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Strictly Come Dancing star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey has opened up about his worries that a lifelong health condition might "work against" him on the BBC programme. Following his rise to prominence while representing Great Britain in the Commonwealth games, Harry has more recently become known for his role as Nitro on Gladiators. But speaking on the Parenting Hell podcast, he shared with presenters Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe his fears that a medical condition could impact his performance in this year's Strictly Come Dancing . Reflecting on Harry's Strictly journey, which included appearing in 2024's Christmas Special alongside Josh, the comedian noted how Harry would shine in routines demanding greater physical power, but quipped he might be "too stiff for the romantic numbers" because of his muscular build. The 37-year-old responded: "These are things I'm scared of. These muscles are actually going to work against me." He then revealed details about a health condition he has lived with from birth: "I've actually got a deficiency of myostatin. That's one of the reasons why I build muscle a lot. So that is just a genetic makeup." Myostatin deficiency is a condition where the body has difficulty producing myostatin protein, leading to significantly increased muscle mass and minimal fat. As a result, individuals with low or no myostatin often have larger than average muscles. This condition is incredibly rare, with some estimates suggesting that as few as one in four million people are diagnosed with it. Despite his medical condition, Harry has been wowing fans with his performances in the competition. Last night, he and his dance partner Karen Hauer performed an American Smooth. Regrettably, the judges had mixed feelings about their routine, resulting in a score of just 30 points. This placed them second from bottom on the leaderboard. Outside of the competition, Harry has an impressive sporting career. He has represented Team GB at the Olympics and won several European and Commonwealth relay gold medals. Strictly Come Dancing: The Results is set to return this evening (9 November) 7.10 pm on BBC One.
