'My boobs will have to be strapped in': Gemma Merna set to give 'male viewers a treat' on Splash! after overcoming her fear of water

PUBLISHED: 16:58, 4 January 2014 | UPDATED: 18:14, 4 January 2014

After overcoming her fear of water, Gemma Merna is now ready to take the plunge in a racy sparkly swimsuit when the new series of Splash! kicks off on Saturday.

The Hollyoaks star opened up about her phobia, caused by a traumatic event as a child, as well as her opening night look ahead of the ITV show's launch.

The 29-year-old told the Daily Star: 'It's very sparkly and quite bright. I'm sure it will give the male viewers a treat - I've got to make an impression.'

'It's very sparkly': After overcoming her fear of water, Gemma Merna is now ready to take the plunge in a racy swimsuit when the new series of Splash! kicks off

She added: 'But my boobs will have to be strapped in because you hit the water so hard the suit could come off.'

The actress set herself the challenge of being able to swim under water again before her 30th birthday which, at the start, left her suffering from panic attacks.

However she has now conquered her fear, and will be taking on the three-meter board alongside her fellow celebrities in the opening show.

Challenge: The actress said she wanted to be able to swim under water again before her 30th birthday

Explaining how her fear started, Gemma said: 'An instructor pushed me in and I was drowning and didn't come up for ages.'

The blonde beauty has suffered a number of injuries since training began, including giving herself a black eye after she punched herself in the face after opening her arms mid-dive.

She will be competing against good friend Gemma Collins, Diversity's Perri Kiely, presenter Michaela Strachan and fellow soap actor Ricky Groves.

She is currently backing 18-year-old Perri to win the series, in line with bookies-odds, which is presented by Olympian Tom Daley.

The bronze-medal winner shared a snap with his Instagram followers of the show's set on Saturday.

Gemma's former Hollyoaks costar also offered his support, tweeting her to say: 'Goodluck to my former oaks wifey @gemmamerna on splash! Wanna see the triple somersault twist we practiced in LA, if all else fails, cannonball'.

Splash! starts on ITV1 on Saturday at 7.20pm.

The gang: Gemma with fellow competitors Perri Kiely, Gemma Collins, Michaela Strachan and Ricky Groves

EXCLUSIVE: Hollyoaks babe Gemma Merna wears raunchy costume on diving show Splash! | Showbiz | Showbiz & TV | Daily Star. Simply The Best 7 Days A Week

The tale of two blondes: Gemma Merna and Gemma Collins opt for bright swimsuits as they pose poolside with fellow Splash contestants and mentor Tom Daley

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 00:01, 23 December 2013 | UPDATED: 00:28, 23 December 2013

With just under two weeks to go till Splash! kicks off, some of the stars who will be going head to head have taken time out from training to pose poolside with mentor Tom Daley.

Looking stunning in a bright orange bikini, Gemma Merna showed off her trim figure as she emerged from the water.

The 29-year-old Hollyoaks star's two-piece featured gold metal detailing on the straps while her hair was worn down in loose waves.

The competition kicks off: Actress Gemma Merna strips off to a orange bikini as she poses with fellow Splash contestants

The ITV show, which sees famous faces try to master the art of diving, is returning for a second series on January 4.

Gemma wasn't the only star to opt for some eye-catching swimwear, as Only Way is Essex regular Gemma Collins also appeared to want to stand out.

The reality TV star, 32, held her arms in the air as she stood in the water with a purple swimsuit, which featured thin straps and ruched detailing around the middle.

The perfect finish! TOWIE regular Gemma Collins opts for a strappy purple one-piece as she takes a dip in the pool

Who will win? The blonde stars are joined by mentor Tom Daley and contestants Perri Kiely, Michaela Strachan and Ricky Groves

She later changed into a very similar number in red, as she stood next to fellow contestants Perri Kiely, Michaela Strachan and Ricky Groves.

Diversity dancer, Perri, who is the youngest star in this year's line-up, will surely be hoping he can transfer some of his dancefloor skills into his diving.

He has already been showing off his moves on his Twitter page, after sharing a snap of him jumping from the board with the caption: 'Action shot from #SPLASH'.

Game On: The TV presenter, 47, opted for a grey swimsuit, complete with zip and pink edging

Show us your moves! The Diversity dancer perched poolside while showing off his trademark hair

Carm-el before the storm: The 29-year-old Hollyoaks star showed off her trim figure prior to the start of the competition on January 4

TV presenter Michaela opted for something a little more practical, in the form of a grey swimsuit with zip-up front and pink detailing around the edge.

While former EastEnders actor Ricky, who quit the show in 2009, stood strong as he posed in black trunks.

Also taking part in this year's show is Una Foden, Jenny Eclair, Austin Healey, Keith Duffy and Dan Osbourne, also from TOWIE.

Standing strong: The former EastEnders actor opted for a pair of black swimming trunks

Reem: The reality star's bright swimsuit included ruched detailing round the waist and bust

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Saturday, 4 January 2014

Gemma Merna set to give 'male viewers a treat' on Splash! in her bikini

'My boobs will have to be strapped in': Gemma Merna set to give 'male viewers a treat' on Splash! after overcoming her fear of water

Monday, 23 December 2013

Gemma Merna and Gemma Collins opt for bright swimsuits as they pose poolside with fellow Splash contestants and mentor Tom Daley

The tale of two blondes: Gemma Merna and Gemma Collins opt for bright swimsuits as they pose poolside with fellow Splash contestants and mentor Tom Daley

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