Ranvir Singh has revealed she "nearly drowned" in a terrifying childhood incident as she was forced to confront her lifelong fear of water on the new ITV gameshow The Box.
The 49-year-old Good Morning Britain presenter appeared in a preview clip shown on the ITV breakfast programme on Friday, in which she and another contestant were seen shaking with fear as they attempted to climb down a wall into water. Ranvir admitted in the clip that she cannot swim.
In a confessional filmed for the show, she explained the root of her phobia. "A long time ago, when I was really, really little, I nearly drowned. Since then, I've always had a panic response to water if my feet can't touch the ground," she said.
When the broadcast cut back to the Good Morning Britain studio, co-host Kate Garraway, 59, told Ranvir: "I didn't know you had a fear of water?" Ranvir replied: "Yeah, it's been there forever. I was about two or three when I jumped into a pool and went under."
What is The Box?
The Box is a celebrity gameshow hosted by former England striker turned broadcaster Gary Lineker, best known for presenting the BBC's Match of the Day. The programme is set to air on Saturday and sees Lineker encourage a group of celebrities to take on a mental, logical, hilarious, daunting or physical task.
In each episode, the contestants are taken to an unknown destination inside a box and do not learn what their challenge will be until the door opens in front of them.
Who else is on the show
Joining Ranvir on The Box are Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two host Ellie Taylor and former Dragons' Den star Sara Davies, both 42, along with The Chase quizzer Jenny Ryan, 44, and 36-year-old The Only Way Is Essex alum Joey Essex.
The lineup is completed by Love Island alum Shakira Khan, 23, former Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, 63, JLS singer JB Gill, 39, Liverpool football legend Graeme Souness, 73, and 24-year-old content creator Danny Aarons.
Overcoming her fear
Ranvir said the experience pushed her "out of her comfort zone" and proved life-changing as she worked to overcome her fear of water. Speaking to the Daily Mail at the ITV show's launch event, she said: "Being on an entertainment show is very different to being obviously in news. The whole thing was out of my comfort zone. But I couldn't have wished for a better experience actually."
She also described how the challenge helped her bond with her 14-year-old son, Tushaan, who she said loves the water. "I've got a son who is very active and loves the water; he's a little fish really, he just loves it, but you know he's always tried to encourage me to try and go out into the water," she said.
"I really hate anything where I can't touch the... It's not that I hate it, I actually can't do it right, so on our holiday after The Box, it was the first time that I've had the courage to do it," she said. "Even though I've got a life jacket on, but the life jacket with a phobia is just something that can save my life, it doesn't solve my phobia if you see what I mean. So it was the first time that I've actually snorkelled with him out in the sea."
"It was amazing. He was so proud of me. I was glad for him that he could see me conquer my fear. So it's definitely changed how I approach my life. It's opened up doors," she said. "I feel really proud of myself."
Ranvir's personal life
Ranvir shares Tushaan with her ex-husband, Ranjeet Singh Dehal, from whom she secretly separated when she was seven months pregnant. She is currently dating Louis Church, who is 18 years her junior, having met him while he worked behind the scenes during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
Ranvir said she hopes her Good Morning Britain colleagues, including Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley, will be surprised by her performance on the show. "I hope they're surprised. I'm usually quite composed and know what I'm doing," she said.
"Also, the problem slightly is that when you are a journalist, you're expected to know stuff and have the answers, or you can certainly find the answer out. So it's very discombobulating for me from my day job to have no briefing notes," she added.
The Box airs on Saturday at 8.15pm on ITV1.
