Ryan Thomas is reportedly said to be rolling in it after his appearance fee for Dancing on Ice was revealed.
The former Coronation Street star, 39, has already made a big splash on the show following his first skate on January 14. Performing together with professional partner Amani Fancy, Ryan came out on top of the leaderboard with a huge 26.5 points in the first week.
It has now been revealed that ITV bosses were more than happy to dip into the pot to make sure Ryan was up for doing the show. According to sources, Thomas is earning a cool £105k for his time on the ice.
READ MORE: Dancing On Ice winners ‘revealed’ as fans blown away by ‘best routine so far’
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Speaking to The Sun, an insider for the ice skating show confirmed that he was being paid the six-figure sum. They added: “Ryan bagged a massive £105,000 for the series – bosses knew he’d be popular as he still has a huge following from his soap days and they were keen to make sure he signed up.”
(Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The source continued: “He has that cheeky chappie charm that always goes down well with viewers, and he is competitive too, so the producers are confident he will go far and is worth the money.” ITV themselves, however, have yet to comment on the reports.
If the reports are true, however, it would mean that Ryan will have been the most expensive celebrity ITV has landed for the show in over a decade. Before then, Baywatch star and model Pamela Anderson was paid an eye-watering £150k for her stint on the ice rink in 2013.
Love Island star Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu came close to Ryan’s pay packet when she starred in last year’s competition. Producers scraped together £100k to bag Ekin-Su for the show, despite the fact she only made it to Week 4 before being voted off.
(Image: instagram/@ryanthomas84)
The news about Ryan’s huge deal to appear on the show comes as fans have already dubbed him as the winner of the programme. As Ryan and Amani took to the ice on January 14, the couple performed an intricate routine to “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon.
During the performance, Ryan did a pirouette which left the judges flabbergasted and shot him to the top of the leaderboard. Giving her critiques, Oti Mabuse was left stunned as she uttered: “I did not expect that, absolutely brilliant.”
And fans have been quick to agree with Oti, as many believe he is the one to watch as the show progresses. One viewer watching the show took to social media to say: “Winner!!!! That was brilliant Ryan!”
(Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
A second fan echoed their sentiments, adding: “Ryan is gonna be the winner I think.” Whilst a third user insisted Thomas should be crowned already: “Ryan deserves to win already and we’ve only seen 6/12; he can only get better from here!”
Dancing on ice airs every Sunday at 6:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
