Shark squad

Ross Noble, Sir Lenny Henry and Lucy Punch get up close and personal with the apex predators in a thrilling new series

- STEVEN PERKINS

NEW ENTERTAINMENT Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters Monday, 9pm, ITV1 (box set, ITVX)

As classic movie Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the sight of a dorsal fin in the water is still enough to send a chill up anyone’s spine. But does Steven Spielberg's seminal 1975 blockbuster give sharks an unfairly bad reputation?

In ITV1's new five-part series Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, seven celebrities travel to the Bahamas for an intensive diving adventure with a group of world-renowned shark experts, to learn why shark conservation is so important and challenge their own fears and preconceptions as they head into the deep to face the creatures up close.

The stars donning their wetsuits to take part are presenters Ade Adepitan and Rachel Riley, comedians Sir Lenny Henry and Ross Noble, Call the Midwife star Helen George, Amandaland’s Lucy Punch, and McFly bassist Dougie Poynter. Will they come away with a newfound appreciation for one of the planet's most-feared predators?

Here, back on dry land, Henry, 66, Noble, 49, and Punch, 47, reveal how they got on...

What made you want to take part in this show?