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 should be earning a large fortune.

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

However, while it has been assumed that Strictly professionals need to earn a pretty cent, and years of success, through their time on the program, for a lot of it’s an entirely various story.

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

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

MailOnline peels back the glitter behind Strictly stars’ incomes to reveal the fact about how for many, 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 monetary troubles are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (imagined on the show in 2013)

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

However, in 2015, the couple shared worries that they might lose their home after being struck by money concerns, with Ben laying bare their financial problems in court.

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

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

A pal of the couple told the Mail he stated: ‘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 selected to go forward as separate people.

‘Those near to 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 looks like there’s no going back.’

The couple were entrusted to 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 admission Ben told the court: ‘I get up every day and I battle not to lose whatever – to lose my automobiles 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 troubles, with Ben laying bare their monetary woes in court (pictured in 2021)

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

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

‘I have actually got charge card that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got an organization financial obligation because of Covid. It’s just another problem.’

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

Records also reveal that a food services business called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 percent 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 business’s accounts for the year ending in July 2021 have still not been submitted and are now nearly 29 months past due.

Another company called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is likewise 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 three other individuals was also integrated and willingly struck off on the very same dates.

A fifth 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 also 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 (imagined with Saffron Barker in 2019)

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

AJ first rose to fame as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program just months before the Covid pandemic.

While the star had previously wanted to kickstart a new period of dance success by leaving the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his planned dance tour, plunging himself and bro Curtis into debt.

Talking to MailOnline, AJ shed light on 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 tour and the tour 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 VAT 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 tough decision to be made, but that’s what it is when you are running your own business.

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

AJ stated it is hard when a lot of his friends believe he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, nevertheless, he discussed 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 people expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and immediately 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 openness is a positive thing in this day and age, however many people do not actually wish to discuss their finances.

‘And I believe people are interested by money. People enjoy to see numbers and love to see nice things, and a lot of times you need to live within your own ways.’

After leaving programs such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were tossed into a variety of big money offers and AJ says some people have no concept how to handle that sort of sum of cash.

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

AJ ended up being very open about how in some cases the TV bookings and photoshoots can all of a sudden stop and stars need to learn 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 nowhere near that

He continued: ‘It’s really hard I believe in our market, the show business and a great deal of other markets right now since a great deal of individuals are being laid off. It does play on your psychological health if you do not have that next task.

‘Myself and Curtis have invested cash, from my extremely first salary on Strictly I’ve constantly had actually that cash invested into various portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job 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 sometimes needing to alter what it is you believe you are going to do and adjust a little bit. Adapting is tough however you do need to adjust often.

‘It is very important that individuals go into these big shows that they’re taking pleasure in but 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, individuals are facing the expense of living crisis and AJ confessed he is no various and is regularly snapped back into the ‘real world’ as he’s noticed the remarkable increase in everyday .

He explained: ‘Each and every single day I’m reminded truth. I brought up at the petrol 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 genuine world.

‘I was like, ‘What 10p more costly from yesterday to today’, like that’s insane. I believe people forget, the cost of living and inflation’s gone up.

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

Robin Windsor

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

Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically died with just ₤ 879 in his company’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 revealed his firm had not traded for some time and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‘active proposal’ to be struck off.

The company Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed practically ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, but owed creditors ₤ 15,000, indicating 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 business and advanced himself ₤ 35,000 from the company, which was paid back.

The company had actually directed profits from a ‘variety of contracts to provide carrying out arts services within the media market’, documentation stated.

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

Robin formerly 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 found dead in a London hotel in February, and in the wake of his passing it was exposed his company had actually not traded for a long time (envisioned on the show in 2013)

He also remembered one time he made ‘silly cash’, informing This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were when paid ₤ 10,000 each to stay 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 ‘finest’ year of his monetary life was 2010, ‘my first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.

He said: ‘Suddenly, I was generating income I had actually only dreamt about. I probably 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 performances.

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

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

Graziano Di Prima

Graziano was drastically sacked by bosses in 2015 following claims of gross misconduct towards his former superstar partner Zara McDermott

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

Graziano was when thought about a favourite amongst Strictly fans, however last year he was drastically sacked by managers following claims of gross misconduct towards his previous superstar partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later verified and regretted his actions versus Zara.

Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima wrote on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the events that resulted in 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 intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training routine.

‘While respecting the BBC HR procedure, I acknowledge it’s just best for the sake of the program 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 scenario.

‘There’s more to this story that I am not able to talk about at this time, but I am devoted to being strong for my friends and family. I want the Strictly family nothing however 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 refer to himself as a ‘expert dancer on Strictly’ on his profile.

And the stars who have capitalized their Strictly success …

Oti Mabuse

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

Since then, she has actually appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also earned a reported ₤ 200,000 cost for her stint on I’m A Celeb 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 champion 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 show in 2022, and given that 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 likewise 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 also 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 partner 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 deal to team up with Bravissimo on a ‘confidence enhancing’ underclothing variety, and she and spouse Marius likewise share a ₤ 590,000 London mansion.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of assets in 4 private business, which they co-own. consisting of the home company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in properties as of last year.

And Oti has actually just contributed to her fortune in current months by appearing on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! where she was apparently 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 stage roles

However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t always been easy, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to sleep in his car while attempting to kickstart his carrying out career

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

His firm Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its latest assets with ₤ 42,234 remaining after costs.

However, the dancer has actually formerly shared that it hasn’t always been simple, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his vehicle while attempting to start his carrying out profession, while handling it with an office task.

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

‘I spent loads of time oversleeping my cars and truck – generally living out of my car – 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 task – typical workplace jobs, just attempting 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 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 an issue at the bank. I’m going to need to offer you the cash on my next lesson.” James and Ola Jordan

Business: James and Ola Jordan have capitalized their joint weight reduction in the last few years, establishing a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 each month to subscribe

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

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

The couple have actually capitalized their joint weight-loss in the last few years, establishing a physical fitness site 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 actually given that scaled down to a home more ‘ideal’ 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 offering signed images for ₤ 9.50 while Ola provides dance lessons to fans at ₤ 300 a pop.

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC