IT’S the glitziest show on TV and being a pro dancer on Strictly Come Dancing can bring more than fringe benefits when it comes to side hustles.
Unsurprisingly, the BBC has never disclosed the actual salaries it pays its pro performers, but rumour has it they earn somewhere between £35,000 and £50,000 per season.
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Obviously, this is nothing to be sniffed at – but it doesn’t quite match the big bucks often being offered to the celebs taking part.
If they make it to the final, they could be looking at a £100,000 payday.
Still, judging by the growing fortunes of our favourite pros, they are showing some nifty footwork in the boardroom as well as the ballroom.
The show opens doors to a whole lot of money-making potential, even after they’ve left the ballroom for good.
Take Giovanni Pernice, who raked it in last year, despite being dumped as a pro performer on the show following Amanda Abbington’s bullying complaints against him.
According to financial records, Giovanni made over £1m in the last financial year.
This was thanks to his previous work on Strictly, his own stage show Let Me Entertain You and his travel shows with Strictly judge Anton Du Beke.
He also set up a lifestyle brand, Vita by Giovanni Pernice, flogging a unisex fragrance and £45 scented candles – although the products no longer seem to be on sale.
Now the current champ on the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando co le Stelle, he looks set for another bumper year – including a brand-new UK and Ireland tour, The Last Dance – and it’s safe to say that Gio’s waltzing all the way to the bank.
But he’s not the only one. Take a look at the other pro dancers who are shimmying their way to a very nice pay packet – whether they’re still on the show or not.
Anton Du Beke
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After making the move from pro dancer to judge in 2021, Anton’s fortune has grown considerably.
Not only is he now earning between £175,000 and £200,000 for the role, he’s also made money from his frequent television appearances, including his 2024 show Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily.
As for his money-making dance moves, it’s said he can still make £65,000 touring around the UK.
What’s more, Anton previously released a studio album, and has now produced seven novels in his very popular Buckingham Hotel series, with another on the way – adding to his rumoured £8m fortune.
Katya Jones
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Having joined the show in 2016, Katya’s bolstered her steady income on the show with the Strictly tour, plus her own tours and solo appearances.
According to financial records, her company Sokolova Ltd made £97,000 in the last financial year – contributing to her reported £3.6m net worth.
The Russian star has a huge social media following, with 251k on Instagram alone, which means she is approached by many fashion brands and has previously worked with some – including International Dance Shoes.
But as a passionate environmentalist, she recently revealed she had “declined so many offers from fast fashion brands that don’t fit my ethos, potentially losing out on a big chunk of income” but she does work with sustainable brands like Hurr, People’s Tree, Hylo and others.
Meanwhile, her father is a multimillionaire senior oil executive, which must have been helpful while she first found her footing in the cut-throat world of dance.
Karen Hauer
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With 322k followers on Instagram, Karen’s proven just how lucrative Strictly fame can be away from the ballroom.
She often posts paid endorsements online, including a recent ad for Pedigree dog food.
What’s more, she’s hardly resting in the off-season, running her own dance exercise platform, Hauer Power Fitness, and also leading dance workshops across the UK with fellow pro dancer Luba Mushtuk.
All that has contributed to the star netting £110k last year. How’s that for a high leaderboard score?
Kevin Clifton
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It’s been five years since former fave Kevin left Strictly, but he hasn’t looked back, thanks to a thriving stage career.
He’s since performed in Dirty Dancing the Musical, Rock of Ages, The War of the Worlds, Strictly Ballroom and Chicago – with an upcoming role in the stage thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story alongside his partner, Stacey Dooley.
In addition, Kevin has his own company, Supreme Dance, which last year brought in £98,000.
Speaking about his career highs, he previously said times had been very different when he was first getting started.
“I spent loads of time sleeping in my car – basically living out of my car – and having no work,” Kevin remembered. “It’s not all glamour. People think we live these easy, showbiz, glamorous lives and it’s not like that.”
James and Ola Jordan
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One of the show’s original power couples, these two have made big bucks since leaving the series in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
James appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, and returned a few years later for the All Stars version – boosting his pay packet. Then, he struck gold again when he won Dancing On Ice in 2019.
Ola also raked in a packet by releasing a series of sizzling calendars, up until 2018 when she decided to ‘leave it to the younger stars.’
After dropping a combined 6.5 stone in 2023, the couple also set up a fitness platform called Dance Shred that helped their fans get in shape like them. The site costs £12.99 for a monthly subscription.
All this – plus private appearances and dance lessons – has reportedly led to James and Ola’s joint net worth of £3.5m.
Johannes Radebe
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Undoubtedly one of the show’s standout stars, Johannes has headlined his own dance tour, House of JoJo, away from the BBC series.
He also won rave reviews this year following his theatrical debut as the iconic Lola in the touring production of Kinky Boots.
Last year, he released his memoir, Jojo: Finally Home, which is now being made into a film.
All that should keep the performer raking in the big bucks – which is believed to be around £1m in total. Suffice to say, he’s filling his Kinky Boots.
Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec
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Another lucrative duo, the husband and wife team have been in big demand ever since joining Strictly in 2013.
Janette has seen her own bank balance grow since stepping down as a pro in 2021 for a job as a presenter on Strictly: It Takes Two. She’s also proved her telly chops with a regular hosting gig on BBC’s Morning Live.
Meanwhile, following a brief hiatus to focus on fatherhood – after they welcomed their baby Lyra in 2023 – Aljaz made a triumphant return to Strictly last year.
The pair then signed up for the Strictly live tour, Janette as presenter and Aljaz in the cast.
They’ve continued to supplement their TV work with dance tours and sell-out shows aboard P&O ferries, which are believed to earn them each around £15,000 per week.
Combined figures suggest they now have a net worth of £2m between them.
Dianne Buswell
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After meeting her partner, YouTuber Joe Sugg, on Strictly in 2008, Dianne’s social media following skyrocketed.
She regularly appears with Joe on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and also has her own YouTube channel, with 278k viewers tuning in to watch her vlogs.
This has made them one of social media’s highest earning couples in the UK, with a reported combined fortune of £8.8m.
Dianne herself has amassed roughly £2m over the past few years – thanks to her massive following away from the BBC show.
Later this year, she and show favourite Vito Coppola are set to make a mint from their own tour, Red Hot and Ready.
Oti Mabuse
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Oti is proof that a life post-Strictly can be very profitable – if you play your cards right.
After competing on the show for seven years, she left in 2022, going on to sit on the judging panel on Dancing On Ice, and also presenting her own breakfast show on ITV.
Last year, she was reportedly paid between £100,000 and £200,000 to star on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here, giving her cash flow a nice little boost in time for Christmas.
And away from TV, Oti scored a lucrative deal with underwear brand Bravissimo, in 2022.
Already the author of several children’s books she recently announced the launch of her first novel, Slow Burn.
According to reports, she’s now worth a cool £1.4m – and she’s only set to keeeeeep earning!
All your Strictly Come Dancing winners
Strictly first kicked off back in 2004, and over the years has crowned 21 winners.
