Strictly star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s wife and ‘fixed’ elimination from BBC show

Team GB sprinter and Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is ready for his next challenge as he takes to the Strictly dancefloor for the show's Christmas special.

The 36-year-old will compete against comedian Josh Widdicombe, drag artist Tayce, presenter Vogue Williams, former racing driver Billy Monger and actor Tamsin Outhwaite in the hope of lifting the Christmas Glitterball trophy on the iconic BBC show.

Sports fans will know Aikines-Aryeetey from his career on the track, having burst onto the scene as a teenager back in 2005, when he was crowned the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year after becoming the first athlete to win gold at both 100m and 200m at the World Youth Championships.

He would go on to win three European and two Commonwealth relay golds, as well as European 100m bronze in 2014, before featuring at the Rio Olympics with Team GB..

But Aikines-Aryeetey has now found a new legion of fans through his role as Nitro on the rebooted version of Gladiators, which has been a hit for the BBC this year. Strictly won't be his first dive into reality TV either, having proved a fan favourite on the latest series of Celebrity Masterchef - with his elimination at the semi-final stage slammed as a "fix" by angry viewers.

While he is no stranger to slipping his huge frame into tight costumes on Gladiators, the track star warned that his outfit on Strictly could end up showcasing his massive muscles even more.

'I've got quite a few different outfits, it's nice to be able to wear some glitter or some sequins," he said. “I think I’m going to be wearing something that’s a little bit tight. The team in wardrobe are like mechanics.”

Aikines-Aryeetey will be supported on the show by his wife Lauren, who he married in 2019. Together they share a three-year-old daughter, Aubree-Isla, with the sprinter occasionally sharing photos of his family alongside workout and fitness videos.

Talking about keeping his private life private in a recent interview, Aikines Aryeetey- who boasts over 300,000 followers on Instagram - said: "I think it's really important to have that little difference. It's important to have that moment of downtime, not to have a camera in my face and also my child might not want to be an influencer.

"She gets involved in some of my videos, which is quite funny. I cook with her and we play games together. There are some interesting points about being a parent, you want to keep those things private because it's your journey and it's how you're going along with it."

Aikines-Aryeetey combines his TV work and track career with being an online fitness coach and running a successful app, with his ventures and soaring public profile meaning he has an estimated net worth of £3.9 million.