How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have Wound Up In Debt

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

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

However, while it has been presumed that Strictly specialists must earn a pretty cent, and years of success, through their time on the show, for the majority of it’s an entirely different story.

Pros who have actually bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor in recent years have shared their battles with stacking debts and money concerns, with some even facing the prospect 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 romance ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then exposed it was the severe monetary problems they had actually recently experienced are thought to have actually lagged their split.

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

Kristina Rihanoff

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

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

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

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

Giving evidence throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had bungled the handling of their cars and truck insurance coverage and told how he was ‘fighting to conserve his relationship and home’.

A friend of the couple told the Mail he said: ‘The past 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 actually picked to move forward as different people.

‘Those near to them who understand 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 left with crippling debts after they ploughed every penny they had into a yoga studio which plunged into crisis during the Covid pandemic.

In a tortuously frank 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 worries that they might lose their home after being hit by cash concerns, with Ben laying bare their monetary issues in court (visualized in 2021)

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

‘We stay in business together so the problem is that we opened business before Covid and we got the worst intensities of it and in all truthfully this is simply another problem for me to handle.

‘I’ve got charge card that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got an organization debt since of Covid. It’s simply another problem.’

The company was noted to be compulsorily struck off on December 27, 2022, but the action was suspended 9 days later on and stopped 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 at a loss, taking into account future liabilities, in its last accounts for the duration ending on July 31, 2020.

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

Another company called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is also owned by the Soo Yoga Group, was set up in December 2021 and liquified 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 3 other people was likewise integrated and willingly struck off on the very same dates.

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

AJ Pritchard

AJ initially rose to fame as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the show simply months before the Covid pandemic (visualized with Saffron Barker in 2019)

But AJ has since clarify the cash woes some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into financial obligation when his dance tour was cancelled in 2020

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

While the star had previously wanted to kickstart a brand-new period of dance success by departing the program, the pandemic forced him to cancel his planned dance tour, plunging himself and brother Curtis into debt.

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

He said: ‘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 expense 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 decision to be made, however that’s what it is when you are running your own company.

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

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

The dancer said: ‘I believe a great deal of people 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 company, that’s not even close.

‘I think transparency is a favorable thing in this day and age, but the majority of people don’t really wish to speak about their finances.

‘And I think people are intrigued by money. People love to see numbers and love to see nice things, and a lot of times you require to live within your own means.’

After leaving shows such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a variety of huge money offers and AJ says some people have no concept how to manage that kind of amount of money.

Former I’m A Celebrity star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‘wish to make a difference’ and have actually set up ‘using our own money’ a monetary investment company called FINT to help to ‘educate’ individuals.

AJ ended up being extremely open about how sometimes the TV reservations and photoshoots can all of a sudden stop and stars have to find out how to ‘adjust’ their profession.

AJ stated it is hard when a great deal of his good 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 really tough I think in our market, the entertainment industry and a lot of other industries right now since a great deal of people are being laid off. It does use your psychological health if you do not have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have invested money, from my really first pay check on Strictly I’ve constantly had actually that money invested into various portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t work in six months time, I do have money there that I can make use of if I need it.

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

‘It is very important that people go into these big programs that they’re taking pleasure in but 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, individuals are facing the cost of living crisis and AJ confessed he is no different and is routinely snapped back into the ‘real life’ as he’s seen the remarkable boost in daily items.

He explained: ‘Each and every single day I’m brought back to reality. I brought up at the gas pump today and the diesel was 10p more costly due to decisions that have actually been made much greater up than my income. That’s the real life.

‘I was like, ‘What 10p more pricey from the other day to today’, like that’s insane. I think individuals forget, the expense of living and inflation’s gone up.

‘Even when inflation comes down, it doesn’t indicate that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be tough for a great deal of individuals this year and I do not think it’s going to get any much easier.’

Robin Windsor

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

Despite drawing in an impressive ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically passed away with just ₤ 879 in his company’s service 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 a long time and according to Companies House Records was dealing with an ‘active proposition’ to be struck off.

The company Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed almost ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, however owed lenders ₤ 15,000, suggesting 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 revenues from a ‘wide array of agreements to offer carrying out 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 – along with fellow Strictly expert 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 during his time on Strictly which concerned 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 some time (pictured on the show in 2013)

He also remembered one time he made ‘ridiculous money’, informing This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were when 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 remembered in September 2022 that the ‘best’ year of his financial life was 2010, ‘my first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.

He stated: ‘All of an unexpected, I was earning cash I had just dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not just from Strictly however from work off the back of the program such as the tour and private efficiencies.

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

Speaking about his Strictly exit, Robin stated he became so ‘bitter’ about not being allowed to return that he could not bear to see it, and he went into a ‘consistent decrease’ after leaving the program.

Graziano Di Prima

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

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

Graziano was once thought about a preferred amongst Strictly fans, however in 2015 he was considerably sacked by managers following claims of gross misconduct towards his previous celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

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

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

Strictly Come Dancing rich list: The expert dancers waltzing all the way to the bank after earning MILLIONS thanks to the show

‘My extreme enthusiasm and determination to win may have affected my training regime.

‘While appreciating the BBC HR procedure, I acknowledge it’s only ideal for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t enabled to offer a quote to the online newspaper article, and I take on board the sensitivity of the scenario.

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

Following his departure from the show, 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 ‘professional dancer on Strictly’ on his profile.

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

Oti Mabuse

For numerous fans, Oti is considered among Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for 2 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 charge for her stint on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015

For numerous fans, Oti is considered 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 salary before she left the program in 2022, and because her exit has collected a huge fortune with a string of effective TV gigs.

Since then, she has appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was also a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The best 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 noted as a director of Pure Mabuse Limited, which she established with her hubby Marius Iepure, which was set up in February 2017, and has noted assets of ₤ 510,953, according to its newest accounts.

In 2022, Oti likewise signed a big-money deal to collaborate with Bravissimo on a ‘self-confidence boosting’ underclothing variety, and she and partner Marius also share a ₤ 590,000 London estate.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of possessions in four personal companies, which they co-own. including the residential or commercial property company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in assets as of last year.

And Oti has actually only added to her fortune in recent months by appearing on I’m A Celeb 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 program in 2020, has actually cashed in with a string of phase functions

However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t always been simple, exposing in 2019 that he used to oversleep his cars and truck while attempting to kickstart his carrying out 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 declared ₤ 104,993 in its most current possessions with ₤ 42,234 remaining after expenses.

However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t constantly been easy, exposing in 2019 that he utilized to sleep in his automobile while trying 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 no one there, I’ll sleep in my vehicle and after that I can afford 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‘I spent loads of time oversleeping my cars and truck – basically living out of my vehicle – 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 simply getting fired from job after task – normal office jobs, simply trying to sustain my dancer career.

‘I was essentially looking in my wallet going, I’ve simply been fired from another job. I’ve got four lessons tomorrow; I currently can’t pay for 2 of them.

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

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

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

James has 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 in the last few years, setting up a physical fitness website called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe.

The set sold their Kent estate for ₤ 2.5 million previously this year and have since downsized 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 possessions and ₤ 465,002 after bills.

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

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC