Ultimate Strictly Come Dancing winners rich list as Ellie Leach set to earn millions – including star’s lingerie payday
LIFTING the Glitterball Trophy doesn’t just give celebrities the ultimate bragging rights – it can make them some serious cha-cha-change too.
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach, 22, is predicted to become a millionaire in two years after beating stiff competition alongside Vito Coppola on Saturday.
The Corrie actress, who played Faye Windass, has “all the makings of a huge star on stage and screen” according to brand and culture expert Nick Ede.
He told us “the BBC won’t want to let her go” and he suspects she may be signed up for “a show like Morning Live” so that the corporation can capitalise on her young fanbase.
Big things appear to be on the cards for Ellie and if previous winners winners are anything to go by, lucrative opportunities will be just around the corner.
Here we look at what happened next to some of the stars who lifted the Glitterball Trophy, analyse their net worths and see what deals materialised after winning the hit BBC show.
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Stacey Dooley - £1.5m
Documentary maker Stacey Dooley not only lifted the Glitterball Trophy but also found love with dancer Kevin Clifton on Strictly back in 2018.
Soon after she was believed to have signed a rare BBC golden-handcuffs deal, which prevented her from working for rival broadcasters, that was reportedly worth £250,000.
While Stacey took a break from the spotlight to focus on motherhood after welcoming Minnie earlier this year, she is back working on documentaries.
She has made appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel and The Masked Dancer - as well as a music video for Jessie Ware's Save A Kiss.
believed Stacey had the potential to earn an impressive £10,998 per sponsored post on Instagram thanks to her 1.1 million followers - the highest of all Strictly winners.
According to online sources, she is worth £1.5million.
Alesha Dixon - £6.3million
Popstar Alesha Dixon managed to carve out a lucrative presenting career after winning Strictly in 2007 alongside Matthew Cutler.
The star, who rose to fame in the band Mis-Teeq, fronted TV shows including Alesha’s Street Dance Stars, Your Face Sounds Familiar, Dance Dance Dance and The Greatest Dancer.
Alesha was reportedly paid £100,000 for each of her two years as a Strictly judge between 2009 and 2011 before moving across to rival ITV to front Britain’s Got Talent.
Initially, she was paid £350,000 when she signed up in 2012 but now the star is believed to rake in a whopping £850,000 per series.
Alesha, who has a clothing line and a series of children’s books, reportedly earned a seven-figure sum from music royalties in 2017.
Now the star, who is at the top of our rich list, is worth £6.3million according to Celebrity Net Worth. She could also top up her earnings with sponsored Instagram posts that could pay £10,584 a time.
Abbey Clancy - £3.6m
Abbey Clancy is among the richest and most successful models in the British fashion world – and winning Strictly in 2013 has only helped to boost her star power.
Over the years, Abbey has been an ambassador for Victoria's Secret and Marks and Spencer. She has also produced a swimwear collection for Tesco’s F&F line.
She and ex-England footballer hubby Peter Crouch have their podcast The Therapy Couch, which helped her to land ITV interiors series Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes.
Last year it was reported that Abbey paid herself a £160,000 dividend from her business Abigail Marie Clancy Ltd, which was almost worth £700,000.
Abbey, who shares a £3million Surrey mansion with Peter, is believed to be worth around £3.6million.
Harry Judd - £1.5m
Winning Strictly back in 2011 led to further TV opportunities for McFly drummer Harry Judd, who has appeared on Celebrity Juice, The Million Pound Drop Live, Celebrity The Chase and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel.
He’s been rumoured to be in the sights of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! producers ever since and this year placed second in Celebrity Race Across The World.
Harry topped up his earnings with a 2015 Christmas performance on Strictly but his biggest money-spinner appears to be from music including McFly tours and a two-year stint when the band united with Busted to form McBusted.
He’s reportedly worth £1.5million and it’s believed he could make nearly £6,000 per sponsored Instagram post thanks to having 643,000 followers.
Louis Smith - £850,000
Retired Olympic gymnast Louis Smith is now believed to be worth £850,000 after lifting the Glitterball Trophy back in 2012.
He retired from sports five years ago after last representing Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal.
Since then, Louis has utilised his dancing skills during a 2018 run at London Palladium in the show Rip It Up The 60s and The Masked Dancer, which he won in 2021.
The star, who also appeared on The Jump, revealed work largely dried up after the pandemic and he works as a photographer.
This year, he is appearing in the Christmas panto Aladdin, with tickets costing up to £27.50 each.
Bill Bailey - £5m
Comedian Bill Bailey was already sitting on a tidy sum before appearing on Strictly in 2020 thanks to touring, Nevermind The Buzzcocks and acting roles in films including Hot Fuzz.
One year prior to winning the dance show, The Sun found he held nearly £1m in three different firms and £1.2m in assets – as well as an undisclosed amount in a property firm.
The star, who is now believed to be worth £5.4million, has his own TV show Bill Bailey’s Australian Adventure, appeared in the remake of Worzel Gummidge and is currently on an international comedy tour.
Earlier this year, Bill’s plans to convert two separate flats in his west London mansion into a £2million single pad and build a swimming pool were approved by the council.
Kelvin Fletcher - £3.6m
Kelvin Fletcher made the majority of his £3.6million from his lengthy stint on Emmerdale, which spanned more than 1,100 episodes.
In a surprising move after winning Strictly in 2019, he moved into motor racing where he drove a £200,000 supercar and is now a professional farmer.
In 2020, he purchased a 120-acre farm in the Peak District for £2million and would have took home a tidy packet for his ITV docuseries Fletcher’s Family Farm, which aired this year.
Kelvin recently came under fire for charging up to £54 for children to take part in a festive experience, which included making reindeer food and meeting Father Christmas.
Hamza Yassin - £800,000
Wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin has returned to what he loves best since winning Strictly last year.
His footage has been broadcast on TV shows including Wild Isles, which was narrated by Sir David Attenborough. He’s also continued to work on Countryfile, including on one episode that featured Dame Judi Dench.
Hamza, who is believed to be worth £800,000, also released a book Be a Birder: The Joy of Birdwatching and How to Get Started, this September.
Rose Ayling-Ellis - £1.5m
Actress Rose Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant to win Strictly in 2021.
One of her dances, which featured a period of silence, received Heat magazine’s Unmissable Award for TV Moment of the Year.
Since then, she worked with toy producer Mattel to create the company’s first deaf Barbie doll equipped with hearing aids. The promotional campaign was called Rose, Barbie & Friends.
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Rose returned to EastEnders after Strictly before bagging more lucrative roles including her own documentary and a part in As You Like It, which earned her an Olivier Awards nomination.
The actress, who’s reportedly worth £1.5million, is also due to appear in the ITV drama series Code of Silence and the crime series Tuva.