Helen George is returning to our screens after a nearly three-year hiatus in which she suffered personal turmoil.
Helen, who is best known for playing nurse Trixie Franklin on BBC period drama Call The Midwife, now faces her biggest fear in Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters.
In this new reality show, celebrities learn to swim with man-eating sharks off the coast of the Bahamas.
Speaking to The Sun, Helen revealed how a traumatic experience from her childhood led to her developing aquaphobia.
At a swimming party, aged six, Helen recalled getting stuck underneath foam mats floating on the surface of the water.
© Getty"I just remember this moment of being stuck underneath one and not being able to get out. There was that fear of being trapped. I finally made my way up to the surface," the 41-year-old reflected.
"But I remember no one noticing that I’d gone, and no one really believing what I said, because no one had seen it. From then, I got it in my head about not putting my head underwater."
Helen stars in the new series alongside Dougie Poynter, McFly bassist and winner of Season 11 of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, and Motherland actor Lucy Punch, among others.
It's a different kind of challenge for Helen. Speaking to the Radio Times, she admitted: "I’m ugly crying, there’s no hair and make-up... it’s not glamorous. Now I’m thinking, ‘What have I done?’ I haven’t been ‘myself’ on screen since I did Strictly [in 2015], and that was uncomfortable for me."
Helen's love life
On top of facing her fears, Helen has had to deal with other personal setbacks in the last couple of years, including her split from her long-term partner, actor Jack Ashton.
© GettyHelen met Jack, who played Revered Tom Hereward on Call The Midwife, on set in 2015. The pair reportedly began dating in April 2016 and welcomed their first child, Wren Ivy, in September 2017.
Other endeavours
During her pregnancy with Wren, Helen was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, or ICP, which can affect liver function. She is now a patron of the ICP Support charity.
The couple had their second daughter, Lark, in November 2021.
However, it wasn't meant to be for the showbiz couple, who split up in 2023 after seven years together.
In a statement, Helen shared the news: "Some months ago, we separated. Our two beautiful girls remain the focus and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter."
© GettyThe Daily Mail reported that the split had been "amicable" and that the two actors had "just grown apart as a couple".
More TV credits
However, there have been some new adventures for Helen too. She has tried her hand at celebrity game shows like Celebrity Catchphrase in 2020 and Richard Osman's House of Games in 2022.
Helen is also now happily loved up again. She started dating Dan Innes, founder of real estate company Innesco, in January 2025, after the pair reportedly met on the dating app Raya.
Helen confirmed the romance with sweet snaps of a family holiday around Easter time.
Now, fans look forward to her newest on-screen venture, which promises drama, danger and emotion.
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters airs on Monday 14 July at 9pm on ITV1.
