How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have 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 making a substantial fortune.

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

However, while it has been presumed that Strictly experts should earn a pretty cent, and years of success, through their time on the program, for most it’s a completely various story.

Pros who have actually bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor recently have shared their struggles with stacking financial obligations and money concerns, with some even dealing with the prospect of losing their homes.

Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff become the current stars to be hit by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year love ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the serious financial troubles they had just recently experienced are thought to have 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 ended up in debt – as Kristina Rihanoff’s financial problems are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (visualized on the program in 2013)

Kristina previously appeared on Strictly as a professional from 2008 to 2015, making headlines when she started a romance with her celeb partner Ben Cohen.

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

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

Giving proof throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, admitted he had actually bungled the handling of their vehicle insurance plan and informed 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 torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have picked to move forward as different individuals.

‘Those near them who know them as a couple had actually 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 tilled 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 money woes, with Ben laying bare their monetary concerns in court (pictured in 2021)

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

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

‘I’ve got charge card that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have actually got a company financial obligation 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 ceased on April 28, 2023.

Records likewise expose that a food services company called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 percent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was successfully ₤ ۶,۶۳۳ at a loss, considering 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 still not been submitted 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 set up in December 2021 and liquified by a voluntary strike off in February this year without ever filing accounts.

A 4th company called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by 3 other individuals was likewise integrated and voluntarily struck off on the exact same dates.

A 5th company called Yoga Wellbeing which is one hundred percent owned by Rihanoff was ₤ ۵,۰۴۱ at a loss, 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 first increased to fame as a candidate on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program simply months before the Covid pandemic (visualized with Saffron Barker in 2019)

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

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

While the star had formerly wished to kickstart a new era of dance success by leaving the show, the pandemic forced him to cancel his scheduled dance trip, plunging himself and bro Curtis into debt.

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

He stated: ‘We had a company where we were running our own trip and the tour was interrupted. We paid all of our dancers due to the fact that, personally, I felt like that was the right thing to do. We ended up with a VAT costs which came out of our own pocket.

‘We didn’t earn money, 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 business.

‘They absolutely did value it. I maybe didn’t value the financial obligation that I was left in however, hey, 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 explained that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes is no place near that.

The dancer said: ‘I think a lot 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 limited business, that’s not even close.

‘I believe transparency is a positive thing in this day and age, but the majority of people don’t truly wish to discuss their finances.

‘And I think people are fascinated by cash. People love to see numbers and love to see good things, and a great deal of times you need to live within your own ways.’

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

Former I’m A Celeb star AJ exposed he and Curtis ‘wish to make a distinction’ and have established ‘using our own cash’ a financial investment business called FINT to assist to ‘educate’ people.

AJ became extremely open about how in some cases the TV reservations and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars have to discover how to ‘adapt’ their career.

AJ said 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 makes is no place near that

He continued: ‘It’s actually difficult I believe in our market, the entertainment market and a great deal of other industries 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 task.

‘Myself and Curtis have invested cash, from my really first wage on Strictly I’ve constantly had that cash invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t work in six months time, I do have cash there that I can draw on if I need it.

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

‘It is necessary that people go into these big shows that they’re enjoying however they have a profession behind them like myself and Curt. We’re both expert 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 various and is routinely snapped back into the ‘genuine world’ as he’s seen the remarkable increase in daily products.

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

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

‘Even when inflation boils down, it doesn’t suggest that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be difficult for a lot of people this year and I do not think it’s going to get any easier.’

Robin Windsor

Despite drawing in an outstanding ₤ ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically passed away with just ₤ ۸۷۹ in his company’s service account

Despite drawing in an excellent ₤ ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically died with simply ₤ ۸۷۹ in his company’s service 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 company had not traded for some time and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‘active proposition’ to be struck off.

The company Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed almost ₤ ۵,۰۰۰ the last time it submitted accounts, however owed creditors ₤ ۱۵,۰۰۰, implying it was ₤ ۸,۳۵۰ in the red.

At the height of his celebrity in 2015 and 2016 he held more than ₤ ۲۳,۰۰۰ in the company and advanced himself ₤ ۳۵,۰۰۰ from the business, which was repaid.

The company had actually directed profits from a ‘wide array of contracts to provide performing arts services within the media market’, paperwork said.

In the months prior to his death, Robin had actually been working on a Fred Olsen Cruise – alongside fellow Strictly expert Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and published images of himself when the in South Africa.

Robin formerly informed how he was paid ₤ ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ a year throughout his time on Strictly which came to 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 not traded for some time (pictured on the program in 2013)

He also recalled one time he earned ‘silly money’, telling This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were once paid ₤ ۱۰,۰۰۰ each to remain in a luxury 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 monetary life was 2010, ‘my first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.

He stated: ‘All of an abrupt, I was making money I had just dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ that year – not simply from Strictly however from work off the back of the program such as the trip and private performances.

‘When you’re on prime-time TV, everybody wants a little slice 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 enjoy it, and he went into a ‘consistent decrease’ after leaving the show.

Graziano Di Prima

Graziano was considerably sacked by bosses last year following claims of gross misbehavior 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 considered a favourite amongst Strictly fans, but last year he was dramatically sacked by managers following claims of gross misbehavior towards his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later validated and regretted his actions versus Zara.

Addressing his exit from the program, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima composed on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the occasions 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 extreme passion and decision to win might have impacted my training routine.

‘While appreciating the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s just best 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 newspaper article, and I take on board the level of sensitivity of the scenario.

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

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

The dancer charged $100 (₤ ۷۸) for a video message, and continued to refer to himself as a ‘expert dancer on Strictly’ on his profile.

And the stars who have actually cashed in on 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 2 years in a row, in 2019 and 2020

Since then, she has actually appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also made a reported ₤ ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ fee 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 ₤ ۴۱۰,۰۰۰ salary before she left the program in 2022, and given that her exit has actually amassed a big fortune with a string of effective TV gigs.

Since then, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was likewise a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The Greatest Dancer, adding to a rumoured fortune of more than ₤ ۱.۴ 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 listed 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 ₤ ۵۱۰,۹۵۳, according to its latest accounts.

In 2022, Oti also signed a big-money offer to collaborate with Bravissimo on a ‘self-confidence improving’ underwear variety, and she and partner Marius likewise share a ₤ ۵۹۰,۰۰۰ London estate.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ ۷۵۰,۰۰۰ of properties in four personal companies, which they co-own. consisting of the home company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ ۱۱۰,۵۸۲ in possessions since last year.

And Oti has just contributed to her fortune in current months by appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! where she was reportedly paid a ₤ ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ 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 stage functions

However, the dancer has previously shared that it hasn’t constantly been simple, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to sleep in his vehicle while trying to start his carrying out career

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

His company Supreme Dance stated ₤ ۱۰۴,۹۹۳ in its latest properties with ₤ ۴۲,۲۳۴ staying after expenses.

However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t always been easy, revealing in 2019 that he used to oversleep his cars and truck while attempting to kickstart his performing profession, while handling it with a workplace job.

Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he stated: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll sleep in my car and after that I can manage two of my dance lessons tomorrow.

‘I spent loads of time sleeping in my cars and truck – generally living out of my automobile – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People think we live these simple, showbiz, attractive lives and it’s not like that.

‘There’s been times where I was simply getting fired from task after job – regular workplace tasks, simply attempting to sustain my dancer profession.

‘I was basically looking in my wallet going, I’ve simply been fired from another task. I’ve got 4 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 have to give 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 site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ ۱۲.۹۹ per month to subscribe

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

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

The couple have capitalized their joint weight-loss in current years, setting up a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ ۱۲.۹۹ monthly to subscribe.

The pair sold their Kent estate for ₤ ۲.۵ million previously this year and have actually considering that downsized to a home more ‘suitable’ for their child Ella.

Much of their earnings is funnelled through their firm James and Ola Dance Academy which most just recently had ₤ ۷۷۴,۰۲۳ in assets and ₤ ۴۶۵,۰۰۲ after bills.

They make additional money by selling signed images for ₤ ۹.۵۰ while Ola offers dance lessons to fans at ₤ ۳۰۰ a pop.

Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC