Blagojevich plugs TV show

LOS ANGELES – Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he went to Los Angeles to promote a reality show because he wanted to support the project even though a judge barred him from traveling abroad for it.

Blagojevich was filming promotional spots Thursday for NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!” in the Los Angeles Arboretum, a stand-in for the show’s Costa Rica jungle setting.

“Perhaps I can play some other role in the show,” he said, calling it “an exciting” concept.

He had hoped to be a contestant but a federal judge in Chicago refused to allow him to leave the country to do so.

Blagojevich, who was dressed in a suit and tie despite the outdoor setting, declined to say whether he was being paid for the promotional work. He’s set to attend a news conference Friday at which the show’s cast will be announced.

He pleaded not guilty to racketeering, fraud and other charges that allege – among other things – that he schemed to sell President Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.