ITV viewers were left feeling emotional during the first episode of SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters, as a much-loved late star was mentioned. 

The new reality show launched on Monday (14th July), with seven celebrities, including Lenny Henry and Helen George, heading to The Bahamas to embark on a diving expedition with sharks. 

During the first episode, the celebrities were told they were going to be swimming with wild stingrays, which immediately left some of their fearful. 

Turning to Lenny, Call the Midwife star Helen asked: “Are rays dangerous? Are you scared of rays? Are they a thing to be scared of? Can they kill you?”

Lenny quietly muttered to co-star Ross Noble: “I’m just not going to talk about Steve Irwin at all," leading Helen to then panic and ask the pair: “Wait, hang on. Didn’t Steve Irwin die of a ray sting?”

Danni Washington, an expert on the ITV show, explained to the cast that Steve's death was a "freak accident" in an attempt to reassure them about their swim. 

Steve Irwin, known as The Crocodile Hunter, was an Australian TV presenter and owner of Australia Zoo, who found fame thanks to his wildlife programmes in the 1990s. 

He died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after a stingray's barb stabbed his chest. Steve was snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef and filming a segment for a TV show at the time of the incident. 

The mention of late TV favourite Steve in Monday's episode of SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters prompted many TV viewers to become emotional as they remembered him. 

"I will never get over Steve Irwin’s death. I still tear up when I watch him. #shark #celebrityinfestedwaters," one ITV viewer wrote on X.

"'We’re not going to talk about Steve Irwin' #Shark," another joked, while a third fumed: "I’ve turned it off how dare they mention Sir Steve Irwin like that."

SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters divided viewers with its first episode, as some branded it "unwatchable" while others said they thought the show was "amazing". 

The show, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the iconic film Jaws, aims to challenge the stars' perceptions of sharks, encouraging them to appreciate these marine animals in their natural habitat.

The cast is made up of Dougie Poynter, Ross Noble, Lucy Punch, Helen George, Lenny Henry, Rachel Riley and Ade Adepitan.

SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters is shown on Mondays at 9pm on ITV1, and the entire series is also available to stream on ITVX.