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Helen George has revealed her unexpected underwater encounter while filming ITV’s daring new series Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, and it wasn’t the sharks that rattled her nerves.
The actress, best known for her role in Call the Midwife, stars alongside a host of famous faces in the new reality show, which sees celebrities confront their greatest fear by swimming with sharks in the Bahamas. But for Helen, the scariest moment came courtesy of a very cheeky stingray.
Recalling the bizarre incident, Helen shared:
“Jesus Christ, it’s coming right at my vagina! It’s there. It gave me a tickle. I’ve never been tickled by a stingray before… it was actually quite pleasant.”
The star was speaking at the show’s Bafta launch ahead of its premiere on Monday.
Helen also opened up about her deep-rooted fear of the ocean, which made taking part in the challenge even more impressive.
“I have a fear of the sea. I’ve barely gone deeper than my knees in the last 20 years,” she admitted. “The challenge was to get my head under water and to stay under water to even see a single fish.”
Her fear dates back to childhood:
“When I was very young, I was at a swimming party. I remember going underwater, looking up and foam mats had been chucked where I was coming up. I couldn’t get out. There’s a fear there that if I go underwater, I can’t make my way back out. I feel deeply pathetic and embarrassed.”
Helen George admits she was terrified of putting her head under water - Credit: ITV
Joining Helen in the water for the ITV series are an eclectic mix of celebrities, including Countdown’s Rachel Riley, comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry, actress Lucy Punch, Paralympian Ade Adepitan, musician Dougie Poynter, and comedian Ross Noble.
The show promises viewers jaw-dropping encounters and heartfelt stories as each celebrity pushes themselves to the limit, both physically and emotionally, in one of nature’s most beautiful yet intimidating environments.
Fans can watch Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters when it premieres Monday on ITV1.
