From cheerleading mats in Croydon to the sun-drenched hills of Italy, 27-year-old Aron – a civil servant and cheerleading coach from Croydon – has taken quite the journey.
And it’s one that’s seen him become a shining new face in queer representation on national TV.
Aron recently appeared in Season 2 of the BBC’s hit reality show I Kissed A Boy, the UK’s first ever gay dating show where contestants meet with a kiss – no chatting beforehand, just chemistry.
Aron told Your Local Guardian: “It was unlike anything I’d ever done before.
“I never thought I’d be on TV.”
Filmed in Italy over the course of a month, the show brought together 10 gay men hoping to form genuine connections – with all the drama, tears, joy, and laughter that come with it.
Aron added: “You put a group of gay guys in one space and there’s going to be drama.
“It’s crazy because there’ll be an argument one second, and then everyone loves each other the next.”
Aron was lucky in love – he was paired with Jas early on and the two stayed together for the duration of the show.
He said: “I was so fortunate to be matched with Jas.
“We stayed through the whole thing together”.
While he can’t reveal too much ahead of the show’s reunion episode, Aron hinted that what they shared was meaningful and real.
But beyond the romance and reality TV glitter, Aron’s motivation for joining the show ran deeper.
Aron explained: “It’s important to have representation – it’s about feeling seen.
“I wanted to be a role model for people.
“I feel like I’ve missed out on that experience as a kid – seeing other people like me in the black, queer community.”
He credited his family for helping him embrace that visibility with confidence.
“It’s quite atypical for an African family to be supportive of gay children,” Aron said.
“But my family are super supportive.
“They even flew out to Italy to meet my partner on the show.
“Having that POC representation on screen – it meant so much.”
Since the show aired, Aron’s life has been a whirlwind.
He said: “Life has been great, there’s been so much support and it’s been nice going to queer space and receiving positive words from people in the community
“It means a lot to feel as though my purpose on the show was good.”
Aron is now using his growing platform to give back and has future plans to work with charities and advocacy groups.
He explained: “Ethically I’m from West Africa and back home legislation for LGBTQI+ is dire, so I’d love to use the influence for good.
“On my TikTok I’ve just started a miniseries about LGBTQI POC (people of colour) people in history.
“We have to shine light on the lost stories of all the people who have contributed in our community.
“We’re not free until all of us are free.
“Things are hard here in the UK, but in other parts of the world, it’s even worse.”
The reunion for I Kissed A Boy will air on the BBC on Sunday night (June 15).
