Sir Lenny Henry talks diving with sharks on new ITV show: ‘You’ve got to respect them – they’re bigger than you and have all those teeth!’
- ontargetmedia8
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Sir Lenny Henry, Lucy Punch, Rachel Riley and more talk diving with sharks in ITV’s Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters. Words by Lynn Rusk.
It’s been 50 years since Steven Spielberg released Jaws, the iconic thriller that terrified audiences with its tale of a man-eating shark wreaking havoc on the fictional resort town of Amity Island.
Based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, the Oscar-winning film follows police chief Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider, marine biologist Matt Hooper, portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss, and shark hunter Quint played by Robert Shaw as they set out to destroy the deadly predator.
To mark the milestone anniversary, ITV is launching a new series in which seven shark-phobic celebrities travel to The Bahamas to confront their fears – and the creatures themselves.
In Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, celebs including comedian Sir Lenny Henry and Motherland and Amandaland star Lucy Punch are joined by three shark experts for a daring underwater adventure that challenges everything they thought they knew about these misunderstood animals.
“The whole premise of the show is that yes, we are going to experience sharks in their own environment, but we are also going to disprove the notion that sharks are immensely antihuman creatures that react in a threatening and malignant way,” explained Sir Lenny, 66.
“We want to show that you can interact with sharks, we can learn from them, and they are valuable to the food chain.”
“At times it was very scary. It feels dangerous, and they’re huge and intimidating,” added Punch, 47.
“But I was surprised at how exhilarating – and sometimes even peaceful –the shark encounters were. I was in awe of these magnificent fish.”
Also taking the plunge are Call The Midwife’s Helen George, presenters Rachel Riley and Ade Adepitan, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter, and comedian Ross Noble.
The group travels to the island of Bimini in The Bahamas, home to seven to ten different species of shark, including hammerheads, bull sharks, and the formidable tiger shark.
Throughout the series, the celebrities dive with various species and take on fear-inducing challenges, all while learning firsthand about the critical role sharks play in maintaining ocean health.
“I am quite scared of swimming and I started to think, is this a good idea? Let alone the sharks,” said George, 41.
“But I really wanted to push myself. It sounded like such an interesting thing to be part of – something I knew nothing about – and with an amazing group around me. So it just felt like a no-brainer.”
Countdown star Rachel Riley shed light on the strict safety protocols in place during the dives, which grew more intense as the sharks got larger – and more dangerous.
“We had safety divers all around us,” said Riley.
“But when you’re in the water with these enormous, completely wild animals, you don’t really know what’s going to happen.
“We were building up to dive with the tiger sharks, which are one of the ‘big three.’ After the tiger shark, the next biggest, potentially dangerous shark is the great white.
“Tiger sharks can be three, four, even five metres long – and their face is about 20% of their body length.
“If they wanted to take you on, you wouldn’t have much say in the matter. We were safe, but there’s still a part of your mind that switches into fear when you’re down there.”
Though the group spent three weeks in paradise, the focus remained on confronting their fears.
“There were a couple of hairy moments, but I was never really scared,” said Poynter, 37.
“And it’s not because the sharks were going to attack. I guess I had this retrospective fear when I was like, ‘I was in a dangerous position and didn’t really realise.’”
“At times it was very scary. It feels dangerous and they’re huge and intimidating,” said London-born Punch.
“But I was surprised at how exhilarating and sometimes even how peaceful the shark encounters were. I was in awe of these magnificent fish.”
Sir Lenny, who is known for sketch show The Lenny Henry Show, and sitcom Chef!, said his opinion of sharks changed after experiencing them up close.
“I think that you have got to respect them because they’re bigger than you and they have got all of those teeth,” he said.
“In various situations, I’ve been standing in the water with them, I’ve been hanging off a rope line off a boat with reef sharks swimming around, I’ve been in the water with hammerhead sharks.
“I’ve been two feet away from tiger sharks. And I can honestly say that I was s***ting myself at all stages of the journey. But what’s great is, they’re not interested in you. They’re really not.”
Punch believes sharks need to be protected, while still treated with extreme caution.
“I’m now ashamed to admit that I’d previously thought of hammerhead sharks as particularly gruesome and monstrous looking.
“After diving with them, I was filled with such joy and gratitude to be so close to these extraordinary creatures. They were beautiful. Being in their presence was a privilege that most people will never get to experience.”
Noble, 49, said: “The big thing that I realised is, it’s not Jaws, sharks don’t attack people.
“The only way a shark has got to find out what another thing is, is to have a little nibble of it and see. I always knew that when they attacked surfers it’s because they think they’re seals.”
When asked why people should tune into the show, the Newcastle-born stand-up said: “Imagine a David Attenborough documentary, right? But Attenborough has got an idiot mate who has just jumped in with the animals, so we can see how big they are and you can learn something about these creatures along the way.
“Basically, if you love a beautiful nature documentary but also like seeing how big things are against Dougie from McFly, you’ll love it.”
