It’s no secret Australians love a good reality TV show, and Channel Nine is taking the concept to a whole new level with their new show Shark! set to premiere on May 31.
Forget the love stories and high drama of shows like MAFS – Shark! is all about daring well-known Aussie names to confront their fears and push beyond their comfort zone as they prepare to come face to face with, you guessed it, sharks.
What Aussie celebrities are taking part in Channel Nine’s new show Shark?
Six Aussie celebs are about to face their fear of sharks. (Image: Nine)
While flying to the Bahamas to film a show may have initially sounded like a treat, six high-profile Australians – Scott Cam, Ariarne Titmus, Lynne McGranger, Matt Nable, Sam Thaiday and Tammy Hebrow – will face their fears in a series of escalating challenges designed to test their resilience and trust.
They’re joined by Australian shark attack survivor and former Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder, as he leads them through the series of challenges alongside shark researcher and photographer Annie Guttridge.
Paul lost his right hand and leg in a Sydney Harbour bull shark attack and is now a passionate shark conversation advocate, with his work driven by replacing myth with understanding when it comes to the marine species.
The celebrities will be guided through a series of challenges from open-water dives with reef sharks, to coming face to face with hammerheads, bull sharks and tiger sharks.
Scott Cam’s surprising Shark! salary
While we know and love Scott Cam for his work on The Block, the popular TV host will be well out of his comfort zone in his new Channel Nine foray, and sources tell Woman’s Day his involvement with Shark! was never about a separate mega payday.
It was widely reported that Scott signed a $2.4 million deal with Nine Entertainment for 2026, and that includes making himself available for special projects and network opportunities outside of The Block.
“Scotty is already on a major network contract with Nine,” an insider told Woman’s Day. “People forget his deal isn’t just for The Block. He makes himself available for network opportunities and special projects.”
According to sources, Nine executive Adrian Swift personally approached Scott several times about joining the Bahamas-based series before the veteran television star finally agreed.
“At first he wasn’t sure,” the insider claims. “It’s incredibly rare for a host of a massive franchise like The Block to suddenly become the contestant. But there’s a huge level of trust between Scott and Nine.”
Sources close to production say the experience deeply affected The Block host, with the longtime presenter walking away with a very different perspective on reality television contestants.
“Being told where to go, what to do, filming long exhausting hours. Scotty suddenly experienced the other side of reality TV,” says the source. “It genuinely changed the way he approached contestants on The Block afterwards.”
What are the other Shark! contestants being paid?
Ariarne and Lynne on Shark! (Image: Nine)
While Scott’s salary was reportedly absorbed into his existing Nine deal, insiders say the rest of the celebrity cast negotiated separate appearance fees but the figures were more modest than many viewers might expect.
Industry insiders estimate most cast members received somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 depending on their profile and experience, with all parties reportedly feeling the offers were fair. “Obviously a Gold Logie winner gets paid differently. And gold medallist also gets paid differently. So it was not a set salary,” our insider told us.
According to those close to the production, “the real selling point wasn’t the cheque; it was the once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Tammy Hembrow, who has historically resisted reality television offers, reportedly surprised executives by agreeing to the series almost immediately.
“Tammy has said ‘no’ to reality TV for years,” the insider says. “She didn’t need the money. She genuinely loves the ocean and saw this as a chance to push herself.”
Olympic superstar Ariarne Titmus also embraced the challenge, while former rugby league star Sam Thaiday approached the series differently to his time on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
“Sam’s family were genuinely nervous about the shark aspect,” reveals the source. “But unlike ‘the jungle’, everyone knew exactly what he was walking into.”
Home and Away star Lynne McGranger’s important message to women ahead of Shark! premiere
Meanwhile beloved Lynne McGranger reportedly viewed the show as a personal mission to inspire women her own age.
“Lynne wanted women to see they don’t have to put themselves in a box because of their age,” says the insider. “This was never something she imagined doing, but she wanted to prove to herself and to others, that life doesn’t stop.”
Lynne recently spoke to TV Week about the show, saying she felt empowered after filming Shark!
“I was so far out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to show women of a certain age that you can do stuff,” she said. “You’re not confined to the rocking chair. If you can walk and you can talk and you’ve got a modicum of gumption, get off your backside and go out and do it because we’re here for a good time, not a long time.”
While the Shark! cast may have walked away with respectable pay packets, insiders insist every celebrity involved left with something far more valuable.
“The overwhelming feeling from everybody was that this [experience] changed them,” says the source. “The money was nice but the experience was the real reward.”
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nowtolove.com.au ’
