Who is Harry Aikines-Aryeetey? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and Olympian
The first celebrity has been announced!
Gladiator, ready? Strictly Come Dancing, ready?!
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is swapping the Gladiators spandex for dancing shoes as he heads onto the Strictly ballroom for a second time. Fans will know that Harry took part in the Christmas series last year, but will now brace himself for the main series.
"I think Christmas was so so much fun. It was genuinely one of the best experiences," he told RadioTimes.com and other press. "It was great for me because I was coming off a back of an injury and that gave me the confidence because that was the first bit of activity I'd done."
"I did wonder whether I'd be able to be Harry Aikines-Aryeetey the sprinter again [or] Nitro, it was quite a serious injury. So that gave me a bit of confidence. I didn't get to actually learn a dance, I just did street commercial so I haven't got an advantage in that sense. But having been in that environment, I'm excited."
As fans wait patiently to see Harry on the dance floor this weekend, read on to learn more about the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant.
Who is Harry Aikines-Aryeetey?
Age: 36
Job: TV personality and Olympian
Instagram: @aikines
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is an Olympian, multi gold medal-winning Team GB sprinter and now, star of Gladiators.
At just 17 years old, he was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2005, after becoming the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 metres and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships.
Harry has gone on to win gold in the 4x100m relay at the European Championships and at the Commonwealth Games. He has also competed in two Olympic games and is a three-time European Champion and two-time Commonwealth Champion.
He joined the Gladiators line-up in 2023, and was unveiled with Nitro, who is a firm fan favourite amongst viewers.
What has Harry Aikines-Aryeetey said about joining Strictly Come Dancing?
Speaking of the exciting news, Harry said: "After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I’m ready to give it all I’ve got.
"I’ll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let’s hope I’m as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track."
During the Christmas special he was partnered with professional Nancy Xu - could we see a repeat this time round?
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 20th September at 6:40pm.
Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
