'Baywatch' star Donna D'Errico can't swim

She said: "To this day, I still can’t swim. I’m terrified of water. I can’t even tread water. You get to be part of the most-watched show in the world. And there I am, knowing full well that I cannot swim."

But the former Playboy model seemed to know the role was too good to pass up on so she took swimming lessons in an effort to improve her skills - to no avail.

Donna recalled how Hasselhoff threatened to tell the producers she couldn't swim and how she even had lessons at 5am "five days a week".

She told 'Fox News': "It was supposed to be basic, not at all technical.

But all I kept thinking was, ‘What on earth am I supposed to do?’

"I was told, ‘Get in the pool and do a couple of laps to warm up’.

"I'm holding on to the edge like a terrified child.

"And finally, David’s like, ‘Donna, get out of the pool. You can’t swim’.

"My initial reaction was, ‘Are you going to tell the producers?

"And he’s like, ‘Well, yeah, of course. This is a show about lifeguards!'

"I was so upset because I didn’t want to miss out. So I took swimming lessons with their main guy five times a week at five o’clock in the morning in that pool."