Strictly 2021 is now in full swing, bringing all the glitz and glamour of the ballroom back to our weekends.
While much of the attention is garnered towards the celebrities who are competing for their chance to walk away with the Glitter Ball trophy, it’s the professional dancers who are the real stars of the show.
Without their coaching, mentoring and impressive choreography week in, week and week out, the show just wouldn’t be possible.
So for all their hard work, dedication and putting up with the occasional celebrity diva tantrum, how much are the professional dancers actually paid to take in the popular prime-time show?
And who is the richest?
Strictly 2021: How much do the pros earn?
When their salaries were leaked to the Daily Mail in 2019, AJ Pritchard was the king of the dancefloor in terms of earnings.
He reportedly racked up a £50,000 fee for taking part in Strictly.
Read more: AJ Pritchard brands Katie McGlynn ‘cold’ following Strictly exit
AJ made a further £120,000 from TV appearances alone, followed by £70,000 for the Strictly Live Tour.
He banked a further £35,000 for the Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals tour.
Nice work, AJ.
But, with AJ out of the picture, who has stolen his crown for 2021?
Who is the top earning 2021 pro?
While the BBC has never confirmed the professionals’ salaries, it’s widely reported that the pro dancers get paid between £30,000 to £50,000 per series – no matter how long they stay in the competition.
Read more: Strictly results: Viewers accuse Katie McGlynn of throwing ‘shade’ at Gorka Marquez
But a seasoned pro like Anton Du Beke, who has appeared on the show since it started in 2004, reportedly commands £65,000 for his role as a dancer.
The dancers can also boost their earnings through the tours, lucrative brand deals on social media and other TV appearances.
Added up, it all sends them Cha Cha Chinging straight to the bank!
How much does Oti Mabuse get paid?
According to the Daily Express, the highest-paid professional is two-times champ Oti Mabuse.
It is believed the South African-born dancer will earn just over £400,000 from her Strictly salary, the Professionals tour money (taking place in April – May 2022) and other work.
As well as launching her own dance school last year, Oti 31, she also worked as a judge on ITV talent show The Masked Dancer.
It’s believed she was paid around £150,000 for the role.
Oti also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and is rumoured to have netted £60,000 for her time in the kitchen.
Aside from lucrative contracts, Oti also has a vast social media presence with 603,000 followers and can command £2,117.42 per post per Instagram post, according to PayDayLoansNet.
How much does Strictly pro Gorka get?
Spanish dancer Gorka 31, who was eliminated from the competition last week with partner Katie McGlynn, is reported to be on the line-up’s lowest salary, earning £105,000 last year.
He is said to bank £35k for the Strictly Professionals live tour and £20,000 for the one-off show Here Come the Boys on top of his 50k show salary.
This year it’s been announced he will also take part in the Strictly Live Tour in January.
But certified personal trainer Gorka more than makes up his income through social media posts with his 652k followers.
He can charge over £2,000 per post and has already cashed in on partnerships with brands including Nococo and Tropicana.
What about Dianne Buswell?
On top of her Strictly salary, flame-haired Dianne will rake in cash from the Strictly Live! Tour in January.
She has the highest social media earning potential thanks to her 855,000 followers on Instagram.
She is reported to earn £3,036.54 per post.
Like the other pros Dianne, 32, top up her earnings through the Strictly tours and various media appearances.
And, last year, she launched her Buswellness YouTube channel, which also acts as an additional source of income.
We guess it helps to have YouTube influencer Joe Sugg as a boyfriend.
Strictly 2021: What does Giovanni get paid?
He’s one of the most famous dancers off-screen and on top of his £50,000 salary, Giovanni, 31, is reported to earn in excess of £35,000 for performing on the Strictly Professionals tour.
He is then set to rake in a reported £30,000 for his 2022 Anton and Giovanni tour with Strictly veteran Anton Du Beke.
He’s amassed 526,000 followers on Instagram, which are said to net him £1,770.61 a post, and this is only set to grow thanks to his romance with former Love Islander Maura Higgins.
He has also signed lucrative deals with Visit Argentina and We Are Feel multivitamins.
We’d never have thrown away our tap shoes if we’d known dancing was so lucrative.
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