This is not Sam Thaiday’s first foray into reality television. Fresh off winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2025, the former Brisbane Broncos captain thought he had a decent understanding of pressure, fear and life away from family.
But that didn’t make missing important moments any easier this time around.
“My younger daughter, Ellsie, had her last day at primary school before moving to a new school and I missed it,” Sam, 40, tells TV WEEK.
“I swear my wife, Rachel, would love to swap roles with me sometimes and travel the world and have these experiences. But there are also times I’d love to swap with her and be at the netball game or the dance recital.”
Sam and Rachel are parents to Gracie, 13, and Ellsie, 10, and says his girls were one of the biggest reasons he signed on to the series, which sees celebrities swimming in the shark-infested waters of Bimini in the Bahamas.
“I wanted to show them to be brave,” he explains.
“And I was flying the flag for my Torres Strait community and showing my family’s connection with the land and sea. I’ve got a real connection with the hammerhead shark because it’s one of my family totems.”
It’s that “spiritual connection” that Sam believes helped him remain surprisingly calm underwater.
“They seemed to like me,” Sam says with a laugh. “I even compared being down there to being at church, with how calm and connected I felt. That was the biggest surprise to me: how relaxed my whole state of mind was. I can’t ever remember sleeping so well.”
It could also come down to the thick skin he’s developed over years in the public eye, preparing him for anything.
“Mine’s real thick – proper thick, impenetrable thick,” he admits.
“When you’re out there playing rugby league, you’ve got teammates you have to show up for. But when it comes to the mental and emotional side, it’s not always the greatest thing to have that thick skin.”
The celebrities face terrifying night dives this week, with the sharks bigger and more dangerous than ever before.
Will everyone overcome their fears and take on the challenge – or will the pressure become too much for some?
You can watch Shark! on Nine or 9Now.
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