What about the professional dancers? You know, the ones who actually do the heavy lifting—literally, in lifts. The pros are not paid a contestant fee. They are salaried BBC employees. They earn a yearly salary, which is reported to be around £50,000 to £100,000 for the main series, depending on fame and seniority.
But here’s the maddening part: the pros have to pay for their own costumes too. Yes, that £5,000 glittering, beaded, barely-there dress that makes your grandmother gasp? The professional has to foot the bill. Then she gets paid in exposure for the tour, where she makes even more money selling dancewear and class memberships.
How Much Do Dancing With The Stars Celebrities Get Paid 60 Photos
So the next time you see a pro crying on the results show, remember: they’re not crying because they lost. They’re crying because they just spent their mortgage payment on a fringed catsuit for a Charleston that got a “seven.”
