Lenny Henry and Rachel Riley among stars diving with sharks in new show
Actor Sir Lenny Henry and Countdown star Rachel Riley are among the famous faces who are diving with sharks for a new show.
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters is set to air in 2025 as the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's three-time Oscar-winning film Jaws is celebrated this year.
Participants also include presenter Ade Adepitan, Call The Midwife actress Helen George, comedian Ross Noble, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter and Amandaland actress Lucy Punch.
ITV said that the 'group of ocean-phobic celebrities' will be heading to the Bahamas, where they will have to dive with bigger and more dangerous species of sharks.
Bimini, the island where the show will be filmed, is home to around seven to 10 different types of the fish including Caribbean reef sharks, great hammerhead sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks.
The celebrities will also take part in a series of challenges as they learn the importance of sharks to oceans' ecosystems.
Karen Plumb, head of factual entertainment at production company Plimsoll Productions, said: 'The team at Plimsoll is uniquely positioned to pioneer this format that blends conservation with wildly entertaining pop culture.
'We're constantly looking for innovative approaches to wildlife storytelling and are certain that our fish-out-of-water spin – delivering 50 years after Jaws – will transform the world's perception of these critical predators before it's too late.'
Sir Lenny, 66, who is known for sketch show The Lenny Henry Show, and sitcom Chef, has also been in fantasy series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, and taken part in ITV celebrity singing programme The Masked Singer.
Riley, 39, has been on BBC competitions Strictly Come Dancing, Richard Osman's House Of Games and The Weakest Link.
She has previously voiced support for Bite-Back, a shark and marine conservation charity.
I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! winner Poynter, 37, has previously campaigned for action on plastics to protect oceans and wildlife.
He has released the book Plastic Sucks! You Can Make A Difference, and used his Instagram account to criticise the use of shark fins in medicine, and soup.
Call The Midwife star George, 40, said in a post on Instagram: 'One of the most insane experiences of my life, learning about these incredible creatures, with equally incredible humans.'
Katie Rawcliffe, head of entertainment commissioning at ITV, said: 'We're super excited to be combining the work of Plimsoll – a blue chip natural history production company – with the expertise of ITV Entertainment.
'Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters promises to be a once in a lifetime challenge for some of the bravest celebrities out there.'
Bite-Back's founder Graham Buckingham has previously said that Jaws is not a 'documentary', and pushed for the public to 'learn to see them (sharks) as awesome, fascinating and incredible creatures worthy of protection'.
According to the Natural History Museum, shark attacks fell to the lowest level in more than three decades last year, with the International Shark Attack File saying that 47 people were hurt in 'unprovoked shark attacks' in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Helen Flanagan shares scary health condition as lips turn numb and swollen
Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan has revealed the her recent health scare as she revealed she has discovered an allergy to cherries, which left her throat itchy and lips numb Former soap actress Helen Flanagan has shared her recent health scare, after discovering she is allergic to something she 'never knew' about – until now. The former Coronation Street star, who is best known for her role as Rosie Webster on the soap, shared her surprise with fans in a candid video on her Instagram story – as she was confronted with strange symptoms after going about her daily business. Wearing a blue jumper and minimal makeup in the video, the mum-of-three, 34, tells her fans: "So I've literally just picked up the kids from school, did the food shop today and Delilah was like, 'Oh Mummy I want some cherries'. So..." Helen, who recently wowed in risqué lingerie snaps, is then interrupted by one of her three little ones as she turns and tells them: "Hang on a second, baby" before the tot can be heard in the background saying: "Mama!" "So I erm..." she then cuts the camera and restarts the video, explaining to fans: "So yeah Delilah did the food shop and she was like, 'Oh Mummy I want some cherries'. "They were just playing in the garden so I just cut some up and I thought, 'Oh these cherries look nice' so I just had one and, honestly, straight away I was like..." she then coughs before she says while rubbing her throat: "This is really itchy here, my throat started itching and, like, my lips have literally, like they fill like numb and really, really swollen. "But I never knew that I was allergic to cherries," she says with a cough before the camera then cuts out. According to the NHS, symptoms of an allergic reaction can include swollen eyes, lips, mouth or throat amongst a string of other symptoms. The website also advises to dial 999 if "your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen". The star's health scare comes after her recent split from her boyfriend Robbie Talbot after a year of dating. The mum-of-three had hinted at wanting a child with the former footballer, but has since had a "change of heart," according to friends. The pair were living together at Helen's stunning Bolton mansion but, Helen later revealed Robbie had moved out as she felt it was the best move for her three children, who 'missed' their dad Scott Sinclair. Helen and Scott split in 2022 after 13 years together. However, it was later reported Helen and Robbie "wanted different things in life". Meanwhile, the star also recently opened up on her split from her long-term partner Scott, with whom she shares her three children with. Helen said last year on Charlotte Dawson's Naughty Corner podcast: "We don't like each other." She added: "I still love him very much, I care about him deeply, but we don't like each other. We don't like each other at all, we don't get on. I do know that Scott—he'd never admit it—cares about me too, and he does love me."
Rhyl Journal
22 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Elton John says ‘we will not back down' in awards speech addressing AI concerns
The Government has repeatedly rejected changes to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, proposed by the House of Lords, aimed at strengthening protections for the creative sector. Peers have attempted to amend the Bill by adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements, aiming to ensure copyright holders are able to see when their work has been used and by who. A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) Veteran rock singer Sir Elton, 78, who picked up the Creators' Champion Award at Billboard's Global Power Players Event on Wednesday, is among hundreds of creatives who have raised concerns over AI companies using copyrighted work without permission. In an Instagram post he thanked the US magazine for the award and said: 'Supporting the next generation of British artists is one of the major driving forces in my life. 'As everyone in that room was aware, the Data Bill is currently looming over our industries and the future livelihood of all artists. It is an existential issue. 'Earlier this evening, the Government was defeated for an unprecedented fifth time by the House of Lords who have backed the crucial amendment to the Bill. 'I am now calling on the Government to do the right thing and get transparency added to the Bill. 'Administration of copyright must be transparent. And it must have an artist's full permission. These two principles are the bedrock of our industry. They must be included in the data Bill as a backstop. 'Let's be clear – we want to work with the Government. We are not anti AI. We are not anti big tech. We are not against Labour. We want a solution that brings all parties together in a way that's transparent, fair and allows artists to maintain control of their work. 'We will not let the Government forget their promise to support our creative industries. We will not back down and we will not quietly go away. This is just the beginning. 'Thank you, Billboard. And thank you Baroness Kidron and The House of Lords for standing up for our world-beating artists, journalists, playwrights, designers and authors.' The prolonged impasse and the conduct of proceedings at Westminster now threatens the future of the whole Bill and its measures, including a crackdown on deepfake porn abuse.
Scottish Sun
26 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ulrika Jonsson marks one year sober with before and after ‘drunk' photo – after confession about quitting booze
Ulrika ended up in tears after a conversation with a pal about her drinking brave post Ulrika Jonsson marks one year sober with before and after 'drunk' photo – after confession about quitting booze ULRIKA Jonsson has marked one year since going sober after making an emotional confession about quitting booze. The 57-year-old previously told how she would "black out and not recall the night" while drinking. 3 Ulrika marked one year of sobriety with before and after photos Credit: Instagram 3 She told fans: 'The journey goes on' Credit: Instagram 3 Ulrika revealed the emotional reason she decided to quit drinking Credit: Rex Now TV presenter Ulrika has been sober for a year and took to Instagram to share before and after photos. One was captioned "sober" while the other was marked "drunk". Ulrika continued: "Today I'm marking 1yr of sobriety. "No fanfare, no medal, no trophy. The journey goes on. "A huge thanks to all those beautiful people who have supported me; understood me; scooped me up and handled me tenderly and without judgement. "Who nudged me in the right direction; who made me laugh and helped me shed the crippling shame." Ulrika added: "My sobriety will continue to be my priority. "Turns out it IS possible to teach old dogs new trick." Last year Ulrika confessed she made the decision to quit booze after a frank conversation with a friend. She said: "One Saturday morning my best friend, who I love and cherish, called me and basically told me we had spoken the night before and she hadn't understood a word I had said. Ulrika Jonsson speaks out during Sober October about overcoming binge drinking "She told me I needed help. I knew it came from a place of love. 'The sense of shame would have been enough to make me want a drink. But not on that occasion. 'Instead, I sobbed like a child who desperately needed someone to hold her. I was full of despair."
