We’re but weeks into Strictly Come Dancing 2021 and along with the two celeb couples who’ve been eliminated during the dance offs, the show has now lost another celebrity contestant in the form of Peep Show star Robert Webb.
The news was revealed on the show’s spin-off, It Takes Two, with new host and former professional Janet Manara explaining that Robert pulled out of the competition.
Robert’s professional dance partner, Diane Buswell, wished him a speedy recovery, writing on Instagram, “Sadly the legacy of Buswell and Webb has come to an end.
“Even though this was short lived, I have had such an amazing time dancing and working along side Robert from our wacky cha cha to that serious tango, Robert showed he could do it all.”
CHECK OUT: Strictly professional salaries REVEALED
Strictly Professional salaries - slider use this one
Gorka Marquez, £105,000
The lowest salary in the line up but certainly not one to be sniffed at, on top of Gorka's £50k Strictly salary last year he brought home an extra £35k for the Strictly Professionals live tour and £20k for the one off show, Here Come the Boys, with fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec.
Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara, £290,000 combined
Married couple Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara have an estimated household income of nearly £300k, thanks to their combined salaries from Strictly and the live tour. They've also raked in some extra cash from various P&O Ferry cruises.
Motsi Mabuse, £325,000
New recruit Motsi, sister of Oti, was offered a starting salary of £200,00 when she joined the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel for this season. The German dance school she runs with husband Evgenij Voznyuk and her contract with German Weight Watchers brings home some extra bacon.
Neil and Katya Jones, £334,000 combined
They may no longer be married, but in previous years Neil and Katya Jones have raked in a combined amount of over £340k. On top of their £100k joint salary, ticket sales from their stage show Somnium, as well as P&O Cruise and Alton Towers contracts, raked in plenty more cash for the former lovers.
Oti Mabuse, £410,000
Returning for her fourth year this year, Oti is thought to earn just over £400k with her Strictly salary and The Professionals tour money. She also works as a judge on The Greatest Dancer with Cheryl and Matthew Morrison, not forgetting her various reality TV work.
Shirley Ballas, £500,000
Head judge Shirley Ballas began on a meagre £180k – but negotiated a pay rise, bringing her Strictly salary up to a whopping quarter of a million quid per series. She's also earning a pretty penny from appearing on Panto each year, and teaching at a dance school in Streatham, South London.
Tess Daly, £570,000
Tess is thought to earn £150k for her presenting role on Strictly Come Dancing, but a number of other work commitments hike her yearly income up to well over half a million quid. She also presents Children in Need each year and was a brand ambassador for global mega brands L'Oreal and Pandora.
Craig Revel Horwood, £655,000
He might be the "lowest paid" judge on the panel, but residents Mr Nasty Craig certainly makes up for his "lacking" salary with his various other sources of income. For one, he is the main choreographer for the Strictly Live Tour, thought to earn him around £200k a year, as well as his work in Panto and renting out property.
Claudia Winkleman, £829,000
Claudia is apparently the highest paid woman on the BBC's books so it's no wonder her yearly income is nearly £1m. On top of her £150k Strictly salary – the same as co-host Tess Daly's – she also earns a pretty penny for her Radio shows and various other BBC commitments. Other major sources of income are her big bucks beauty partnerships, including Head & Shoulders and No 7 at Boots.
Anton Du Beke, £200,000
After spending a whopping 16 years as a professional dancer on the show, in 2021 Anton replaced Bruno Tonlioni as a permanent judge after winning over fans when he replaced Motsi for two weeks in 2020 when she was isolating.
Bruno Tonioli, £1.85 Million
Top of the leaderboard (in the salary stakes) is Italian Stallion Bruno, who is the highest paid judge, with a Strictly salary of £250k. It's rumoured he still received his pay cheque in 2020, despite not actually judging on the show due to coronavirus quarantining rules - he's also a judge on the American version of the show, Dancing with the Stars, where he reportedly earns an eye-watering £1.5m.
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“Although I know we had more up our sleeves Robert’s health is by far the most important part in all of this and I’m wishing him a speedy recovery.
“Thank you to everybody who supported us this series it means the absolute world ❤️”.
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What will happen to Diane Buswell now that Robert Webb's left Strictly?
Long-term viewers of the show will know that Strictly is something like a family, and Diane will still be involved in filming.
She added, “You will still see flashes of my red hair in the background as I’ll be there cheering on all the amazing couples 🙏♥️”.
And in addition to appearing in the audience, Diane will still appear in the impressive group numbers at the start of the show with the rest of the professional cast.