A New Reality TV Adventure: Shark!
Australians have always had a soft spot for reality TV, and Channel Nine is taking the genre to a whole new level with their latest show, Shark!, set to premiere on May 31. This isn’t your typical love story or high-drama series like Married at First Sight (MAFS). Instead, Shark! brings together well-known Australian personalities to face their fears and push beyond their comfort zones as they confront sharks in an intense, real-life challenge.
Who’s Joining the Shark Challenge?
Six high-profile Australians—Scott Cam, Ariarne Titmus, Lynne McGranger, Matt Nable, Sam Thaiday, and Tammy Hebrow—are stepping into the spotlight for this daring new series. They’re joined by Paul de Gelder, a shark attack survivor and former Navy clearance diver, who leads them through a series of challenges alongside shark researcher and photographer Annie Guttridge.
Paul lost his right hand and leg in a Sydney Harbour bull shark attack but has since become a passionate advocate for shark conservation. His work focuses on replacing myths about sharks with understanding and education.
The celebrities will face a range of challenges, from open-water dives with reef sharks to coming face-to-face with hammerheads, bull sharks, and tiger sharks. Each challenge is designed to test their resilience and trust, pushing them to their limits both physically and mentally.
Scott Cam’s Surprising Salary
While we know Scott Cam best for his work on The Block, his involvement in Shark! was never about a separate mega payday. Sources tell Woman’s Day that his participation was part of a $2.4 million deal with Nine Entertainment for 2026, which 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 insiders, Nine executive Adrian Swift approached Scott multiple times before he finally agreed to join the Bahamas-based series. “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.”
The experience deeply affected the The Block host, changing his 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 Contestants Being Paid?
While Scott’s salary was reportedly absorbed into his existing Nine deal, insiders say the rest of the celebrity cast negotiated separate appearance fees, though 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 Hebrow, 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.”
Lynne McGranger’s Message to Women
Meanwhile, Home and Away star Lynne McGranger 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.”
