I left Emmerdale stardom for a completely different job - here's how much soap actors REALLY get paid and why it doesn't go as far as you'd think
The actress, 48, who played Ali Spencer in the ITV soap between 2011 and 2015, recently ditched the showbiz life and relocated to Pattaya, Thailand.
And she's doing something totally different to acting and is now the owner of a cannabis shop called La Choza Pratumnak.
But a fan recently asked how much soap stars are paid, to which she said: '[On] Emmerdale I explained that you get an episode fee and you're guaranteed so many episodes a year...
'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.'
She continued: 'But it's not like the "rich, rich", you'd think famous actors would be earning.'
The star added: '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 telly star also highlighted some fees that people in the industry wouldn't think about.
Kelli said: '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 owns her 'weed bar' with her partner Matt Dawson.
Speaking to LeedsLive in 2023, Kelli opened up about her business, remarking: 'We'd been to Pattaya a few times on a holiday, we did a bit of island hopping and in June they legalised marijuana and we found this really cute little shop and got really good friends with the owner and decided to basically set up our own weed shop.'
She went on to say of her shop, called La Choza Pratumnak: 'I'll be honest I've smoked weed since I was about fifteen but I'm not a hard-core weed smoker, I can't do full joints and edibles and all that so it probably bodes well or I'd probably smoke all the profits!
'It's definitely not something I envisaged but we've definitely made the right choice.'
She's also opened up about her products that she sells.
Speaking about her weed bar, Kelli said: 'I actually don't like the feeling [of being stoned].
"But to be honest, I have become a little partial to the edibles here, obviously, because I have to test the products.
"But that is not to be stoned.
'I promote ours for rest and for aches and pains for people who don't want to smoke, so I will have mine before bed.'
Kelli shot to fame in the late 90s.
She played Yvonne Karib in Shameless between 2004 and 2010.
The star also landed roles in Waterloo Road, Ackley Bridge and Clink.
In 2020 she also played Rachel Edwards in Doctors.
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