With his imposing physique and formidable presence, Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known to millions as Nitro, has grown accustomed to commanding attention whenever he enters a room. The gold medal-winning sprinter's sculpted muscles have undoubtedly helped him establish himself as one of the most formidable competitors in the Gladiators arena. However, the 37-year-old athlete has revealed that this powerful exterior comes with an unexpected social cost, often leading to premature judgments about his character.
The Geek Behind The Gladiator
Harry opened up about how his appearance on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, where he was partnered with professional dancer Karen Hauer, has fundamentally shifted public perception. "People judge me when they first see me," Harry explained. "They just see how big I am. I have these muscles and they make you look at me a type of way, and judge me a type of way. Inside, I'm a geek!"
He recalled a telling encounter with comedian Josh Widdicombe during the Strictly Christmas special that perfectly illustrated this dynamic. "I remember meeting Josh Widdicombe at the Christmas special of Strictly and he came up to me with a bit of attitude," Harry said. "We're mates now because I said, 'Josh, I am internally how you look!'"
Revealing The Real Harry
Through his Strictly journey, Harry has been able to showcase what he describes as his "puppy-dog energy" and reveal dimensions of his personality that extend far beyond the combat arena. "I listen to history podcasts, I play chess, I'm asthmatic," he shared. "I'm a chef, a dad, a nice person who wants to see people do well."
This transformation in public perception represents a significant shift for the athlete. "People saw me as Nitro, now they've seen me as Harry," he reflected. "I'm here to make sure the nation smiles." Harry's appearance on Strictly marks the second consecutive year that a Gladiator has traded tackles for tangos, following Olympian Montell Douglas, known as Fire, who participated in the 2024 series.
Championing Fellow Gladiators
Given Gladiators' broad family appeal, BBC executives are reportedly considering other members of the musclebound roster for future Strictly opportunities. Harry has thrown his support behind his friend and fellow Gladiator Jodie Ounsley, who viewers know as Fury, suggesting she would be an ideal candidate to follow in his and Montell's footsteps.
Jodie participated in last year's Strictly Christmas special under particularly difficult circumstances. Her involvement was overshadowed by the sudden death of her father just days after she announced she would be taking part in the show. Despite her profound grief, she courageously continued and performed her dance in honour of her father, Phil, who had died suddenly while hiking in North Yorkshire.
"I would love to see Jodie do the main series just so she can actually enjoy it and, you know, really go through the process and be aware of what she did," Harry said. "Obviously before she started, her world was turned upside-down and that meant she couldn't really embrace it for what it is."
A Profile In Resilience
Harry believes Jodie embodies qualities that would resonate powerfully with Strictly audiences. "If the producers of Strictly want someone who can speak to the nation in a certain type of way, true resilience, not only with the struggles that she's had being deaf and persevering through that, but she's someone who stands for a lot, then Jodie is perfect."
Strictly Tour Adventures
Harry has recently embarked on a month-long, 30-date nationwide tour with the Strictly ensemble, and he's already finding unique ways to contribute beyond his dance performances. He revealed that he's been enlisted to train some of the Strictly professional dancers during their downtime, with the ambitious goal of getting them "Gladiator-ready."
"I've got all the pros saying to me, 'We're training, right? We're going to the gym?' They want me to be running Gladiator training during the tour," Harry explained. "I have already had Vito [Coppola] and Kai [Widdrington] in the gym! I even had Nancy [Xu] message me asking if she could join the gym gang. Karen too."
Dreaming Of A Crossover Special
Behind this training initiative lies an exciting aspiration. "Secretly, I'm getting them Gladiator-ready because I really want there to be a Gladiator Strictly special, that would be so good," Harry gushed. "My worry would be for the Gladiators because these guys are competitive! Karen's competitive, I would be worried for everyone else!"
From Track To Dance Floor
Harry's athletic credentials are formidable. He was part of Team GB's gold medal-winning 100m relay team at the 2014 European Championships and took bronze in the individual competition. He represented Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and though injury prevented his participation in the 2022 Tokyo Olympics, he returned to action later that year at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships.
Now, his focus has shifted to the Strictly tour, which Harry describes as a childhood fantasy come true. "As a little kid, you see movies and hear stories about what it's like on tour, and it's quite nice to get to live that out a little bit," he said. "It's a proper tour... you're on a tour bus and you're going from place to place. I'm getting the full experience, and I think what better thing to do than to celebrate Strictly?"
Embracing The Tour Freedom
The tour format offers a different dynamic from the television series, as none of the celebrities face elimination. Instead, the live arena audience decides who will lift the glitterball trophy each night. With this competitive pressure removed, Harry anticipates that fans will witness more of his Nitro-style personality during performances.
"Over a month on tour, doing the same two dances twice a day sometimes, I can start to feel my way out and Nitro can come out, showboat and enjoy it," Harry explained. "No one's going home, so I'll do the cha cha the way I want to do it, maybe I will do my salsa with a bit more groove, once I re-remember it!"
Navigating Judge Dynamics
Despite the more relaxed atmosphere, Harry indicated that fans attending the tour shouldn't expect too much cheeky banter with the travelling panel of judges—Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, and Craig Revel Horwood. "I understand hierarchy," he said. "My coach is my coach, I don't talk back. I've always stayed in my lane."
However, he acknowledged that television work has encouraged him to expand his boundaries. "What I'm learning with TV is that I can step out of my lane a bit more!" Harry added with a smile. "Maybe midway through, Sheffield or Nottingham, I'll know what I can say and what I can't say to the judges!"
