'Dancing with Stars' celebs paid little

NEW YORK, April 19 (UPI) -- "Dancing with the Stars" champion Drew Lachey says the salary ABC pays to the celebrities on its hit series are "ridiculous."

"In terms of TV and for the ratings that the show gets, it's ridiculous," Lachey told Wednesday's New York Post.

The topic of what stars are paid for the dance competition was raised by Sirius Satellite radio jock Howard Stern Tuesday, who revealed his girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky, has been asked to appear next season for about $245,000 for eight weeks of work.

As a reference, the Post said Ray Romano made $2.3 million per episode for the final season of "Everybody Loves Raymond," making him the highest paid star on TV.

Despite the low salary, Lachey said he would urge Ostrosky to do the show, which opened several doors for him like his Friday night hosting gig at the Miss USA Pageant.