From Olympic gold to the dance floor: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey's journey to the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

As Harry Aikines-Aryeetey prepares to take to the dance floor on the Strictly Come Dancing festive special on Christmas Day, here's everything you need to know about his journey so far.

Just a few weeks after the conclusion of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC is gifting viewers with a Christmas special featuring a fresh line-up of celebrities.

Among them is Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, also known as Nitro, who is following in the dance steps of his Gladiators co-star Montell Douglas, a contestant on the previous series.

Harry will be competing on the dance floor against comedian Josh Widdicombe, drag queen Tayce, racing driver Billy Monger, presenter Vogue Williams and actress Tamzin Outhwaite.

Before audiences tune into the festive fun today (December 25), here's everything you need to know about Harry, from his Gladiator persona to his recent appearance on MasterChef.

Olympic gold

After making history as the first athlete to clinch gold medals in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships, Harry was crowned the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2005.

He later represented Great Britain at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and secured a bronze medal in the 100 metres at the 2014 European Athletics Championships.

The accomplished athlete first made his mark as part of the Great Britain team, claiming victory in the men's 4x100 metres relay. He went on to secure two more relay gold medals at the European level and two at the Commonwealth Games while representing England.

Nitro on Gladiators

Perhaps Harry's most well-recognised television role is the persona of Nitro in the rebooted BBC One show Gladiators.

Prior to his debut, Nitro was billed as a force to be reckoned with, combining speed with agility and feeding off the energy of the crowd to deliver electrifying performances.

When cast as a Gladiator, Harry said: "Becoming a Gladiator is another great achievement! A childhood dream come true! You never know what is coming in life, each day is there to be enjoyed and savouring all opportunities is a must! It literally gives me energy and strength! I can't wait to be in the arena and bring Nitro to Gladiators!"

Celebrity MasterChef

Harry also showcased his culinary skills on Celebrity MasterChef, broadcast on BBC One this year.

He brought his kitchen flair to the screen in the second heat, alongside former EastEnder Danielle Harold, Love Island's Chloe Burrows, rising star Rochenda Sandall, and comedian Eshaan Akbar. Harry impressed the judges with his creative dishes that celebrated his Ghanaian heritage.

He made it to the semi-finals, just missing out on the grand final, with the judges choosing Rochenda, This Morning host Craig Doyle, and champion Vito Coppola over him.

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will be broadcast today at 3:55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer