Dancing On Ice star's £60k

By Adrian Butler, sundaymirror.co.uk 6/01/2008

Gareth Gates (Steve Bainbridge)

EXCLUSIVE Dancing On Ice javelin star's £60k Steve & Gar get more than rivals

Dancing On Ice stars Steve Backley and Gareth Gates are skating off with fees up to THREE times higher than their rivals.

Olympic javelin silver medallist Backley will pick up £60,000 and Pop Idol runner-up Gates will get £50,000 for the ITV1 show starting next Sunday.

Their pay packets dwarf what the rest of the contestants are getting. Former Blue Peter girl Sarah Greene, 49, who co-hosted BBC Saturday hit Going Live, and ex-Hollyoaks actor Chris Fountain, 20, are believed to be lowest-paid on £20,000 each.

Natalie Pinkham, 29, from C4 sports show Adrenalin Rush and an ex of Prince Harry's, will get £35,000.

Former Hear'Say singer Suzanne Shaw, 26, and ex-Corrie actress Zaraah Abrahams, 20, are on £30,000, while GMTV's Michael Underwood is on £25,000. Suzanne dumped Darren Day after the Sunday Mirror revealed he cheated on her when she was pregnant.

An insider said: "Sarah Greene is going to be upset when she finds out how much more the others are earning. She is a household name, but a lot of the public would struggle to recognise Steve. And Gareth is best remembered for sleeping with Jordan."

Ex-Page 3 girl and Emmerdale star Linda Lusardi and another ex-Blue Peter host, Tim Vincent, are also in the show along with tennis star Greg Rusedski.

Some rivals are grumbling that Greg, 34, who played ice-hockey when growing up in Canada, has an unfair advantage. A source said: "Greg's school even had its own ice rink."

WHO'S PAID WHAT

Steve Backley £60,000

Gareth Gates £50,000

Natalie Pinkham £35,000

Zaraah Abrahams £30,000

Suzanne Shaw £30,000

Michael Underwood £25,000

Chris Fountain £20,000

Sarah Greene £20,000

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