Revealed: The highest paying reality tv-shows

When it was revealed that Nigel Farage was entering the “I’m a Celebrity…” jungle, it’s fair to say the public’s reaction was not entirely positive. Within hours, the hashtag #Boycottimaceleb was trending on X, and later on the former UKIP and Brexit leader was voted by the public to complete the first Bushtucker trial. Nigel’s health difficulties, resulting from a plane crash in 2010, exempt him for carrying out a number of the Bushtucker trials. Yet, this has not stood in the way of him commanding a £1.5m fee, making him the most expensive contestant ever to appear on the series. It goes without saying that celebrities come with a substantial price tag when they agree to take part in reality TV shows.

At Moneyzine, we were interested in finding out which reality TV show pays its contestants the most, and how the rates differ between celebrity and non-celebrity participants.

Non Celebrity Shows

Married at First Sight

Average Pay per Season: £6,240

How much would it take for you to marry someone who you’ve never met? For the contestants on Married at First Sight it’s a rather paltry £78 per day whilst filming. Filming usually takes four months between February and May and participants are filmed for five days of the week, which equates to £6,240 per season. The money is poor, and contestants should bear in mind that they must pay their own living expenses. As previous contestant, Clark Sherwood, stated: there is no financial gain from going on the show.

Gogglebox

Average Pay per Season: £6,000

Getting paid to watch TV sounds like absolute bliss, and Gogglebox is definitely one of the better paid reality TV shows out there. Forget early morning wake up calls from Lord Sugar or oversharing in the Big Brother diary room, and simply bring the snacks to your sofa. At one point, there were rumours that contestants were being paid in takeaways as they all seemed to be devouring them in the earlier seasons; then came the rather outlandish speculation that contestants were being paid in dogs, as each family seemed to have at least one. However, the participants are in fact paid in money and receive £1,500 per month, for which they must watch at least 12 hours of TV a week. With a season consisting of four episodes per month for four months, contestants make £6,000 per season.

Love is Blind

Average Pay per Season: £4,319.51

There is no cash prize at the end of Love is Blind, nor is the pay particularly impressive bearing in mind the questionable conditions the one former contestant alleged in a court case to have endured. Yet the opportunity to find true love and a meaningful connection still encourages many hopeful singles to apply. Contestants are paid a flat fee of $1,000 for each week they appear on the show. Each season takes 38 days to film, so contestants can expect to receive $5,428.57 per season. The amount is hardly earth-shattering, and those taking part will no doubt be surprised by the fact that they have to pay certain expenses out of their own pockets, including for the wedding venue, food and music. Ballet dancer Colleen Reed, who married Matt Bolton in the series three finale, admitted spending an estimated $4,000 on hair, makeup and clothes whilst on the show. This is one reality show where you could easily end up out of pocket after an appearance, though for true love perhaps it’s a price worth paying?

Love Island

Average Pay per Season: £3,000

Cash Prize: £50,000 per couple

While the cynical might say that Love Island is more about the sponsorship deals that follow once the series is at an end, the truth is that participants still make money while in the villa. The £375 weekly fee is broadly akin to minimum wage. That said, islanders can receive additional fees for any ad-hoc advertisements that they carry out while being filmed, such as wearing a particular brand of clothing or holding a bottle. The show typically runs for eight weeks in the summer and so contestants who manage to stay from start-to-finish without getting voted off or pied in Casa Amor could make up to £3,000 a season. Of course, those who put in the graft and manage to stay coupled up could go home with an extra £25,000 each on top of that.

The Apprentice

Average Pay per Season: £2,000

Prize: £250,000 investment

In January 2024, 18 new contestants will compete in the cut-throat world of business to secure Lord Sugar’s quarter of a million pound investment in their company. While we can expect under-inflated profit margins and over-inflated egos, the flat-fee of £2,000 for the season means that all contestants will receive the same basic pay-out, whether they avoid the board-room or not. The majority of contestants treat the show as a two-month long pitch for that £250,000 investment, and to date the most successful winner is Ricky Martin from Series 8, whose agency, Hyper Recruitment Solutions, now boasts net assets of £2.26 million.

Big Brother

Average Pay per Season: £1,800

Cash Prize: £100,000

We were delighted when Big Brother returned to our screens after a five-year hiatus. While the show had been previously axed by both Channel Four and later Channel Five, this year’s return has served up some interesting moments, from Trish and Paul’s bullying row to that love triangle! It was revealed that an average Big Brother housemate gets paid just £50 per episode, although with 36 episodes in 2023’s comeback series, this means that contestants who stay the course without being evicted could make up to £1,800. This year’s winner, Jordan Sangha, hit the jackpot though, taking home £100,000 after securing 37% of the public vote.

Great British Bake Off

Average Pay per Season: £0

Prize: A Branded Cake Stand

While seeking your soulmate might be worth being out of pocket for, can the same be said for cementing your showstopper? The Great British Bake Off may be one of our most loved shows, but contestants are not paid a penny for appearing on the show. Guests are essentially given an allowance for baking ingredients, but they must source these themselves and will in many cases end up out of pocket. All for the sake of a Hollywood handshake and a branded cake stand.

Celebrity Shows

Celebrities are often paid far more than non-celebrities to appear on TV shows. This is not universally the case though, and while large fees are often a prerequisite for a celebrity sign-up, agents and publicists can sometimes be keen to get their celebrity clients onto a show in order to change the public’s perception of them. Then there are those famous faces who selflessly use their reality TV appearances to highlight a cause close to their hearts and expect nothing in return. Pop-star Anastacia donated her fee from Strictly Come Dancing to a cancer charity, while Matt Hancock donated 3% of his I’m a Celebrity fee to a dyslexia charity.

I’m a Celebrity…

Fees range from £100,000 to £1.5million

This year’s celebrities are earning anything from £100,000 to £1.5million for heading into the Australian jungle. The cast are promised a flat-fee for their time on the show, so don’t receive any extra for avoiding elimination or winning the show. While Nigel Farage’s fee might be the most expensive in the camp’s history, it seems unlikely that any of the contestants will be struggling to make ends meet, with last year’s line-up, the wealthiest yet, boasting a combined net worth of £76 million.

Strictly Come Dancing

Flat Fee per Season: £25,000

Fee if Made to Week 4: £40,000

Fee if Made to the Quarter Final: £60,000

Semi-Finalists: £75,000

Winners: £100,000

If current-favourite Ellie Leach manages to take home the coveted Glitterball trophy she will have made £300,000 from her time on the show. These hefty fees come at a price though, with many celebrities suffering from injuries and exhaustion during the rigorous training schedules.

Jonathan Merry, personal finance expert at Moneyzine, believes that for the average person reality TV simply isn’t a worthwhile endeavour:

If you have model-looks, a sparkling personality or are a culinary wizard then appearing on a TV show could be great way to get exposure and open yourself up to sponsorship and book deals. Otherwise the short-term pay is seldom worth the process, unless you are a celebrity of course

Jonathan Merry, personal finance expert at Moneyzine