Former EastEnders actor Rory Jennings has disclosed the substantial pay he received for his role on the BBC soap, revealing that he earned £1,000 per episode. The 2007 star, who played Craig Dixon, shared the details on The Fellas podcast, noting that the amount could double when including omnibus repeats.
Jennings explained that actors were paid 80% of their fee again if an episode was repeated on the Sunday omnibus. However, as the omnibus was discontinued in 2015 following a decline in viewership, current cast members no longer benefit from this additional income. Jennings said, "You would get 80% of your fee again, so you’d get a grand an episode and then 80% for the Sunday."
During his two-month stint from July to September 2007, Jennings could potentially earn up to £4,000 per week if featured in four episodes, plus 80% for each omnibus repeat. His character, a troubled teen who worked at Ian Beale's chip shop, was written out after attempting to murder Patrick Trueman and was sent to prison.
Last year, former star Ross Kemp, who played Grant Mitchell, also spoke about EastEnders pay on The Graham Norton Show. He joked that he would try to appear in scenes for episodes he was not scheduled in to earn extra money, saying, "I'd nip in with a 'Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, Ron.' Ker ching!"
Jennings now has nearly 40,000 YouTube subscribers, hosts a talkSport show, and competes as a professional poker player.
