt like that was the ideal thing to do. We wound up with a barrel bill which came out of our own pocket.

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

‘They definitely did appreciate it. I possibly didn’t appreciate the debt that I was left in but, hi, it’s a decision that was made.’

AJ stated it is hard when a lot of his pals think he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, nevertheless, he explained that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes is nowhere near that.

The dancer said: ‘I think a great deal of individuals anticipate 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 restricted business, that’s not even close.

‘I believe transparency is a favorable thing in this day and age, however many people do not really wish to talk about their financial resources.

‘And I believe people are captivated by cash. People enjoy to see numbers and like to see good 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 variety of huge money deals and AJ states some people have no concept how to manage that kind of sum of cash.

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

AJ became extremely open about how sometimes the TV bookings and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars have to find out how to ‘adjust’ their career.

AJ stated it is hard when a great deal of his friends think 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 truly difficult I think in our market, the home entertainment market and a lot of other industries right now since a lot of individuals are being laid off. It does use your psychological health if you don’t have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have actually invested cash, from my really first salary on Strictly I’ve constantly had that cash invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job in 6 months time, I do have money 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 simply often needing to alter what it is you think you are going to do and adapt a bit. Adapting is difficult however you do need to adjust often.

‘It is very important that people enter into these huge shows that they’re enjoying however they have an occupation 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 expense 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 boost in daily items.

He explained: ‘Every single day I’m reminded truth. I brought up at the gas pump today and the diesel was 10p more expensive due to decisions that have been made much greater up than my paycheck. That’s the real life.

‘I was like, ‘What 10p more costly from the other day to today’, like that’s crazy. I think people forget, the cost of living and inflation’s gone up.

‘Even when inflation boils down, it doesn’t mean that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be difficult for a great deal of individuals this year and I don’t think it’s going to get any simpler.’

Robin Windsor

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

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

The dancer was found dead in a London hotel in February last year, and in the wake of his passing it was exposed his company had not traded for some 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 submitted accounts, however owed creditors ₤ 15,000, suggesting 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 company, which was paid back.

The company had carried incomes from a ‘variety of agreements to provide performing arts services within the media market’, paperwork stated.

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

Robin previously told 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 firm had actually not traded for a long time (envisioned on the program in 2013)

He likewise remembered one time he earned ‘ridiculous cash’, informing This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were once paid ₤ 10,000 each to stay in a high-end resort in Mauritius for a week and dance the cha-cha-cha at an event. Our dance lasted 2 minutes.’

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

He said: ‘Suddenly, I was earning cash I had actually only dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not simply from Strictly but from work off the back of the program such as the trip and private performances.

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

Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin said 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 drastically sacked by employers in 2015 following claims of gross misbehavior towards his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott

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

Graziano was when considered a preferred amongst Strictly fans, however last year he was drastically sacked by managers following claims of gross misbehavior towards his former superstar partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later confirmed and regretted his actions versus Zara.

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

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

‘My intense enthusiasm and decision to win may have impacted my training routine.

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

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

Following his departure from the show, Graziano attempted to cash on his appearances on the show, with personalised 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 actually capitalized their Strictly success …

Oti Mabuse

For numerous fans, Oti is considered one of Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champion for 2 years in a row, in 2019 and 2020

Since then, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also made a reported ₤ 200,000 cost for her stint on I’m A Celeb Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015

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

The dancer was reported to be on a ₤ 410,000 income before she left the show in 2022, and given that her exit has actually amassed a big fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.

Since then, she has actually appeared as 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 signing up with the Strictly lineup, Oti likewise 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 set up with her other half Marius Iepure, which was established in February 2017, and has actually noted possessions of ₤ 510,953, according to its most recent accounts.

In 2022, Oti likewise signed a big-money offer to collaborate with Bravissimo on a ‘confidence boosting’ underwear range, and she and hubby Marius likewise share a ₤ 590,000 London estate.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of properties in four private business, which they co-own. including the residential or commercial property firm, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in assets since last year.

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

Kevin Clifton

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

However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t always been simple, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his car while trying to start his performing profession

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

His company Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its latest properties with ₤ 42,234 remaining after expenses.

However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t constantly been simple, revealing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his automobile while trying to kickstart his carrying out profession, while juggling it with a workplace task.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he stated: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll oversleep my automobile and after that I can pay for two of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‘I spent loads of time sleeping in my car – 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 simply getting fired from job after job – typical workplace jobs, simply attempting to sustain my dancer career.

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

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

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

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

James has actually appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, returned a couple of 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 reduction over the last few years, establishing a fitness website called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 per month to subscribe.

The set sold their Kent estate for ₤ 2.5 million earlier this year and have because downsized to a home more ‘appropriate’ for their daughter Ella.

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

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

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC