Strictly is well underway and news of who’ll be taking to the dance floor each and every year fills us with glee.
But for those celebs entertaining us on the dancefloor, it’s hard work – with daily rehearsals, media scrutiny and constant rumours of the Strictly curse.
While appearing on the show has been known to do wonders for many of the contestant’s careers, how much do the celebrities actually get paid for competing?
Read on and we’ll tell you all we know!
Strictly news: How much do the celebs get paid?
Back in 2016, Sporty Spice Mel C blasted the fees as being a little bit, errr, rubbish.
She told the Daily Star: “Strictly is really the only one of those shows that I would consider, and I have had a meeting with them – they ask me every year to do it.
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“The problem is if you do Strictly, it’s such a high profile show. You’ll find yourself in the sidebar of shame every day. And the money’s [s-word]!”
Ironically though, Mel, 47, seems to have had a change of heart this year. She is currently dancing the light fantastic Stateside on Dancing With The Stars, where the payday is reported to be a bit more handsome.
According to Cosmopolitan.com, every star who signs up to DWTS is paid $125,000 (£91,600) for the rehearsal period and the first two weeks on air.
The contestants who make it to week three, which Mel has surpassed, earn extra money per episode on a sliding scale.
Variety reports that the most money the celebs can take home is $295,000 (£216,160). But in previous seasons, the winner of DWTS has been known to earn up to $345,000 (£252,755).
We wouldn’t mind earning that either, Mel!
So how does that compare to the earnings of the celebs on Strictly?
The 2021 line-up, which includes Greg Wise, Judi Love, Tom Fletcher and Tilly Ramsay, are believed to have received a flat sign-on fee of £25,000 – no matter how famous their face is.
This is the amount Nina Wadia and Katie McGlynn will have walked away with after been eliminated in weeks two and three – and actor Robert Webb who quit the show earlier this week due to ill health.
Not bad work if you can get it.
The Metro reports that if the celeb manages to stay in the competition past the first month, their fee rises to £40,000.
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But the big money comes if they reach the quarter-finals. Here, they’re said to bag a whopping £60,000.
How much do the stars who make the final earn?
The contestants who foxtrot their way to the final are thought to take home £75,000.
The winner, meanwhile, will paso double their way to the bank with a massive £100,000.
And their earnings don’t stop there.
If a celebrity is invited to take part in the Strictly Live! Tour (taking place in Jan – Feb 2022) they’ll receive a further undisclosed fee. Cha-ching!
For the first time ever, the tour couldn’t happen in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the line-up hasn’t been confirmed for the 2022 tour.
However, fans can expect some faces from this year’s series and hopefully some of 2020’s contestants.
While appearing on Strictly won’t make the stars millionaires (unless you already are one, Tom Fletcher, we’re looking at you), it’s not bad work if you can get it.
So do you think the Strictly pay is fair? Let us know over on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix