How Much Do Emmerdale Stars Really Get Paid?

In a candid social media revelation, former soap star Kelli Hollis shed light on the actual earnings of actors during her tenure on ITV’s beloved Emmerdale. Known for her role as Ali Spencer, Hollis thrilled fans during a recent Q&A by dishing out some surprising details about paychecks in the world of soap operas.

Many were taken aback when Hollis disclosed that actors receive a fixed fee per episode. “You get an episode fee, you’re guaranteed so many episodes a year,” she explained, pinpointing a figure of roughly £500 per episode. With contracts often binding actors to around 90 appearances a year, that totals a respectable but far from extravagant £45,000. “It’s obviously a good wage, but it’s not like rich rich, if you think about other famous actors,” she clarified. “To my knowledge, one of the highest paid actors was on £1,000 an episode.”

Hollis went on to explain the discrepancies in pay among cast members, noting that everyone in the ensemble had different earnings. “It’s a bit complicated; you’d get a buyout, which is pretty much the same as your wage, so that tops it up to £90,000,” she added. But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Mandatory deductions creep in with the usual agents’ commissions—typically around 12.5%—and the stark reality of self-employment tax that requires setting aside a whopping 40%. She acknowledged that while there are tax rebates available, actors still face limits.

Addressing misconceptions, Hollis remarked, “People think you can claim all your clothes, anything you buy. That’s not the case,” pointing out the rigid contracts many seasoned actors, including iconic names from the series, are bound to. “Some, like Ken Barlow, are on very old school ITV contracts that are airtight.”

It’s a stark contrast to how things are today. “To my knowledge, you’re not even guaranteed the 90 episodes a year now,” she reflected, worrying for the next generation of actors who might face even more uncertainty. Hollis recalled that when she was departing, they began transitioning to pay-as-you-go contracts and three-month agreements, casting doubt on job security for many.

The dialogue didn’t stop there. Fans flooded the comments section, expressing their disbelief at the surprisingly low wages. One user remarked, “Don’t get me wrong, its not a bad wage, but it’s a lot less than I thought.” Another chimed in, “That’s crazy because American soap actors get 100k to 500k; why don’t you guys get that much?”

As reactions continued to pour in, it was evident how shocking this information was to loyal viewers. “I’m so shocked, I thought actors on soaps would have been on so much more… I’m not gonna bother then,” a user lamented, while another said, “Honestly, I’m shocked you weren’t paid much more; it’s not like these channels don’t rake it in with advertising and license fees.”