The nights are drawing in and that can only mean one thing, it’s Strictly season!
This year, 15 new celebs have entered the ballroom, with their hopes set on lifting the glitter ball trophy. But what would these stars earn if they had normal jobs? We’ve looked at their previous professions, chosen the professions of their most loved characters, and applied some creative licence, to find the best jobs for each star and the average salary they might expect to earn.
Adam Thomas
Average salary: £26,183
Adam Thomas rose to fame as an actor, most notably in Waterloo Road and Emmerdale. He was also on the 2016 series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
If you think he looks extra familiar then that could be because his twin brother was on Love Island in 2016 and his younger brother is the Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas.
Perhaps best known for playing Donte Charles in Waterloo Road, Adam appeared in the very first episode as the school bad boy. When the series returned in 2023, Donte had become the school caretaker, a role involving general maintenance and a very unsequined uniform.
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Amanda Abbington
Average salary: £36,927
Having spent over 30 years as an actor on stage and screen (she’s only 49) it’s impossible to imagine Amanda Abbington doing anything else.
In one of her most prominent roles, as Miss Mardle in historical drama Mr Selfridge, Amanda shows her talents as a retail manager, a role where she might expect to earn not a lot more than her Strictly paycheque.
Did you know that all the Strictly celebs earn a flat fee of £25,000 for appearing on the show with their paycheques gradually increasing depending on the length of time they remain in the competition? The ultimate winner is reported to take home £100,000, nearly three times the average annual salary of a retail manager.
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Angela Rippon
Average salary: £36,408
At 79 years old, Angela Rippon is this year’s oldest contestant, although that doesn’t seem to be stopping her from leaderboard success.
Best known as a newsreader, TV presenter, and television journalist, Angela has been working in the industry since leaving school at 17.
As a TV legend and recipient of a CBE, we’re sure Angela will be earning well above the average journalist’s salary.
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Angela Scanlon
Average salary: £20,013
Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon is known for appearances on Robot Wars and The One Show.
Before starting her career in television, Scanlon actually studied business at university, spent time working in an Irish pub in New York, and then worked as a stylist.
Her career as a stylist helped her to launch herself into fashion journalism and she also established a strong Instagram following.
Do you have an eye for fashion? Then check out the latest stylist jobs here.
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Annabel Croft
Average salary: £37,474
Former professional tennis player Annabel Croft actually retired from professional sport at 21, as she was no longer enjoying the sport and found the endless travel tough.
As well as establishing a career in TV and radio presenting, Croft has started several successful businesses including the Annabel Croft Tennis Academy and Annabel Croft Holidays where she acts as a tennis coach and host.
We think those tennis skills could come in very helpful as a PE teacher, don’t you?
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Bobby Brazier
Average salary: £28,318
Bobby is hard not to like and certainly seems to be shining on the dancefloor!
He’s lived his life in the spotlight as the son of Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody, and now as an actor on Eastenders.
As Freddie Slater, Bobby tries his hand as a chef and cashier at Beale’s Plaice, the fish and chip shop owned by Ian Beale. Not the most glamorous job for one of the current favourites to lift the glitter ball trophy!
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Eddie Kadi
Average salary: £37,580
BBC 1Xtra presenter and comedian Eddie Kadi got the first ten of series 21, so is one to watch.
Getting the first 10 in movie week, Kadi and his dance partner Karen paid homage to Men in Black, the film series about detectives who investigate alien activities on Earth.
We thought that Eddie looked great as a detective, and if he were to explore this as a career, in the police, as a private detective, or as part of MIB, he could expect to take home an above-average wage.
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Ellie Leach
Average salary: £28,601
Coronation Street star Ellie Leach was a Weatherfield resident for over 12 years, trading the cobbles for the dancefloor ahead of her Strictly debut.
Ellie’s character, Faye Windass, didn’t have much time for a career, falling pregnant at just 13 and then at 19 spending seven months in prison.
However, Faye did spend some time as part of the sales team at Underworld factory, a role she left when she moved away from the soap.
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Jody Cundy
Average salary: £41,645
Paralympic superstar Jody became the first British male athlete to win medals at seven consecutive Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020, but will he lift the glitter ball trophy?
Cundy is the recipient of two honorary degrees, a doctorate in Health Sciences from Anglia Ruskin University and a master’s in Science from the University of Hertfordshire. If he were to pursue this as a career, he could expect to take home a healthy salary.
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Krishnan Guru Murthy
Average salary: £38,632
Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru Murthy is having a ball in the ballroom.
Krishnan has been on our screens since he was just 18 years old, specialising in current affairs and reporting.
Outside of television, he is a trustee for Duchenne UK, a leading muscular dystrophy charity, for whom he set up the popular 24-hour charity cycle ride from London to Paris. In the last 10 years, the event has raised over £6 million. Clearly, Krishnan is a talented fundraiser!
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Layton Williams
Average salary: £57,500
Star of stage and screen, Layton Williams, is known for playing the title role in both Billy Elliot and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie on London’s West End and as pupil turned teacher Carmichael in Bad Education.
Williams has spent most of his life on stage, landing his first major role at just 13! However, his beloved character Stephen in Bad Education eventually becomes deputy head at Abbey Grove School.
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Les Dennis
Average salary: £26,091
Prior to hitting the big time, Les Dennis was a retail assistant at the men’s clothing store Burton. Since then he’s probably become most known for presenting Family Fortunes for 15 years.
Dennis’ Strictly career was a lot more short-lived than his TV career, being the first to leave the show in week two.
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Nigel Harman
Average salary: £51,755
Nigel Harman is probably best known for his role as Dennis Rickman, the estranged son of Dirty Den. You may also recognise him from his successful theatre career spanning 40 years (he’s only 50) and as a recent addition to the lineup of Casualty.
Harman joined Casualty earlier this year as Max Christie, a doctor who was quickly appointed interim clinical lead for the A&E department.
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Nikita Kanda
Average salary: £25,397
Birmingham-born radio star Nikita Kanda became the presenter of the BBC Asian Network’s Breakfast in July 2022.
As well as carving out a successful career in radio and broadcasting, Nikita also appeared on the final series of Take Me Out in 2019. Sadly it was “no-likey” and she didn’t bag herself a date.
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Zara McDermott
Average salary: £45,334
Zara rose to fame after appearing on the fourth series of Love Island in 2018. Prior to joining the reality dating show she actually worked as a policy advisor for the Department of Education after gaining a place on a fast-track apprenticeship scheme in 2015 when she had finished her A Levels.
Although Zara left her role to join the cast of Love Island, she is now using her background in research and policy and focusing on making documentaries.
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