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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Niamh Spence & Gemma Jones

BBC Strictly Come Dancing: How much the celebrities and professionals get paid

This year's series of Strictly Come Dancing is coming to an end but have you ever wondered what the celebrities and professionals get for taking part?

Dancers like Gorka Marquez, Oti Mabuse and Giovanni Pernice put their hard work and years of dance training into their gruelling schedules ahead of the Saturday night weekly show - but what do they get in return for doing so?

The winning couple each year walks away with the Glitterball trophy but those who didn't make it to the final also don't leave the show empty handed. It is widely reported the celebrities and their professional dancing partners are paid a hefty sum to appear on the BBC ballroom show.

READ MORE: Gemma Atkinson's two-word response to Gorka's risqué routine with Helen Skelton on BBC Strictly

The Mirror reported the BBC has never officially revealed what each dancer is paid. However, it has been reported that each one is paid a flat fee of between £35,000 to £50,000 to appear on the show.

Whilst a £50k salary might sound nice, it comes with a lot of hard work too. Professionals rehearse for up to 14 hours per day, have to choreograph the routines for their celebrity partners and training also begins in the summer right up until the end of the series in December. It's no easy job that's for sure.

If we calculate dancers as working six days a week (Monday to Saturday), for 14 hours per day from mid-August through until mid-December, the average hourly rate works out as £37.20 per hour. Whilst it's a lot higher than minimum wage, it's still gruelling work and intense hours for over four months.

If that £50k salary wasn't enough, there are other opportunities for celebrities to top up their finances too. After the show ends in December, the BBC also promotes a Strictly Come Dancing tour for fans to see their favourite couples perform again. Taking part in the tour can earn a professional extra income, with a flat fee of £35,000 reported as the salary for the tour itself.

Some dancers such as Gorka, Giovanni and Oti as well as Janette and husband Alijaz also create and star in their own stage tours and productions, which again offer a chance to earn income. Not only this, but the cruise world is a big part of the dance industry. Starring in shows on ships from companies like P&O cruises can reportedly earn a dancer as much as £90,000 in just 12 weeks.

Whilst the dancers are earning wages in the thousands, it's still less than their celebrity partners. According to sources, each of the celebs taking part in Strictly gets the same flat fee, no matter how famous they are.

For taking part in the series and stepping foot on the Strictly dance floor, each celeb is paid £25,000. If they manage to stay on and make it past week four, they can each pocket a further £40,000.

Those who are lucky enough to remain in the competition until Blackpool and the quarter final receive £60,000 each, with the semi-finalists bringing home £75,000 each. The winner of Strictly doesn't just get to bring home the coveted Glitterball trophy. They also get to come home with a whopping £100,000.

However, these hefty fees don't come without a price. Many celebrities have suffered injuries and burn out as a result of battling it out in the Strictly Come Dancing series.

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