Soap star shares how much cast are paid and it's nowhere near what you'd expect

Daily Mirror

6 days ago

Kelli Hollis, who played Ali Spencer on ITV show Emmerdale, has given up on acting for a new life in Asia and has detailed exactly how much the stars can earn
Former Emmerdale regular Kelli Hollis has revealed how much you can expect to earn being a soap star.
The one-time actress, 49, is now living a very different life in Thailand where she runs her own 'weed bar' having vowed to never return to the UK after finding happiness in Asia. But she has been answering questions from fans - and nothing was off limits.
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Kelli, who played Ali Spencer on the ITV show until 2018, was grilled by a followier on social media, and didn't shy away when the questions turned to her salary. She broke down the contracts and how much you can expect to make being on Emmerdale and other soaps.
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"On Emmerdale I explained that you get an episode fee and you're guaranteed so many episodes a year," she said. "So if we're saying roughly £500 and up [per episode], and you were contracted to do 90 [episodes, that's 45k, it's obviously a good wage.
"But it's not like the 'rich, rich' you'd think famous actors would be earning. Now, that's that sort of middle of the road [salary]. I'm not going to lie when I was at Emmerdale to my knowledge, one of the highest paid actors was on a thousand pound episodes."
The former soap star went on to say that you "never know for sure" what your co-stars earn because "everybody was paid differently". But it's not all good news, and she divulged: "So, yeah, it would only be 45, but then you get a buyout, which is pretty much the same as your wage, so I'll top that up to 90.
"Then, you've got the agent's commission, which is usually 12 and a half percent," she said. "And because you're self-employed, you have to put 40 [per cent] away for tax." Kelli still keeps in touch with her former colleagues and cherishes her time on the show.
The former soap star admitted that while she misses her the UK, she has no plans to move home and can't see herself back in the rat race. "I am never coming home, never going home. Obviously, I miss England and there are aspects of my life there like I have two grown-up children at home and a grandson.
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"But you only live once and I have learned that a lot over the last few years, losing friends to things and my friend losing a child and it just makes you access a lot of things in your life.
"You just have to do what you have to do because you are not promised tomorrow are you? My mentality now is I am nearly 50 f*** it will just do it. There is no point having that 'oh god I can't do this and I can't do that' attitude. I have been so fortunate in my life that opportunities have come my way," she told the Daily Star.
"I remember being at a friend's house in Beeston and I am not going to name them because I don't know where they are now or what they are doing so I won't grass them up," she said.
"It was 20 odd years ago, oh god, it would be more than 20 odd years ago, but I just remember being about 15 and being at a friend's house and I already had started smoking with mates in the park and all that. I remember it being hash that you burn and I just remember a lot of blistered fingers and a lot of holes in my clothes."
Kelli shared her story: "I was just smoking a little bit here and there but as a youngster, I would never have been a big heavy smoker. I actually don't like the feeling of being stoned and I know some people do."