Viewers have been loving ITV’s new entertainment show, Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, with some watching all five episodes in one sitting.
The programme, which was released on Monday, sees a group of celebrities dive with sharks and face a series of “fear-inducing” challenges. The star-studded line-up includes the likes of actor Sir Lenny Henry, Call the Midwife actress Helen George, Countdown star Rachel Riley, comedian Ross Noble, presenter Ade Adepitan, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter and Amandaland star Lucy Punch.
Viewers have been full of praise for the series on social media, with one person hailing it as “absolute TV gold”, while others have binge-watched the entire season.
One person penned: “#sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters is absolute TV gold. Love seeing celebs squirm but also facing their fears. Brilliant ITV,” while another added: “Highly recommend #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters #itv love sharks and seeing them up close is a dream of mine. So lucky people.”
A third person wrote: “Me: I can’t stand celebrity reality shows. Also me: Just watched all 5 episodes of this in a day on @itvx,” while another applauded the celebrities for their bravery, adding: “Watched all 5 episodes on itvx, you should all be so proud x.”
What to expect from Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters
The series sees seven famous faces make their way to the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, which is home to around seven to ten different shark types, including Bull sharks, Hammerheads, and Tiger sharks.
Once there, the ocean-phobic celebrities embark on an “adrenaline-fueled, challenge-heavy journey”, during which they are pushed past their limits to come face to face with their biggest fear: sharks. The series sees the celebs dive with a different species of shark, with the breeds getting increasingly bigger and more dangerous each time.
The synopsis continues: “Their firsthand experiences will provide immeasurable excitement and new perspective; they’ll come to appreciate sharks’ valuable place on the food chain and in our ecosystem, recognising that a world devoid of these notoriously terrifying creatures is downright frightening.”
It concludes: “And if that isn’t enough, the celebrities will also face fear-inducing challenges whilst learning first hand the important role sharks play in our oceans.”
What have critics said about the show?
The series has been met with mostly positive reviews, with The Independent describing the show as “bizarre but unexpectedly moving reality TV” in its three-star review, while The Guardian also awarded three stars and hailed it as “absolutely extraordinary television”.
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters is available to stream on ITVX.
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