Would you be brave enough to go face-to-face with one of nature’s deadliest predators? That is the question being answered by the all-star cast of Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters.
Famous faces from the world of TV, music and comedy are preparing to swim with man-eating sharks in this new reality series. Dispatched the Bahamas they are teamed-up with experts Danni Washington and Tristain Guttridge and shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder.
After building-up their confidence over the first three episodes, Radio Times preview warns that “could be about to change as quickly as the current”. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters returns tonight (August 4) at 9pm on ITV1/ STV - with the episodes available on ITVX/ STV Player as well.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of JAWS, a film that portrayed the shark as a man-eating monster to be feared, the celebrity team will take the plunge to dive with sharks in their natural environment, discovering that the greatest fear is a sea without them.
But who is in the cast and what are they best known for? Here’s all you need to know.
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1. Ade Adepitan
Ade Adepitan is a TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player - having appeared at the Paralympics. He has presented coverage of the Invictus Games and the Paralympics - as well as appearing on shows like Catchphrase and Blankety Blank. He said: “It's kind of like an opportunity of a lifetime, isn't it? When do you ever get asked to go and dive with sharks in the Bahamas? I think most of us would leap at the opportunity, so for me it was a no-brainer. I'm a big environmentalist too, so there was an important message also at the heart of the programme.” | Plimsoll Productions/ITV Photo: Plimsoll Productions/ITV
2. Dougie Poynter
McFly bassist Dougie might have shot to fame in the music world, but he is no stranger to the small screen as well. He was the winner of I’m a Celebrity in 2011 - also on ITV. Dougie said: “That was another amazing thing about being involved, I learnt how to scuba dive which I'm now totally obsessed with and have bought loads of my own professional gear. I'm only looking at holiday destinations that have great scuba diving now.” | Plimsoll Productions/ITV Photo: Plimsoll Productions/ITV
3. Helen George
Call the Midwife star Helen George is part of the cast for this ITV series. She is best known for playing Trixie on the iconic BBC show. She said: “I was asked whether I'd be interested and my initial thought was, this sounds so mad and amazing, of course I have to say yes. And then I started thinking about what was being asked of me. I am quite scared of swimming and I started to think, is this a good idea? Let alone the sharks. But I really wanted to push myself and it sounded like such an interesting thing to be part of and something I knew nothing about, and with an amazing group around me. So it just felt like a no-brainer.” | Plimsoll Productions/ITV Photo: Plimsoll Productions/ITV
4. Ross Noble
Comedian Ross Noble has appeared on TV plenty of times over the years - as well as touring as a stand-up. He was on shows like Have I Got New For You and also was part of the cast for The Celebrity Apprentice Australia in 2021. He said: “Bimini, it’s incredible because it's a shark sanctuary, so the fact that the sharks are protected there means there's a lot of them. So if you're looking for sharks, it certainly is top of the list of places to go.” | Plimsoll Productions/ITV Photo: Plimsoll Productions/ITV