Cach Mercer walked into the Love Island villa as a Casa Amor bombshell in 2025 and walked out a winner. A year on, the London dancer has swapped the fire pit for the ballroom, and he’s quickly become one of the ones to watch on Strictly Come Dancing 2026. But how much has reality TV fame actually paid? Here’s everything we know about Cach Mercer’s net worth.
What is Cach Mercer’s net worth?
Unifresher estimates Cach Mercer’s net worth at around £300,000 in 2026, within a likely range of £150,000 to £500,000.
Here’s how we got there. Cach and Toni Laites won series 12 of Love Island in August 2025, and the winning couple traditionally shares a £50,000 prize, so his share would have been around £25,000. That’s a nice start, but the real money for Love Island winners usually comes afterwards, through paid social media posts, brand campaigns, club and event appearances and TV spots.
Capital reported that Cach has been busy with brand deals and red carpet appearances since leaving the villa, and he was already a dancer, model and TikTok creator with a big following before the show. The value of those deals hasn’t been made public, so we’ve been careful not to overestimate. We’ve also allowed for income tax, agent and management commission (often 20% or more for influencers) and the cost of living in London.
Then there’s Strictly. The BBC doesn’t confirm what it pays celebrities, but newspapers have reported over the years that fees range from about £25,000 to £75,000 depending on how far a contestant gets. With all of that in mind, around £300,000 is a realistic figure for someone just over a year into his fame. Remember, these are estimates: only Cach and his accountant know the exact number.
Who is Cach Mercer?
Cacherel “Cach” Mercer was born on 28 February 2001 in London, which makes him 25. He has Caribbean heritage, with family roots in Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua.
Before reality TV, Cach worked as a professional dancer specialising in hip hop, street dance and Afrobeats. He built a large following by posting dance videos on TikTok, with reports saying his account has racked up almost 50 million likes. He has also worked as a model.
Cach Mercer’s reality TV career
Are You the One? UK
Love Island wasn’t Cach’s first taste of dating shows. In 2022 he appeared on the British version of MTV’s Are You the One?, where singletons try to work out who their “perfect match” is.
Love Island 2025
Series 12 of Love Island aired on ITV2 from 9 June to 4 August 2025, hosted by Maya Jama. Cach arrived on day 25 as one of the Casa Amor boys and coupled up with Toni Laites. It wasn’t a smooth ride: Toni later recoupled with someone else and Cach was paired with Emma Munro for a time, before he and Toni got back together.
Viewers loved the reunion. In the final, Cach and Toni won with 33.5% of the public vote, ahead of runners-up Harry Cooksley and Shakira Khan. You can see how other winners have fared in our list of the richest Love Island stars.
After the villa
After the series, Cach appeared on This Morning and Good Morning Britain, and he became an ambassador for the young people’s mental health charity YoungMinds. He has also been spotted on red carpets, including the BAFTA Television Awards in 2026.
Cach and Toni continued their relationship outside the villa, but it was reported in March 2026 that the pair had split.
Cach Mercer on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Scores and results are correct up to Icons Week (17–18 October 2026).
Cach was announced as a contestant on the 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing in summer 2026, making him the fifth celebrity confirmed. He’s partnered with professional dancer Maddie Ingoldsby. When he was announced, he said he’d grown up watching the show with his family and was keen to try the foxtrot for the first time.
His start was shaky: a quickstep in week one scored just 20 points. But his dance background soon kicked in. He scored 29 for a samba in Movie Week, 31 for a Couple’s Choice routine in week three, and then 34 for a foxtrot to Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York” in Icons Week on 17 October, putting him joint top of the leaderboard alongside Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu.
He’s not the only Love Island winner in this year’s line-up either. Find out how he compares with Dani Dyer’s net worth, or see our full guide to the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 cast net worths.
FAQs about Cach Mercer
What is Cach Mercer’s net worth?
Unifresher estimates Cach Mercer’s net worth at around £300,000 in 2026, within a range of £150,000 to £500,000, based on his Love Island prize money, brand work since the show and his Strictly fee, after tax and costs.
Did Cach Mercer win Love Island?
Yes. Cach and Toni Laites won series 12 of Love Island in August 2025 with 33.5% of the public vote.
Are Cach and Toni still together?
No. The couple were reported to have split in March 2026.
Who is Cach Mercer’s Strictly partner?
He is partnered with professional dancer Maddie Ingoldsby on Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
What did Cach Mercer do before Love Island?
He was a professional dancer, model and TikTok creator, and he appeared on MTV’s Are You the One? UK in 2022.
How old is Cach Mercer?
Cach Mercer was born on 28 February 2001, so he is 25.