TV viewers have watched celebrities eat witchetty grubs in the jungle, samba around in sequins and plunge in a pool from a diving board.

NowaColchester TV producer is setting a whole new challenge for a set of hardy celebrities – “extreme” fishing.

Programme-maker Ali Hamidi, who also presents fishing shows on Sky Sports and Discovery, is one of the presenters of ITV4’s latest celebrity challenge show, the Big Fish Off.

In each show, Ali and former Essex Olympic decathlete Dean Macey will coach two celebrities before they go fishing.

Among the familiar faces lined up will be former England goalkeeper David Seaman, pop star Dappy, actor Tamer Hassan, Mick Norcross from the Only Way is Essex and Ali’s old school pal, Essex cricketer Graham Napier.

The challenges will see the celebs try float fishing for golden rudd, angling for colourful koi and attempting a 24-hour challenge to see who can catch the biggest carp or catfish.

Ali, 35, from Lexden, has been a fishing fanatic since he was a young boy.

Now a carp fishing specialist, he said: “I’ve grown up having that hobby and sometimes people perceive it as being a boring sport.

“What I have done is prove it is quite the opposite – it is a high-octane hobby. We were trying to show there is something in it for everyone.

“Some of the celebrities in the series have done fishing before, others haven’t.

“It has never been a spectator sport, so people's eyes haven’t been opened up to it much, but it can go from total tranquillity to total bedlam in a split second.

Few sports can do that.”

Ali's unusual career as a TV fisherman began while he was a media and marketing student and he had a spell of work experience with Sky Sports.

He said: “One of the days I was there, I marched into the head of Sky Sport’s office with a load of fishing videos and told him I didn't think their show was any good and I could do better.

“He said to me if I ever got the backing for one, I could have my own show. That was in 2000.”

Five years later the former Gilberd School and Colchester Sixth Form College pupil was working for fishing tackle firm Korda.

Today, after presenting Sky Sport’s Thinking Tackle show for several years, Ali is Korda’s European head of media and marketing and this has inspired his new show.

He said: “I hope it inspires kids to realise if they apply themselves correctly, they can combine their hobby with their career. That’s what I’ve managed to do, with lots of hard work, dedication and passion.”

Ali used to spend every day of his summer holidays fishing at Wivenhoe and Layer pits after being was introduced to the sport by a pal at primary school.

As a teenager, Ali said his dad even used to offer to pay his fishing club fees as an incentive to do well in his exams.

! The first episode of the Big Fish Off is due to be be broadcast on February 11 at 8pm.