'Dancing With The Stars': How much do the contestants get paid?
'Dancing With The Stars', a fan favorite show has stood the test of time and television as it has survived and thrived for 30 complete seasons. For those who don’t know, the format of the show follows a celebrity being paired with a professional dancer to perform predetermined dances and compete against each other. This season of 'Dancing With the Stars', there will be a new co-host. In addition to Tyra Banks, Alfonso Ribeiro (who won Season 19 with pro-Witney Carson) will take the stage with the supermodel.
The show in its past has seen famous celebrities like Lamar Odom, a basketball player with his successful tenure with the popular NBA franchise Los Angeles Lakers make it to Week 4, who soon got eliminated. The show also saw WWE star wrestler and entertainer Chris Jericho who was sent packing in Week 6. While fans are eagerly waiting for the new show, the producers announced that it will air on Disney+ this fall without any ad breaks.
RELATED ARTICLES
'DWTS' Season 31: Release date, cast, plot, and how to watch Disney+ first live competition show
'DWTS' semifinals: Fans livid about Suni Lee's eviction over 'bicycle man' Cody Rigsby
How much do the contestants of Dancing With The Stars get paid?
According to several sources, including Variety, the starting salary for celebrities is $125,000, which includes training for at least 20 hours per week, including several weeks before the premiere of the season. But the money increases if a celebrity gets votes and stays in the competition.
There is a financial incentive that motivates them to stay in the game. For stars who make it to weeks three and four, there is an added bonus amount of $10,000 per week.
If they make it to week five, the additional pay is $15,000, weeks six and seven add $20,000 per week, and then weeks eight and nine see $30,000 deposited in their bank account. And if they are lucky enough to make the semi-finals and the finale, there is an additional $50,000 prize money each week, plus the winner gets the Mirror Ball trophy.
Added up, in an 11-week season, which Season 29 was, the stars who made it to the finale had the potential to walk away with $360,000 if the rumored figures are correct. While the above breakdown could result in $345,000, Variety reported in 2020 that the most a contestant can make is reportedly $295,000.