SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters appears to have failed to chime with its audience following its debut on Monday night, with one star's behaviour, in particular, prompting viewers to brand the show "unwatchable" and "insufferable".
The ITV original reality show saw seven famous faces embark on a dive trip to the Bahamas to swim with man-eating sharks whilst facing their fears of the water.
The series, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of shark cult classic JAWS, included a star-studded lineup including BBC favourites Sir Lenny Henry, 66, and Amandaland star Lucy Punch, 47.
They were joined by Countdown's Rachel Riley, 39, McFly star Dougie Poynter, 37, Ade Adepitan, 52, and comedian Ross Noble, 48.
However, it was Call the Midwife star Helen George, 40, in particular, who ruffled viewers' feathers with her tearful and overly dramatic reaction to the sea creatures.
Fans flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to brand her behaviour "narcissistic, insufferable and totally-unwatchable", as well as slating her decision to join the cast.
"Ten minutes in and already one of the most annoying 'celebrity' appearances", one viewer branded George, with another adding: "Helen George is p***ing me off. Can’t stand crying like that when they know what they’re signing up for".
The Call the Midwife veteran was in tears for the majority of the episode, including a moment where she broke down and fell to her knees following a stint in an underwater shark cage.
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|The cast of Cast of SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters sit on a boat ahead of their first dive
George shared in the series opener that she had a lifelong fear of the ocean after a traumatic incident as a child.
The actress opened up to her co-stars: "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."
She claimed that since the ordeal that occurred over 20 years ago, she has only been in the water up to her knees.
Fans poked fun at the declaration, with one user teasing: "Helen must think Finding Nemo is a horror film."
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|Helen George is pictured taking her first dive of the series
Despite George's emotional display and explanation, fans were unhappy with the show's premise in general, as one labelled it "the worst piece of telly ITV have ever made, and THAT is saying something". (sic)
Reality enthusiasts claim it was "boring and pointless", highlighting the obvious reality that no celebrity will ever be harmed.
A few fans tried to cut through the negative discourse, with one user saying: "Highly recommend #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters #itv love sharks and seeing them up close is a dream of mine. So lucky people."
The first episode received a generous three-star rating by the Independent, a standout amongst a sea of negative reviews from other publications and social media users.
George had addressed her fear of the sea prior to the show's premiere on Monday evening.
Speaking to Radio Times ahead of the show's launch, the actress revealed her children played a major part in her wanting to take on the challenge despite her fears
“I wanted to get more confident for them,” she told the publication. “I was really terrified of the water, so I might be a bit embarrassed about some of the scenes!
“I’m an actress and I play other people’s vulnerabilities, so playing my own is always terrifying. I’m ugly crying, there’s no hair and make-up… it’s not glamorous."
ITV
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"Now I’m thinking, ‘What have I done?’ I haven’t been ‘myself’ on screen since I did Strictly, and that was uncomfortable for me.”
She added: “I didn’t realise I was going to be overcoming my biggest fear on camera in front of the nation but that’s what it turned out to be!”