Plimsoll’s Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters heads to Australia

ITV Studios’ format Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters has made its first international splash with its debut sale to Australia’s Nine Network.  

ITV Studios Australia is set to produce the local version of the series, which is scheduled to air in 2026.  

The deal follows the entertainment format’s UK launch, when the Plimsoll Productions-produced series landed a consolidated audience of 2.2m viewers and was, according to ITV, the third best performing entertainment title on streaming platform ITVX at the time of launch.  

ITV Studios’ managing director David Mott said the format “combines jaw-dropping entertainment with a strong environmental message, and it has already captured the imagination of viewers in the UK”. 

He added: “We’re confident the local version will resonate just as strongly with Australian audiences.”  

Given that Australia is home to the likes of the great white and tiger sharks, Nine Network’s executive director Hamish Turner said: “Australians have a complex relationship with Sharks. This event series offers a look at how we can move from primal fear to fascination through the experience of six household Aussie names.”  

The series sees celebrities leave their comfort zones to go face-to-face with sharks in the Bahamas, the place with the greatest diversity of shark species on the planet.  

Contributors take on a series of escalating challenges, moving from shallow waters to huge sharks, confronting their fears while also learning about the vital role sharks play in marine ecosystems.  

Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters is distributed internationally by ITV Studios.