Gladiators star Nitro on being a ‘helicopter parent’ – and honest reaction to Strictly exit – exclusive

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, aka Nitro, admits he’s a ‘helicopter parent’ and reflects on his Strictly Come Dancing exit as he joins HELLO! for an exclusive shoot and interview together with his wife Lauren and their five-year-old daughter Aubreé-Isla. “If anything I’m too much of a hands-on dad,” laughs the star, who’s a regular fixture on Saturday night TV, thrilling audiences on Gladiators with his athleticism and showmanship. “I do her hair, take her clothes shopping… and she now cooks with me. If you ask her what ingredients go into a pancake, she will tell you everything.”

He admits that he has become a “helicopter parent” to his daughter. “She’s never felt pain. That’s probably my toxic trait, where I don’t want her to feel any hurt, whereas she’s going to need to feel those bumps and bruises to learn. I’m trying to allow that as best as I can. I can stand in an arena with 80,000 people and focus on the task ahead… but the moment she’s in a room, I’m distracted.”

Star of the show

Aubreé-Isla is definitely the star of the show as we meet at the beautiful Nonsuch Mansion in Surrey. “She has such a big personality, I think she’s going to be a performer,” Harry says, smiling proudly as the little girl entertains our team by doing the signature poses of some of his Gladiators co-stars and chatting about having a tea party.

Known for his megawatt smile and children’s show Epic Pranks – a Gladiators spin-off in which he plays tricks on his co-stars – as well as Celebrity MasterChef and Supertato on CBeebies, Harry, 37, says that positivity is something he has always chosen, and he wants to instil this in his daughter. “I choose to be happy every day. It’s a choice,” he says. “I ask myself every day: ‘Have I smiled enough?’ If I haven’t, I’ll do something to make myself smile.”

Working as a team

Harry’s optimism began at home. Born in the UK to Ghanaian parents, he is one of four siblings. His two older sisters were born in Ghana before the family moved to Britain, and his parents worked tirelessly to create a secure life for their children. “They gave me a platform to always smile,” he says. “They worked two jobs each. They’d be passing ships, and it made me realise a relationship is a partnership… Ultimately, it’s how well you work together as a team.”

In his typically cheerful fashion, Harry is focusing on the positives of being voted out of Strictly – he and his partner Karen Hauer lost after a closely fought dance-off with La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec. “It’s a shame to have left the competition, of course, but I’m grateful for the memories made and I’m really proud to have been part of it,” he says, adding that it “would be great” if Karen Carney ended up lifting the glitterball trophy. “I had a particularly strong bond with Kaz.”

Serious injury

It’s typical of Harry – “deep down a big softie,” he admits – who tries to remain upbeat about everything; though there have been difficult times along the way, including a year before Strictly when he ruptured his patellar tendon. “My kneecap was halfway up my leg,” he winces. “I was asking myself, was I going to be able to walk properly? Run again? Be myself again? People tell you you’ll be fine, but I thought: ‘Maybe I’m not going to be good again… Maybe I’m not even going to be Nitro again.’ When you’re injured, you worry about being replaced – that you’re not enough. Ultimately, as an athlete, you’ve got an expiry date.”

For the boy who once idolised the Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Superman – “I used to eat spinach because of Popeye” – becoming a Gladiator in 2023 was a dream come true, so the thought that it might all be over was devastating. “I always wanted those superpowers that, in a way, I’ve ended up having.”

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