08-07-2025
Call The Midwife star Helen George in tears as she admits to phobia
Helen George confessed that her experience of swimming with sharks brought her to tears, revealing her fear of water.
In SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters, seven stars trade the glitz and glamour of red carpets for the open waters of The Bahamas. However, there won't be much time for sunbathing - it's all about survival.
Guided by three top shark experts, the stars come face-to-face with one of nature's most misunderstood creatures: the shark. From the striking Hammerhead to the formidable Bull shark, each dive takes them deeper into shark territory.
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It's heart-pounding, myth-busting and, at times, downright terrifying. But as they discover, the real nightmare isn't sharks - it's a sea without them.
Fifty years after JAWS ignited worldwide shark mania, this series turns the tables, showing us just how crucial these apex predators truly are to marine life everywhere.
With legends like Sir Lenny Henry, McFly's Dougie Poynter and beloved presenters and actors on board, SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters delivers thrills, truth and a wake-up call from beyond the waves.
As Trixie in Call The Midwife, Helen George is accustomed to high-stakes drama - but diving with sharks was next-level. "I am quite scared of swimming," she admits.
"I have a real deep rooted fear of putting my head under water, and hadn't realised how bad it was until it was day one and we were doing scuba training."
The challenges were relentless for Helen, who shared: "I then found out our challenge was a cage dive with Bull sharks. I cried some more." Despite the tough times, she found comfort in the camaraderie among her fellow contestants.
Helen recalled one particularly gruelling task: "There was a challenge that we had to do when we were sent out at sea and told that we had to hold onto this raft.
It was really treacherous weather that day, really stormy and the sea was really rough and choppy. Ross Noble managed to sneak out a bag of snacks strapped to his leg with gaffer tape."
Ross, the ever-entertaining comic, brought humour even under the sea, though he admitted being spellbound by the sharks: "I was in a hypnotic state," he confessed. "You're in the water and these things are moving around, your brain can't comprehend it. I was so taken with how incredible it was."
Meanwhile, Sir Lenny Henry joined the adventure while still recovering from an injury, but found unexpected healing in the waters: "I had a dodgy knee when I arrived, and my experience in the water and the exercise just made it go away. It was amazing," he revealed.
He added, "I would just get in the water and I'm not the best of swimmers, but I really worked hard on it and it paid off. I think it means, don't give up, don't mind about how old you are, just get in there and have a go."
