SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters cast: who's who in the ITV series

Yep, the barmiest sounding show of the year, SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters, is finally here.

Starting on ITV1 on Monday, July 14 at 9 pm, a batch of ocean-fearing celebs are coming face to face with sharks!

ITV says: "The show will dare a group of ocean-phobic celebrities to confront their greatest fear — sharks. Throughout their adrenaline-fueled, challenge-heavy journey in the Bahamas — the shark capital of the world — these A-listers will push past their limits to come nose to nose with nature's 'villains'. "

Let's meet the stars taking part...

Helen George

Helen George is best known for playing Trixie in Call the Midwife.

She says: "I am quite scared of swimming I've got a real deep-rooted fear of putting my head under water, and I didn't realise quite how bad it was until the first day we were doing scuba-diving training in a swimming pool.

"Just getting my face in the water was going to be my biggest challenge to begin with. I managed to overcome that, and then I found out our first challenge was a cage dive with bull sharks. I cried… but I did it!

"There were so many funny moments. For one challenge, we were out at sea and we had to hold on to this raft. The weather was really stormy and the water was choppy, but Ross managed to sneak out a bag of snacks strapped to his leg with gaffer tape!"

Ade Adepitan

Ade is best known as a TV presenter and for representing Great Britain at wheelchair basketball.

He says: "This is the opportunity of a lifetime — when do you ever get asked to go and dive with sharks in the Bahamas? I'm a big environmentalist, too, and there's also an important message at the heart of the programme.

"I've scuba-dived before, but I'm not an expert. I'd only really done it for TV, so my experiences were few and far between, and it was still something where I had to hone my skills."

Ross Noble

Ross is a comedian. He says: "I can't speak for the others, but I've got a feeling most of us looked at [the pitch for] this show and went, 'It's three weeks in the Bahamas, yes!' and then read the rest!

"Sharks are so prehistoric, it's like seeing a dinosaur right in front of you. When they swim towards you, you can look into their mouths and see right down inside them. Being scared was the last emotion I was feeling, because I was so taken with how incredible it all was.

"If you love a beautiful nature documentary but you also like seeing how big animals are when measured against Dougie from McFly, you’ll love this show. Plus, you could see me get nibbled by a shark!"

Sir Lenny Henry

Lenny is well-known as a comedian and actor. He says: "I had a dodgy knee when I arrived, and my experience in the water with the exercise made it go away! I’m not the best of swimmers, but I worked hard and it paid off. I think it means it doesn’t matter how old you are; just have a go!"

Lucy Punch

Lucy is best known for starring in Amandaland. She says: "I panicked before the first proper dive, but Rachel reassured me that fear and excitement share the same physiological reaction. I reminded myself of that regularly for the rest of the trip: 'I'm not terrified, I'm thrilled!'

"There were times when it was very scary; it feels dangerous, and sharks are intimidating. But I was surprised at how exhilarating, and sometimes even peaceful, the shark encounters were. I was in awe of these magnificent fish."

Dougie Poynter

Dougie achieved fames as the McFly bassist. He says: "One of the amazing things about this is that I learnt how to scuba dive, which I'm now totally obsessed with. I've bought loads of my own professional gear, and I'm only looking at holiday destinations that have great scuba diving now!

"The conservation message is so necessary. I would like people who aren’t hugely interested in the sea or nature to realise that the things they’re doing at home have a huge impact on the planet. You don’t have to think that sharks are cute, but they are important."

Rachel Riley

Rachel is well known for Countdown and appearing on Strictly Come Dancing. She says: "The whole of the Bahamas is a designated conservation area where it's illegal to kill sharks. They've been trying to show that sharks are worth more to people alive than dead.

"We had the best safety precautions and an amazing team, but when you’re in the water you don’t know what’s going to happen. On one dive, I did think, 'My God, what am I doing?' but it was the chance of a lifetime, so I made the most of it!"