Strictly Come Dancing's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey reveals 'tough' hidden health struggle with asthma
Natasha Rigler | 4:31pm Wed 1 Oct | Updated 5:58pm Wed 1 OctStrictly Come Dancing’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey has lifted the lid on his secret struggle with asthma.
Harry, aka Gladiators’ Nitro, revealed he suffers with the chronic lung disease during an appearance on BBC‘s The One Show.
Despite being a professional sprinter, Harry is finding he has to reach for his inhaler during Strictly rehearsals with dance partner, Karen Hauer.
This weekend, the pair will be taking to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom for their second dance of the 2025 series. Harry and Karen will be performing a Quickstep to Everybody Needs Somebody To Love by The Blues Brothers. But the gruelling training can leave him breathless.
Harry, 37, admitted: “It’s tough. Obviously when people have exercise-induced asthma or asthma in general, it is something you have to be mindful of in any capacity in which you train for. Sometimes the temperature can affect it; whether it’s hot or cold.
“So it’s about pre-planning and always thinking ahead. The asthma pump is never too far away.”
The sportsman continued: “People always ask me, ‘How are you a sprinter and yet you have asthma?’ It’s a bit of mental strength. You’ve really got to push yourself at the same time.
“Create a bit of a support network for yourself. Make people aware. Karen knows I have asthma. Whenever I run over to my little bag, [my pump] is there and then off we go!”
Harry’s Gladiator injury
This is the second health battle Harry has opened up about in less than a week. Following Saturday’s Week 1 live show, he was left choking back tears after being hit with a wave of emotion.
Harry admitted to Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly how an injury two years ago had left him fearing he “wouldn’t run or walk”.
The professional athlete was training for the second series of BBC Gladiators when he badly injured his knee. It meant Harry had to pull out of the show when it aired in January 2024.
At the time, he admitted online: “Speed is my thing, but sometimes life throws a curveball! 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.”
On Saturday, Harry and Karen performed a Samba to Push It by Salt-N-Peppa and scored 19, placing them in the middle of the leaderboard. But when they had finished, Harry found himself welling up.
He told presenter Tess: “This time last year, I wasn’t able to do anything like that. I never thought I’d be myself again. I had an injury and didn’t know if I’d be able to walk, run…
“Yeah, I just feel emotional. I’ve dreamed of this moment. Even though I did Christmas, I wasn’t 100 per cent. But I’m here and I’m 100 per cent and I’m thankful.”
Harry’s ‘mini-me’ daughter
Harry and his wife Lauren have a five-year-old daughter together called Aubree-Isla. The youngster is said to be a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and has thrown herself into training with her dad.
“My secret trainer is my daughter, Aubree-Isla,” Harry revealed. “Literally, I’ve got so much love and joy and passion for her. The thing is, as an athlete, you do thinks selfishly and for yourself. But as I’ve had a daughter and gone through this process, every show I’ve done has had a positive effect on her.”
He explained: “I did Celebrity MasterChef, now she won’t stop cooking. It’s the same with Strictly. All week she’s being saying, ‘Push it real good!’. And when I’m wearing my Cuban heels, she goes and gets her heels on. Anything I do, she does.”
Like father, like daughter. Cute!
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Carney reveals hidden spine condition: ‘It’s really, really hard’
