There was suddenly a lot more attention that I wasn’t used to. It was quite overwhelming. We had touched a lot of people, which was really nice to hear – and with that comes different opportunities. It’s opened up doors for me.
Was the show well paid?
I don’t want to say how much it paid, but it definitely does pay well, and there’s also so much more that comes with doing it. It has made the big picture better.
Do you have an agent?
I do now, but I didn’t when I was trying to get on Dancing on Ice. I’ve been my own agent for pretty much my whole career up until the last year or so.
Have you ever been paid silly money for a job?
I get offered money to do things on social media, like use a song in a video, and it shocks me every time.
Sometimes I feel guilty because people are hustling and hustling, and I have to remind myself that I’ve worked so many hours to get here, but it blows my mind.
TikTok is probably the most lucrative app at the moment. Sometimes it can be £1,000 plus to use a sound in a video or something.
Have you learned any financial lessons?
When I was 21 I joined my first cruise ship, and that was the first time I was like: “Wow, I’m making really good money.” You have no expenses because everything is paid for, so it’s just going into your bank account.
I was so naive and had no clue how to spend it. I was just buying extravagant gifts for all my friends and family, and taking these really expensive holidays. There was a wake-up call after that, I learned a lot from it.
Do you invest in stocks?
I do. I like to do my research in my downtime. I think it’s kind of fun, and it’s a hobby.
Obviously, I don’t throw a tonne of money into something, and they always say the best portfolio is the most diversified, right?
If you can invest in something in its initial stages, before it is going to be big, that’s obviously going to be the most lucrative, so I see what’s trending. I invested in Tesla before it went really high. I at least doubled my money, if not more.
Do you own property?
I don’t any more. My residence has changed so much in the last 10 years, so I’ve decided to wait until I’m going to be somewhere a little bit more permanently – potentially the UK.
I have money saved, so I could buy somewhere if I needed to. I could rent it out, but there’s a lot that comes with that and I want to be sure about it. I’ve been renting a beautiful apartment in Mexico City for the past two years.
Are you a saver or a spender?
Initially, I was 100pc a spender. I’m progressively getting better each year at becoming a saver – but it’s hard.
What are your financial plans over the next five to 10 years?
I’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on property. So that’s definitely a goal, a milestone. And then I want to just continue learning about how the market works.
I think financial freedom is what everybody aims for. I do seminars and workshops to learn about different streams of passive income. I mean, that’s everybody’s dream, right?
Do you think money makes you happy?
I don’t. I’m not naive in the fact that money is essential to life. We live in a world where we need money to survive.
But if I look back at all the things that have made me happy in the last 10 years, they have to do with putting in hard work and having an accomplishment met or challenging yourself to something you didn’t think you could do.
They were things like landing a lead role [in a show] or making it to the finals of Dancing On Ice – those things didn’t revolve around money.
I do think it’s important to set financial goals for yourself and there can be happiness in those sorts of things, but I don’t think happiness can be achieved through just money.
There will be a new series of Dancing on Ice in January 2024
