Overview

• Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters premiered on July 14 on ITV1 and ITVX with Riley diving off Bimini in a protective cage alongside bull and tiger sharks
• Riley said seeing a shark up close triggered intense fear but turned into a rush of euphoria as her heart raced inside the cage
• The Countdown co-host has shifted from puzzle shows and dance competitions into extreme-challenge reality programming for the first time
• She contrasted the shark dive’s exhilaration with her Strictly Come Dancing experience and ruled out any comeback to the BBC series
• Her participation reflects ITV’s growing focus on placing celebrities in high-adrenaline situations and builds on her STEM-influenced television persona