Strictly Come Dancing contestant Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is one of the 15 celebrities taking part in this year’s series.
The much-anticipated launch night of Strictly Come Dancing 2025 finally revealed the celebrity pairings, with former Commonwealth sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey confirmed as the first star to grace the Latin and ballroom dance floor.
He’ll be twirling around with professional dancer Karen Hauer. However, it was announced this week that Nikita Kuzmin’s celebrity partner has had to withdraw.
If you’re a fan of the BBC show’s festive specials, you might recognise Harry, but outside the glittery world of Strictly, he’s an Olympian, a multi-gold medal-winning Team GB sprinter, and a familiar face from Gladiators.
His impressive sporting CV includes gold in the 4x100m relay at the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, two Olympic appearances, three European Champion titles, and two Commonwealth Champion crowns.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Dianne Buswell responds as she’s told to ‘stop dancing’ while pregnantREAD MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas issues blunt reply over Thomas Skinner scandal
In 2023, Harry took on the role of Nitro in the popular BBC series Gladiators, but his stint was cut short due to a severe injury that forced him to bow out of the second season, reports the Express.
During training, he sustained a dreadful knee injury that sidelined him for several weeks.
As reported by Manchester Evening News, he said at the time: “During training for series 2 earlier this year, I picked up an unexpected knee injury, which means I’ll be shifting gears this series and sitting out the events.
“But don’t worry, I’m recharging and more energised than ever. You’ll still catch me bringing the Nitro spirit to your screens, hyping up my fellow Gladiators, and keeping the energy sky-high. Bring on series 2 of Gladiators.”
Regarding his injury, Harry revealed to Express.co.uk: “I feel like I’m back to myself and it’s quite nice to be able to give a full account of myself. You just appreciate it so much more. I was just walking at that point really.
“The Strictly team were so good in making sure they took care of me – they are really good at changing things and adapting them for what we can do. They look after us. I’ve conditioned myself, I’ve trained, I’ve been able to do everything well. I’m just so grateful to be back.”
This follows Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn pulling out of the programme due to medical issues, with Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope stepping in as his replacement.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, 27th October at 6:55pm.
#Strictly #Dancing #star #details #unexpected #knee #injury #training
