The Strictly Come Dancing 2026 celebrity cast has not yet been announced. Series 24 returns to BBC One in Autumn 2026 and will mark the first series without Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who presented the show together for over a decade before both departing at the end of series 23. New hosts have been confirmed as coming but not named at time of writing. What we do have is the complete net worth breakdown for the series 23 (2025) cast, which wrapped on 20 December 2025 with footballer Karen Carney winning the Glitterball trophy. That is where the money, the careers, and the numbers worth knowing all sit.
Karen Carney: Strictly 2025 Winner and What the Glitterball Is Worth
Karen Carney, 37, won series 23 with professional partner Carlos Gu, becoming the first footballer to lift the Glitterball trophy. Her net worth is estimated at approximately £2 to £4 million, a figure that reflects a 15-year professional playing career, post-retirement broadcasting work as a football pundit for TNT Sports and ITV, and various advisory and governance roles within the game, including ownership of a stake in Birmingham City Women.
Carney played 144 times for England, making her the country’s third most-capped player ever, and represented clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Birmingham City, and the Chicago Red Stars in the United States. Women’s football salaries at the elite level during her playing years were a fraction of their male equivalents, meaning the broadcasting and media career she built post-retirement has been the primary driver of her wealth rather than playing contracts. Her Strictly win, alongside coverage of the women’s game’s commercial expansion, has raised her public profile significantly heading into 2026. There is no prize money for winning Strictly, beyond the cultural and commercial value of the Glitterball itself.
The Glitterball effect is real but hard to quantify. Previous Strictly winners have reported increased speaking fee rates, a surge in social media followers, and improved terms on endorsement renewals in the year following their win. For Carney, whose profile was already strong in sports media, the win consolidated a mainstream entertainment audience that did not previously know her from football punditry.
The Wealthiest Strictly 2025 Celebrities by Career
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, partnered with Lauren Oakley, brought the largest pre-existing fortune to the ballroom. The Dutch former striker’s net worth is estimated at approximately $5 million, built across a playing career that included a £10 million move from Leeds to Atlético Madrid in 1999, a Chelsea club record £15 million transfer in 2000, two Premier League Golden Boot awards, and significant endorsement income at the height of his fame in the early 2000s. He subsequently managed multiple clubs including QPR, Northampton Town, and Burton Albion, and has worked as a pundit and assistant coach with the England national team. A playing career and management career across that trajectory generates substantial cumulative earnings, though his fortune is modest relative to Champions League-era players who benefited from far larger wage structures.
Alex Kingston, who partnered with Johannes Radebe, has a net worth estimated at around $8 to $10 million. Kingston played Dr Elizabeth Corday in the US medical drama ER from 1997 to 2009, a role that generated a Screen Actors Guild Award and consistent peak-era American television income across eight years. She is also known globally as River Song in Doctor Who, a role she has reprised across multiple series and specials. American television salaries for a lead recurring role in a prime-time drama at ER’s rating peak would typically run to hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode, making her among the wealthier Strictly celebrities in terms of career earnings from a single role.
Chris Robshaw, the former England rugby captain who partnered with Nadiya Bychkova, has an estimated net worth of around £5 million. He captained England from 2012 to 2015 during a difficult period for the national team and played club rugby for Harlequins across his professional career, before moving to the United States to play Major League Rugby for San Diego Legion from 2018 to 2022. Rugby union at international level and top-flight club level generates solid professional income, though nowhere near football equivalents. His post-playing income from media appearances and brand partnerships supplements a career that generated respect rather than exceptional financial returns.
Dani Dyer, who fractured her ankle before the live shows began and was replaced mid-series by Amber Davies, had entered the series with an estimated net worth of approximately £3 million, built on the back of her Love Island 2018 win, subsequent television work including Celebrity Gogglebox with her father Danny Dyer, a Sunday Times bestselling book, and a range of brand deals. Her exit before the live shows denied her the full Strictly platform, though her public profile ensured coverage of both her injury and her recovery.
George Clarke, the YouTuber and podcaster who co-hosts The Useless Hotline with Max Balegde and reached the Strictly final as runner-up with partner Alexis Warr, had an estimated net worth of approximately £1 to £2 million built through his YouTube and TikTok presence, live podcast shows, and brand partnerships. His strong performance throughout the series, reaching the final as a runner-up, will have significantly amplified his commercial profile and audience reach.
How Much Do Strictly Celebrities Get Paid to Appear?
Strictly Come Dancing pays its celebrity contestants an appearance fee rather than a salary, but the BBC does not confirm these figures. Various media reports across the show’s history have suggested fees ranging from approximately £25,000 for lesser-known participants to £100,000 or above for household names. An ITV investigation in 2022 suggested typical fees sit between £40,000 and £60,000 for the series, with A-list bookings commanding more. The show’s celebrity fees come out of the BBC production budget and are not subject to BBC talent salary transparency rules in the same way that presenter salaries are.
The indirect value of Strictly is generally considered far more significant than the direct fee. Social media followers increase substantially during the run. Brand partnership rates improve. Television appearance fees for post-Strictly work increase. Speakers’ agencies command higher fees for the year following a Strictly appearance. For Karen Carney, winning the show in December 2025 will likely generate more commercial value in 2026 than the initial appearance fee represented.
What We Know About Strictly Come Dancing 2026 So Far
Series 24 has been confirmed as returning in Autumn 2026 on BBC One. The professional dancer line-up has been partially announced, with 15 returning professionals confirmed including Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Jowita Przystał, Neil Jones, Aljaž Škorjanec, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, Lauren Oakley, Carlos Gu, Nancy Xu, Julian Caillon, and Alexis Warr. New professional additions have been promised but not named. Five professionals from series 23 have departed: Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, and Michelle Tsiakkas.
The judging panel remains unchanged, with Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all returning. The biggest change to the front of the show is the departure of both Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced their exit on 23 October 2025. Tess Daly had been part of the show from its first episode in 2004, a 21-year run. Claudia had been on the show in various capacities since 2004 and as co-presenter since 2014. Names including Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, and Alex Jones have been reported as candidates for the hosting roles, but no announcement had been made as of early May 2026. The celebrity cast for 2026 follows separately and has not been announced.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Cast Net Worth: Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Strictly Come Dancing 2025?
Karen Carney won Strictly Come Dancing 2025 (series 23) with professional partner Carlos Gu on 20 December 2025. She was the first footballer to lift the Glitterball trophy. Runner-ups were Amber Davies with Nikita Kuzmin, and YouTuber George Clarke with Alexis Warr.
When is Strictly Come Dancing 2026?
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 (series 24) returns to BBC One in Autumn 2026. The professional dancer line-up has been partially confirmed with 15 returning pros, but new hosts have not yet been announced following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of series 23. The celebrity cast for 2026 had not been announced as of early May 2026.
How much do Strictly Come Dancing celebrities get paid?
Strictly Come Dancing does not publicly confirm celebrity appearance fees. Media reports have suggested fees typically range from approximately £25,000 to £100,000 per series depending on the celebrity’s profile, with an ITV investigation suggesting most fees fall between £40,000 and £60,000. The indirect commercial value of appearing on the show, through increased social media following, improved brand deals, and higher speaking fees, is generally considered more significant than the direct BBC payment.
Who are the new Strictly Come Dancing 2026 hosts?
The new Strictly Come Dancing 2026 hosts have not been officially announced as of May 2026. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman both departed after series 23 in December 2025. The BBC has confirmed new hosts will be revealed in due course. Names including Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, and Alex Jones have been widely reported as candidates, but none have been confirmed.