Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who plays Nitro on the BBC's Gladiators, says becoming a father forced him to confront how selfish his life as a professional sprinter had been and ultimately pushed him toward a television career.
The athlete represented the UK at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics before making the switch to TV in 2023. He said the change allows him to spend more time at home with his wife Lauren and their five-year-old daughter, Aubreé-Isla.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Harry said his daughter is his whole entire world. He acknowledged that as a sprinter and Olympic athlete he had selfishly done a lot of things for himself, compromising and sacrificing much of the life around him.
He admitted feeling sad when Aubreé-Isla was born because he thought she would never know him as a sprinter who had won medals. He then called that reaction selfish, saying he had been given an even greater gift through her watching him on Gladiators, Strictly, and MasterChef, adding that all of those shows had taught her different things about life.
A Daughter Catching the Showbiz Bug
Harry said Aubreé-Isla now insists on cooking alongside him following his MasterChef appearance, and that Strictly made her want to dance. He said he has since enrolled her in Stagecoach performing arts school because she loves all those things.
He added that Gladiators is teaching her to be the best version of herself and to be confident and proud. Because she has watched him on television since birth, he said, it is simply normal for her. When she meets new friends, he said, she introduces him as Nitro.
Harry said he and his wife work to maintain an essence of normality in the home while still supporting their daughter's interests.
Destined to Entertain
Harry said people had always told him he was destined to do something beyond sport, even during his school years. He said whatever that something was, it was to entertain people and bring positivity to them.
He said that from the age of 14 he had ambitions of representing the country at the Olympics and was the fastest 14-year-old in Europe at the time. But he said he did not realise then that he was also building the character called Nitro, explaining that he goes by that name because he is a form of energy.
Strictly, Gladiators, and What's Next
Harry appeared on Strictly Come Dancing last year and said he would jump at the chance to take part in a rumoured All Stars series, though he joked that if the producers wanted a high standard they would be looking at someone like Layton Williams rather than him.
On the changes coming to Strictly, including new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, Harry said he could not see the show ever doing much wrong. He said the show is going with the times and doing what it needs to do, and that he is excited to watch it as a fan.
Harry is currently filming a new season of Gladiators, which has seen several cast members including Cyclone, Bionic, Giant, and Athena dropped, with four new stars said to be joining. He said his dream opponents for the upcoming celebrity specials would be I'm A Celeb champion AngryGinge and boxer Anthony Joshua.
Away from the screen, Harry has partnered with home emergency cover provider HomeServe, taking on the title of the nation's first Personal Drainer to help people avoid costly drain blockages.
