Nitro Gladiator is the BBC Gladiators name for Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, a former Team GB sprinter and TV personality. He joined the Gladiators reboot on BBC One in 2023, then moved into Strictly Come Dancing and family-focused BBC content.
His real name is Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey, and he is often described as one of the most recognisable faces from the new Gladiators line-up. Before television, he represented Team GB as a sprinter and competed at Commonwealth level.
Off screen, he is married to Lauren Cooper and has a daughter, Aubree-Isla, born in September 2020. That combination of elite sport, reality TV and family content explains why he keeps appearing in searches about the Gladiators reboot.
Who is Nitro on Gladiators?
Key insights
- Nitro is one of the most recognisable faces from the BBC Gladiators reboot.
- Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is a former Team GB sprinter with Commonwealth Games experience.
- He joined the reboot when it launched on BBC One in 2023.
- He appeared in the 2024 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special with Nancy Xu.
- He was later announced as a contestant for Strictly 2025.
- He has also featured in BBC family fitness content with Joe Wicks.
Nitro Gladiator fact table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Real name | Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey |
| Gladiator alias | Nitro |
| Athletics | Former Team GB sprinter; Commonwealth competitor |
| BBC Gladiators | Joined the reboot in 2023 |
| Related BBC show | Gladiators: Epic Pranks |
| Strictly | 2024 Christmas special with Nancy Xu |
| Strictly 2025 | Announced as contestant |
| Spouse | Lauren Cooper |
| Daughter | Aubree-Isla, born September 2020 |
His official Nitro Gladiator profile presents him as a fast, explosive competitor. BBC Newsround has also followed the show’s return.
What is Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s athletics and TV background?
What did Harry do before Gladiators?
Before he was Nitro, Harry was a sprinter. He represented Team GB and competed at Commonwealth level. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s Wikipedia page sets out the athletics career that led to his Gladiators casting.
How did Nitro join the Gladiators reboot?
He joined Gladiators when it returned to BBC One in 2023. The reboot leaned into his speed and track background. He later appeared in related BBC content, including Gladiators: Epic Pranks.
What other BBC work has Nitro appeared in?
His profile expanded through Strictly and family fitness content. He danced with Nancy Xu in the 2024 Strictly Christmas special, and was later announced as a Strictly 2025 contestant. Entertainment coverage of his Strictly announcement linked the two shows.
He also appeared in a CBeebies parenting podcast with Joe Wicks about getting children active. A broader Gladiators Nitro Harry Aikines-Aryeetey profile brings those strands together.
The CBeebies podcast with Joe Wicks is described as practical advice for getting the family moving. The full conversation is not transcribed in the listing, so Nitro’s exact fitness tips are not available there.
Who is Nitro Gladiator’s partner and family?
Coverage of Nitro’s personal life is thinner than coverage of his athletics or TV work. Multiple outlets identify his wife as Lauren Cooper.
Is Nitro Gladiator married?
Yes, according to several entertainment sources. TV Guide’s Strictly 2025 article names Lauren Cooper as his wife. The Manchester Evening News has also reported on the relationship.
Does Nitro Gladiator have children?
The couple have a daughter, Aubree-Isla, born in September 2020. The Sun’s Gladiators rich list piece mentions her by name.
What has Nitro said about being a girl dad?
Coverage frequently describes him as a proud “girl dad”. In a Big Issue interview, he spoke about parenting and how his daughter inspires him.
Although multiple outlets name Lauren Cooper as Harry’s wife, there is no single official profile that confirms the relationship. Search interest in “Nitro Gladiator partner” is higher than the amount of direct coverage.
Is Nitro Gladiator injured?
What injury reports emerged in 2025?
In early 2025, reports said Nitro suffered a training injury that forced him out of the Gladiators season at least temporarily. Yahoo News reported the story with the headline that he was forced to quit the BBC show.
How did Gladiators handle Nitro’s absence?
The available coverage does not specify exactly which episodes were affected or when he would return. The Gladiators UK Nitro page continues to describe him as a headline competitor.
Some searches for “Nitro Gladiator” return results for “Fury Gladiator”, “Phantom Gladiators” or “Shadow Gladiator”. Those appear to be unrelated video game characters, not the BBC Gladiator.
What is Nitro Gladiator’s career timeline?
- Before TV: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey competes as a sprinter for Team GB and at Commonwealth level.
- September 2020: Daughter Aubree-Isla is born.
- 2023: He joins the Gladiators reboot on BBC One.
- 2024: He appears in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special with Nancy Xu.
- Early 2025: Reports say a training injury sidelines him from Gladiators temporarily.
- August 2025: He is announced as a Strictly 2025 contestant, per the Lowestoft Journal.
What is known about Nitro Gladiator — and what is still uncertain?
Some parts of Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s story are well documented; others are not.
Established information
- His real name is Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey.
- He uses Nitro as his Gladiators alias.
- He was a Team GB sprinter before joining Gladiators.
- He is married to Lauren Cooper and has a daughter, Aubree-Isla.
Information that remains unclear
- No authoritative source explains how he got the Gladiator name Nitro.
- The exact duration of his injury absence has not been clarified.
- Most details about his partner come from entertainment coverage rather than direct confirmation from Harry or official Gladiators channels.
What does the name Nitro mean in Gladiators?
Nitro is a speed-based Gladiator name. In the context of the show, it plays on explosive energy and quick acceleration. The character is presented as one of the fastest and most explosive competitors in the rebooted line-up.
There is no single public explanation for the name. No official or citable source in the available coverage says who chose it or why. Search results for the name can also pull in video game characters such as Fury Gladiator or Shadow Gladiator, which appear to be separate properties.
Where can you check Nitro Gladiator’s official profiles and coverage?
The clearest starting points are the official Nitro Gladiator profile and BBC Newsround’s coverage. For the Strictly side of his career, TV Guide and local news coverage around the August 2025 announcement are useful. The CBeebies podcast with Joe Wicks adds a first-person family fitness angle.
The podcast description frames the episode as:
“Harry shares how his role as a Gladiator has taught his daughter how to be brave and reminds him to be the best…”
“Find the fun in fitness: practical tips and expert advice to get the family moving with Joe Wicks and Gladiator Nitro.”
CBeebies parenting podcast, via Listen Notes.
Why does Nitro Gladiator stand out?
Nitro combines two things audiences rarely see together: an elite sprinting background and a growing list of mainstream TV credits. He entered Gladiators as a speed-based character, then moved into Strictly and family-oriented BBC content.
His Nitro Strictly Come Dancing and BBC career is the reason many viewers know him today. He is also part of a bigger story about how Gladiators rebuilds its roster around competitors with real athletic credibility.
What else do people ask about Nitro Gladiator?
How old is Nitro Gladiator?
His exact date of birth is not stated in the supplied sources. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey’s public profiles describe him as a former Team GB sprinter, but age is not confirmed there.
What is Nitro Gladiator’s net worth?
No reliable net worth figure is included in the supplied sources. The Sun’s Gladiators rich list article discusses earnings and Instagram reach, but a verified total has not been published.
Has Nitro Gladiator appeared on Celebrity MasterChef?
No. The available coverage mentions Gladiators, Strictly and a CBeebies podcast, but not Celebrity MasterChef.
What did Nitro and Joe Wicks discuss?
The CBeebies podcast was described as practical tips and expert advice to get the family moving with Joe Wicks and Gladiator Nitro. Full details of the conversation are not in the listing.
Is Nitro Gladiator related to any other Gladiators?
No family connection to other Gladiators is mentioned in the available coverage. He is described as a husband and father, but no Gladiator family relationship is documented.
What is Nitro Gladiator’s training routine?
No training routine from Nitro is included in the available coverage. His athletics background is well documented, but his current training plan has not been published.
Rebecca Haines is Managing Editor at DailyCity.co.uk, running the daily news list and covering UK and world stories with a city lens.