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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters packed a real bite
*** IT was an act of tough love but one that had to happen. There are now so many celebrities going on freebie holidays at viewers' expense that someone had the idea of making them fight for their lives if they wanted to make it home again. Give it a month and only Susan Calman would be left standing, which is as it should be. That was the first thought on seeing Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters had been given the green light, and here it was, the idea made, er, flesh. Billed as an 'entertainment and wildlife crossover' - fancy - seven moderately famous folk were sent to the Bahamas to swim with the apex predators and generally raise awareness. To show that this was all about education and not cheap laughs, the celebs were promised that no one would be voted off each week. I'd have thought that was the least of their worries. The first sign that they should have gone on a hiking holiday in the Lake District instead was the sight of an instructor missing an arm and a leg. He had been in a tussle once with a bull shark, the very creatures the celebs were about to meet. 'Today?' gulped one. 'In the water?' said another. Since it was the first day, the celebs were allowed to stand in a cage while sharks the size of Renault Clios had fun rattling the bars. Call the Midwife's Helen George had the worst of it, being too scared to put her head underwater, never mind go eyeball to eyeball with a shark. Read more She had her reasons for fearing the water, as did Lenny Henry. Both involved childhood tales and phobias that ran deep.'I like the idea of having a little bit more bravery,' he said. 'Yes, we're on the telly. Yes, we're all celebrities, but it's different, this.' Was it, though? Heartstring-tugging back stories, manufactured jeopardy, talk of leaving their comfort zones - it all seemed pretty standard reality show fare. But the instructors were good value, and the celebrities more thoughtful than your average bunch. Ross Noble kept the quips coming, while George, once the screaming stopped, was charming company, even when a stingray got too close for comfort. 'Oh my God, it's coming right for my vagina,' she cried. Now there's a sentence I guarantee you will never hear in an Attenborough doc. George was not keen on the barracuda that wandered into a lesson featuring young lemon sharks. The instructor agreed, declaring it 'untrustworthy'. Alas, it was not the barracuda they had to worry about. Ross was the unlucky one, but it was no big deal. Even George declared it was 'like a kitten's been at you'. The goal of turning them into 'shark advocates' was clearly going well. The nip was a reminder that they were hardly in Attenborough territory, and this was still a celebrity reality show with a paramedic and psychological therapist on hand, but it was no walk in the water park either.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Nicole and Papa from Renault Clio ad unrecognisable three decades later
In the 1990s, the stars of Renault Clio's TV adverts were more famous than the Prime Minister, and their names might not mean much, but their catchphrase definitely will Back in the day, they were household names. It seems unbelievable now, but the stars of the 1990s Renault Clio adverts were once more familiar to Brits than then-Prime Minister John Major and the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Evans. And even if the actors Estelle Skornik and Max Douchin aren't instantly recognisable by name, their iconic catchphrase certainly is. Their on-screen father-daughter relationship struck a chord across the nation. "Nicole?" the debonair Frenchman would enquire, full of anticipation. "Papa!" she'd respond, with a simplicity that captured hearts. In the debut advert, Nicole would slip away while her father seemed to nap in the garden of their chateau, dashing off to secretly meet with her dashing beau in her trusty Clio. But, unbeknown to Nicole, her dad was also on a clandestine mission, whizzing off in his car to surprise a mysterious lady with flowers. Upon Nicole's return, she'd discover her father seemingly-still snoozing in the garden, culminating in their trademark two-word dialogue. The charming ads aired for seven years starting in 1991, playing a part in the whopping sales of 300,000 Renault Clios. But what became of the duo? Estelle, who brought Nicole to life, has since graced other TV projects, including From Hell, The Days That Made History and Les Lyonnais. Now 53, she starred opposite Ioan Gruffudd, portraying a romantic interest for his character Horatio Hornblower in the epic naval drama set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. But Estelle has reportedly taken a step back from the limelight, favouring family life over fame. Tying the knot with Laurent Bismuth in 1996, the couple have since had three children. Her final acting gig on record was back in 2011. Reflecting on her character in a 1998 interview with the Independent, she reminisced: "Nicole is very spontanee and I'm very spontanee. She's open to life, she's French. Nicole is part of me." Max Douchin, fondly remembered as 'Papa' and now aged 87, found his acting niche later in life. He featured in an episode of the French-Italian TV show Les Héritiers De Patmos in 2017 and graced the Paris premiere. Currently enjoying retirement in Burgundy, France, surrounded by his partner and family, he hasn't given up performing entirely – he participates in a local choir. Chatting with Mail Online, he recalled the iconic Clio adverts with a sense of nostalgia. "When I meet English people, who happen to be in Burgundy, and I speak with them, every English person I meet remembers Papa," he shared. "I have a lot of good souvenirs from that programme for the Renault Clios."
