How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have Ended up In Debt

For audiences tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be right in assuming that its stars must be making a significant fortune.

Whether it be the tireless hours of training, or being an on-screen component for weeks on end, the show’s expert dancers have assisted make the series a fascinating watch throughout the autumn 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 the majority of it’s a completely different story.

Pros who have actually bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor over the last few years have shared their battles with piling debts and money woes, with some even facing the prospect of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff end up being the newest stars to be struck by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year love ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the severe monetary troubles they had just recently experienced are thought to have actually been behind their split.

MailOnline peels back the shine behind Strictly stars’ paychecks to expose the reality about how for lots of, 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 problems are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (envisioned on the program in 2013)

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

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

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

Giving evidence throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, admitted he had made a mess of the handling of their car insurance coverage policy and told how he was ‘fighting to save his relationship and home’.

A pal of the couple informed the Mail he stated: ‘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 selected to move forward as different individuals.

‘Those close to them who know 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 left with debilitating 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 fight not to lose whatever – to lose my cars and trucks 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 financial concerns in court (pictured in 2021)

When questioned about the strains 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 business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is simply another problem for me to handle.

‘I have actually got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have actually got a business 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 on and terminated on April 28, 2023.

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

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

Another business called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is likewise 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 fourth company called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by three other people was likewise included and voluntarily struck off on the 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 also almost 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard

AJ first rose to fame as an entrant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the show simply months before the Covid pandemic (envisioned with Saffron Barker in 2019)

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

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.

While the star had formerly wished to kickstart a new era of dance success by leaving the program, the pandemic required him to cancel his scheduled dance tour, plunging himself and brother Curtis into debt.

Speaking to MailOnline, AJ shed light on the cash issues some Strictly stars can deal with after leaving the program.

He said: ‘We had a business where we were running our own trip and the tour was interrupted. We paid all of our dancers because, 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, but 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 business.

‘They certainly did appreciate it. I possibly didn’t value the debt that I was left in however, hi, it’s a choice that was made.’

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

The dancer said: ‘I believe a lot of people anticipate 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 limited business, that’s not even close.

‘I think transparency is a positive thing in this day and age, however many people don’t truly want to speak about their financial resources.

‘And I believe people are intrigued by cash. People like to see numbers and like to see good things, and a lot of times you need to live within your own means.’

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

Former I’m A Celeb star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‘desire to make a difference’ and have set up ‘utilizing our own money’ a monetary investment business called FINT to help to ‘inform’ people.

AJ ended up being very open about how often the TV bookings and photoshoots can suddenly stop and stars have to discover how to ‘adjust’ their profession.

AJ said it is hard when a great deal of his friends believe he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, as after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes 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 due to the fact that a lot of people are being laid off. It does use your mental health if you do not have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have actually invested cash, from my really first salary on Strictly I have actually always had actually that money invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job in 6 months time, I do have cash there that I can make use of if I need it.

‘And at the end of the day, there are constantly tasks out there. It’s just sometimes having to change what it is you think you are going to do and adapt a little bit. Adapting is difficult however you do have to adapt often.

‘It is essential that individuals enter into these huge programs that they’re delighting in however 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, people are dealing with the cost of living crisis and AJ confessed he is no various and is frequently snapped back into the ‘real life’ as he’s discovered the remarkable increase in everyday items.

He described: ‘Each and every single day I’m brought back to reality. I pulled 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 life.

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

‘Even when inflation boils down, it doesn’t indicate that it returns to what it was. Life is going to be difficult for a lot of individuals this year and I don’t think it’s going to get any easier.’

Robin Windsor

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

Despite pulling in an outstanding ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically passed away 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 not traded for some time and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‘active proposition’ to be struck off.

The business Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed almost ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, but owed financial institutions ₤ 15,000, meaning 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 business and advanced himself ₤ 35,000 from the business, which was paid back.

The business had actually funnelled incomes from a ‘broad variety of agreements to supply carrying out arts services within the media industry’, documentation stated.

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 posted images of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.

Robin previously told 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 exposed his firm had not traded for some time (visualized on the program in 2013)

He also recalled one time he earned ‘ridiculous cash’, telling This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were when 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 2 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: ‘Suddenly, I was making money I had just 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 trip and personal performances.

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

Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin stated he ended up being so ‘bitter’ about not being enabled to return that he couldn’t bear to see it, and he entered into a ‘constant decline’ after leaving the show.

Graziano Di Prima

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

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

Graziano was once thought about a favourite amongst Strictly fans, but last year he was considerably sacked by managers following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later verified and regretted his actions against Zara.

Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘ravaged’ Di Prima composed on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the occasions that resulted in 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 program.

‘While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only best for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t permitted to provide a quote to the online newspaper article, and I take on board the level of sensitivity of the scenario.

‘There’s more to this story that I am not able to discuss at this time, however I am devoted to being strong for my household and pals. I wish the Strictly family nothing however success in the future.’

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

Oti Mabuse

For many fans, Oti is considered among Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020

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

For lots of fans, Oti is thought about among Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champion 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 show in 2022, and since her exit has collected a huge fortune with a string of effective TV gigs.

Ever since, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was likewise 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 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 set up with her husband Marius Iepure, which was established in February 2017, and has noted properties of ₤ 510,953, according to its latest accounts.

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

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of possessions in four private companies, which they co-own. consisting of the home company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in possessions since in 2015.

And Oti has just contributed 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 cost.

Kevin Clifton

Kevin Clifton was crowned Strictly champion 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 previously shared that it hasn’t always been easy, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his vehicle while trying to kickstart his carrying out career

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 stated ₤ 104,993 in its most current possessions with ₤ 42,234 staying after bills.

However, the dancer has actually formerly shared that it hasn’t always been easy, exposing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his cars and truck while attempting to start his carrying out career, while handling it with a workplace task.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he said: ‘If there’s no one there, I’ll sleep in my vehicle and then I can afford 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‘I invested loads of time oversleeping my automobile – basically living out of my cars and truck – 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 task after job – normal workplace tasks, just trying to sustain my dancer profession.

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

‘I’m going to have to blag it with the instructor 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 actually cashed in on their joint weight-loss recently, establishing a physical fitness website called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 per month to subscribe

James Jordan left Strictly in 2013 with his partner 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 capitalized their joint weight loss recently, establishing a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 per month to subscribe.

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

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

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

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC