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

Whether it be the tireless hours of training, or being an on-screen fixture for weeks on end, the show’s professional dancers have helped make the series a captivating watch throughout the autumn months.

However, while it has been assumed that Strictly professionals must earn a pretty penny, and years of success, through their time on the show, for most it’s a wholly different story.

Pros who have bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor in recent years have shared their struggles with piling debts and money woes, with some even facing the prospect of losing their homes.

In a recent interview, AJ Pritchard shared the pressure of people ‘assuming he’s a millionaire’ due to his time on Strictly, admitting that he was thrown into debt when his dance tour was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

Only a select few have gone onto cash in on their Strictly success, with stars such as Oti Mabuse and Kevin Clifton earning a hefty fortune with stints on the small screen and the stage.

MailOnline peels back the glitter behind Strictly stars’ paychecks to reveal the truth about how for many, the money stops as soon as the ballroom lights go dark…

Kristina Rihanoff 

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

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

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

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

Ben pleaded poverty, admitting he was ‘fighting to save his relationship and home’ after professional dancer Kristina was caught driving without insurance.

She was slapped with six points on her licence but faced a ban for totting up 12 penalty points after being caught behind the wheel of her £30,000 Audi Q3 in Northampton on April 4.

Her partner, who admitted bungling the couple’s car insurance policies, was dragged to court to support her failed appeal against the motoring conviction.

The couple were then faced with more potential legal battles after failing to submit accounts for a yoga studio which plunged almost £500,000 into the red.

In October it was also revealed that the couple had put their £1.75 million home on the market.

Ben and Kristina’s money troubles started to rear their head following the Covid pandemic in 2020, which impacted their fitness and wellbeing studio called Soo Yoga in Northampton.

The business struggled to make money during the pandemic, which Ben acknowledged while giving his testimony at Northampton Crown Court.

‘I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn,’ he said.

When questioned on how this was impacting his relationship he added: ‘We’re still living together. We’re in it financially.

‘We’re in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with.

‘I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It’s just another problem.’

Companies House records show that the Soo Yoga Group Ltd was £488,470 in the red in its last submitted set of accounts for the year ending on July 31, 2022.

Its debts include an outstanding £190,000 loan made to Soo Yoga Group by a company called Bespoke Ballroom Ltd which is 50 per cent owned by Russian-born Kristina who is listed as an American citizen.

The couple, who have since put their home on the market, have faced more potential legal battles after failing to submit accounts for a yoga studio which plunged £500,000 into the red

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

Records also reveal that a food services company called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 per cent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was effectively £6,633 in the red, taking into account future liabilities, in its last accounts for the period ending on July 31, 2020.

The company’s accounts for the year ending in July 2021 have still not been filed and are now nearly 29 months overdue.

Another company called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is also owned by the Soo Yoga Group, was set up in December 2021 and dissolved by a voluntary strike off in February this year without ever filing accounts.

A fourth company called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by three other people was also incorporated and voluntarily struck off on the same dates.

A fifth company called Yoga Wellbeing which is 100 percent owned by Rihanoff was £5,041 in the red, taking into account future liabilities, at the end of July 2020. Its accounts are also nearly 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.

AJ Pritchard 

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

But AJ has since shed light on the money woes some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into debt when his dance tour was cancelled in 2020

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

While the star had previously hoped to kickstart a new era of dance success by departing the show, the pandemic forced him to cancel his planned dance tour, plunging himself and brother Curtis into debt.

Speaking to MailOnline, AJ shed light on the money woes some Strictly stars can face after leaving the show.

He said: ‘We had a company where we were running our own tour and the tour was  cut short. We paid all of our dancers because, personally, I felt like that was the right thing to do. We ended up with a VAT bill 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, but that’s what it is when you are running your own company.

‘They definitely did appreciate it. I maybe didn’t appreciate the debt that I was left in but, hey, it’s a decision that was made.’

AJ said it is hard when a lot of his friends think he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, however, he explained that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he earns is nowhere near that.

The dancer said: ‘I think a lot of people expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and instantly be a millionaire. Once you’ve paid your tax and your VAT, and if you’re a limited company, that’s not even close.

‘I think transparency is a positive thing in this day and age, but most people don’t really want to talk 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 need to live within your own means.’

After leaving shows such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a number of big money deals and AJ says some people have no idea how to handle that kind of sum of cash.

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

AJ became very open about how sometimes the TV bookings and photoshoots can suddenly stop and stars have to learn how to ‘adapt’ their career.

He continued: ‘It’s really hard I think in our industry, the entertainment industry and a lot of other industries right now because a lot of people are being laid off. It does play on your mental health if you don’t have that next job.

‘Myself and Curtis have invested money, from my very first pay check on Strictly I’ve always had that money invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job in six months time, I do have money there that I can draw on if I need it.

AJ said it is hard when a lot of his 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

‘And at the end of the day, there are always jobs 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 hard but you do have to adapt sometimes.

‘It’s important that people go into these big shows that they’re enjoying but they have a profession behind them like myself and Curt. We’re both professional 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 different and is regularly snapped back into the ‘real world’ as he’s noticed the dramatic increase in everyday items.

He explained: ‘Every single day I’m brought back to reality. I pulled up at the petrol pump today and the diesel was 10p more expensive due to decisions that have been made much higher up than my paycheck. That’s the real world.

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

‘Even when inflation comes down, it doesn’t mean that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be hard for a lot of people 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 impressive £100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically died with just £879 in his company’s business account.

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 and according to Companies House Records was facing an ‘active proposal’ to be struck off.

The company Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed almost £5,000 the last time it filed accounts, but owed creditors £15,000, meaning 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 company and advanced himself £35,000 from the company, which was repaid.

The company had channelled earnings from a ‘wide variety of contracts to provide performing arts services within the media industry’, paperwork said.

In the months prior to his death, Robin had been working on a Fred Olsen Cruise – alongside fellow Strictly professional Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and posted pictures 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 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 show in 2013)

He also recalled one time he earned ‘silly money’, telling This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were once 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 ‘best’ year of his financial life was 2010, ‘my first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.

He said: ‘All of a sudden, I was earning money I had only dreamt about. I probably made about £100,000 that year – not just from Strictly but from work off the back of the show such as the tour and private performances.

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

Speaking about his Strictly exit, Robin said he became so ‘bitter’ about not being allowed to return that he couldn’t bear to watch it, and he went into a ‘steady decline’ after leaving the show.

Graziano Di Prima 

Graziano was dramatically sacked by bosses last year following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celeb partner Zara McDermott

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

Graziano was once considered a favourite among Strictly fans, but last year he was dramatically sacked by bosses following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celeb partner Zara McDermott.

The dancer later confirmed and regretted his actions against Zara.

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

‘My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

‘While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.

‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.’

Following his departure from the show, Graziano attempted to cash on his appearances on the show, 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 cashed in on their Strictly success…

Oti Mabuse 

For many fans, Oti is considered one of Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champion for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020

Since then, she has appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also earned a reported £200,000 fee for her stint on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! last year

For many fans, Oti is considered one of Strictly’s most successful 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 since her exit has amassed a huge fortune with a string of successful 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 Greatest Dancer, contributing to a rumoured fortune of more than £1.4million.

Before joining the Strictly lineup, Oti also worked as a professional dancer on Strictly’s German equivalent, Let’s Dance.

Oti is listed as a director of Pure Mabuse Limited, which she set up with her husband Marius Iepure, which was set up in February 2017, and has listed assets of £510,953, according to its most recent accounts.

In 2022, Oti also signed a big-money deal to collaborate with Bravissimo on a ‘confidence boosting’ underwear range, and she and husband Marius also share a £590,000 London mansion.

Between them, Oti and Marius hold £750,000 of assets in four private companies, which they co-own. including the property firm, Lionshead, which notched up £110,582 in assets as of last year.

And Oti has only added to her fortune in recent months by appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! where she was reportedly paid a £200,000 fee.

Kevin Clifton 

Kevin Clifton was crowned Strictly champion in 2018 with Stacey Dooley, and after leaving the show in 2020, has cashed in with a string of stage roles

However, the dancer has previously shared that it hasn’t always been easy, revealing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his car while attempting to kickstart his performing career

Since leaving Strictly in 2020, Kevin Clifton has taken 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 bills.

However, the dancer has previously shared that it hasn’t always been easy, revealing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his car while attempting to kickstart his performing career, while juggling it with an office job.

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

‘I spent loads of time sleeping in my car – basically living out of my car – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People think we live these easy, showbiz, glamorous lives and it’s not like that.

‘There’s been times where I was just getting fired from job after job – normal office jobs, just trying to sustain my dancer career.

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

‘I’m going to have to blag it with the teacher and say, ”Oh, there’s been a problem at the bank. I’m going to have to give you the money on my next lesson.”

James and Ola Jordan

Business: James and Ola Jordan have cashed in on their joint weight loss in recent years, setting up a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge £12.99 per month to subscribe

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

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

The couple have cashed in on their joint weight loss in recent years, setting up a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge £12.99 per month to subscribe.

The pair sold their Kent mansion for £2.5million earlier this year and have since downsized to a home more ‘suitable’ 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 assets and £465,002 after bills.

They earn extra money by selling signed photos for £9.50 while Ola offers dance lessons to fans at £300 a pop.