Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, a champion sprinter and actor for BBC Strictly Come Dancing, has an impressive life off the screen and has a very impressive bank balance. He also has a loving wife and daughter.
Gladiator and Olympian Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is set to take on one very different challenge as he heads to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom. The sprinter became the first celebrity to sign up to this year’s BBC dance competition.
In recent years, Harry has become best known as Nitro thanks to his appearance on the reboot of Gladiators. However, before that Harry, 37, had a very successful career before as a champion sprinter, thanks to discovering his hidden talent when running away from a barking dog.
He has been a top competitor in the UK from his youth, where at just 17, he made history by becoming the first athlete to clinch gold in both the 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships. Harry went on to become a huge favourite in Team GB and bagged the title of 2005’s BBC Young Sports Personality Of The Year.
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He remarked, “I was gifted from a young age.” Harry’s success did not stop there; he won gold in the 4×100-meter relay both at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships.
Along with numerous other sporting victories, he has won the Olympic medal twice and the World Bronze Medal twice. Harry still has an interest in athletics despite moving on to a successful app and managing an online fitness coach.
His estimated net worth is estimated to be close to £3.9 million.
Harry also hones his preaching. The star is a fitness maniac with thighs that are an impressive 25 inches around and a standing height of 5 feet 11 inches.
Harry prefers to eat a protein-heavy diet, including steak for breakfast and cured meat snacks, because of his lifestyle. Harry shared last year with Men’s Health magazine that “I’ve been blessed with good genetics, obviously.”
Harry, who has a huge fan since he was a young child, said that appearing on Gladiators was a “dream come true.” You might say, “Gosh, I played those games in the estate where I grew up and I have the opportunity to actually bring it to life,” he once said.
It celebrates who we are and what we’ve done, according to the statement. Lauren Aikines-Aryeetey and Harry are happily married, and they have a daughter, Aubree-Isla, affectionately known as “Mini Me.”
Harry has already had a taste of Strictly before making his debut as a contestant on this year’s series. He appeared on last year’s Christmas special where he was partnered with professional dancer Nancy Xu.
The sports star bagged one of the highest scores in the episode but lost to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Tayce, who had danced with Kai Widdrington.
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who made his television debut, said: “It was so nice I just had to do it twice. I’m so excited to be a member of the Strictly family this season, and I’m ready to give it everything.
I’ll be bringing a lot of energy into the dance floor. Hope I pick up the routines just as easily as I do the track.
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Source: Mirror
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