Strictly’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey praised by fans after fighting back tears on dancefloor

The former Team GB sprinter also performed a controversial push-up during his dance debut

Strictly Come Dancing’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey fought back tears during the first proper live show of the new series, as he discussed a potentially life-altering injury he sustained last year.

The former Team GB sprinter is this year competing on the BBC series with his professional partner Karen Hauer.

After his performance, he and Hauer walked over to the judges’ table, with Aikines-Aryeetey seeming to be struck by emotion. After being consoled by presenter Tess Daly, he admitted to being in disbelief that he was able to dance.

“I never thought I’d be myself again and it just feels so nice to be myself,” he said. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to walk right.”

He continued: “I’ve dreamt of that moment and even though I did [the Christmas special], I wasn’t 100 per cent, and here I’m 100 per cent.”

Last year, Aikines-Aryeetey was forced to sit out his role as a professional on the BBC’s Gladiators after sustaining a knee injury.

He has been slowly easing back into performing, and appeared last December as a contestant on the Strictly Christmas special, where he placed joint second.

His cha-cha-cha, however, didn’t go down enormously well with the judges, particularly a controversial moment in which he dropped to the dancefloor and proceeded to do push-ups while Hauer stood on his back.

“Push-ups, darling, are not in the cha-cha-cha,” judge Craig Revel-Horwood insisted.

Karen stands on Harry’s back during their dance (BBC)

Fellow judge Anton Du Beke was less against it, and proceeded to try out the move with Aikines-Aryeetey, leaping from behind the judges’ desk to stand on his back while he did push-ups.

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On X, fans praised Aikines-Aryeetey’s display of vulnerability.

“Harry getting emotional like I’m gonna cry??” one person tweeted. “For a sports person to come back from an injury it really IS a big thing, to go from that insecurity of not knowing to this.”

“Harry getting emotional after that performance, protect him at all costs please,” another person wrote.

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