made an epic return to the this month with a whole new line up of celebrity contestants vying for the coveted Glitterball trophy, including comedian , singer Toyah Willcox and former star .
The stars and their dance partners have been working tirelessly since the start of the competition, enduring rigorous schedules in preparation for the Saturday night show.
As the 20th year of the show progresses, we have examined the substantial salaries earned by the judges, as well as the earnings of the celebrities and their professional dance partners.
This year’s judging panel includes Strictly stalwart Craig Revel Horwood, professional dancer Motsi Mabuse, head judge Shirley Ballas, and former Strictly pro Anton Du Beke, reports .
South African-born star Motsi joined the Strictly judging panel in 2019, replacing Darcey Bussell who had served as a judge on the show for seven years.
Craig reportedly earns £200,000 for his position as a judge (Image: PA)
How much do the Strictly judges earn?
It’s believed that the 43-year-old was offered an impressive £200,000 as her starting salary five years ago, and it remains unclear whether this figure has increased since then.
Craig, 59, has been a judge on Strictly since its inception and is known for his critical persona and harsh comments. It was previously reported that the choreographer had a starting salary of £110,000 when the show first aired in 2004.
The star’s earnings reportedly surged to £200,000 in 2020 to match the salary of fellow judge Motsi. In addition to his role on the show, he has been directing the Strictly live tour since 2012, which is said to boost his income by a staggering £200,000 annually.
Shirley, who took over as head judge from Len Goodman in 2017 after his departure following 14 series, started with a salary of £180,000. However, this figure has since soared after she negotiated a pay rise to £250,000 per series.
Anton, a familiar face on the show since its inception, transitioned from dancer to judge in 2021. The 58-year-old replaced Bruno Tonioli on the panel and is reported to earn between £175,000 and £200,000 for the role. As a professional dancer, it’s believed that the father-of-two earned around £65,000.
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Each dancer has the opportunity to make money on top of their Strictly income (Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Each judge also has separate sources of income when the show isn’t airing.
How much do professionals earn on Strictly Come Dancing?
As for the professionals, while the has never officially disclosed how much the Strictly pros are paid, it’s thought they earn between £35,000 and £50,000 for their stint. Their job involves rehearsing up to 14 hours a day, choreographing routines for their celebrity partners, and starting training as early as summer until the series ends in December.
Each dancer also has other opportunities to increase their income, including participating in the Strictly live tour and other theatre productions.
Many of the dancers, including Gorka Marquez and axed peo Giovanni Pernice, star in their own stage tours which supplement their fixed Strictly wage. Other professionals participate in the PandO cruise tours which host Strictly-themed cruises and allow celebrities to earn around £90,000 in 12 weeks.
How much do presenters earn on Strictly?
Tess Daly has been a key figure of Strictly since its inception, co-hosting with the late Bruce Forsyth for nine years before his departure in 2013. The 55-year-old reportedly earns an impressive £150,000 for presenting the hit series, contributing to her substantial net worth of £3million.
Claudia Winkleman has been Tess’s co-host since 2014, but prior to that, she hosted the spin-off show It Takes Two from 2004 to 2010. Like her co-host, the 52-year-old is reported to earn £150,000 to present the show. Both women have projects outside of Strictly which allows them to earn additional income.
How much do contestants get paid for competing on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing?
Each celebrity that appears on Strictly receives the same flat fee regardless of who they are. The figures then vary depending on how far the contestant progresses in the competition but just for appearing on the series, each celeb bags £25,000.
If the stars make it past week four, they reportedly receive an additional £40,000. The earnings of the contestants increase significantly once they reach Blackpool and the quarter-finals.
Contestants are said to earn an additional £15,000 if they make it to the semi-finals, bringing their total earnings to £75,000. The fortunate celebrity who wins the competition is awarded a staggering £100,000 along with the coveted Glitterball trophy.