Strictly's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey's secret tears as he breaks down backstage

A Strictly Come Dancing star has admitted they broke down in tears moments before taking to the dance floor on Saturday night's first live show.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 37, who is best known for competing as Nitro on Gladiators, took to the dancefloor on the BBC favourite last week to perform a cha-cha-cha to Salt-n-Pepa's hit Push It with professional partner Karen Hauer.

The routine got them to the top end of the leader board with a combined score of 19 from judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke but Harry has now admitted that it was all so emotional to him, because he related his accomplishment to an injury that he sustained on Gladiators.

During a chat on The One Show alongside Karen, he admitted: "Yeah, it hit me. I got overwhelmed with emotion because not a lot of people know the extent of the injury that I had prior, which saw me out of Series 2 of Gladiators. But, you know, quite often we question ourselves, we go through a few lows, and, for me, I am a big ball of energy!"

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Harry added that there was some concerns about his personality when he found himself injured but has been able to use the dance floor as a chance to reclaim his 'true self' in front of the nation.

He said: "When you don't know if you're going to be what you once was, just in terms of your personality, being on that dance floor and being able to show my true self and be that person again, it just meant so much."

Having needed surgery and six weeks in bed after rupturing his kneecap during training for Gladiators last summer, the athlete was desperately wondering if he was crocked for good, but then the opportunity to participate in the Christmas edition of Strictly came about.

“I’d been through a really tough time mentally,” the married dad-of-one admitted at the time. “For athletes, obviously, our body is our tool and I wasn't confident that I was going to be back sprinting or back to being Nitro. It put a strain on our family and put a strain on my well-being.”

So when the offer to take part on the festive special came along, even though Harry was very restricted in what he was able to do, he said it was the perfect distraction.

“We configured a plan for me to work my way around the dance floor, and I'm so thankful for that opportunity because it gave me something to smile about,” he said.

Slowly but surely he has made a full recovery from the “freak accident” injury and the next series of Gladiators has been recorded with the fearsome Nitro back on board. Now Harry is so happy be fit again he could burst, which is why he immediately said yes when he was invited to take part in the full series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Despite being used to the adrenaline rush and nerves before a big race, Harry said at the time that he did have some jitters ahead of the live shows, which kicked off on September 27. “My big fear is not enjoying it,” he explained.

“Not going out with a smile on my face and embracing it but being caught up in with the nerves of it all. The judges are amazing and I hope that I can make them smile.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday night from 6.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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