Blagojevich still looking for TV stardom
By LYNN ELBER - The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – The reality series “I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!” might
have lost Rod Blagojevich to a court order, but that hasn’t stopped the ousted Illinois governor from plugging the show and making it known he still wants a shot at TV stardom.
Blagojevich was in Los Angeles on Friday to join in the cast announcement for the show, which will boast TV lovebirds Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of MTV’s “The Hills” among the contestants.
Others who agreed to test their survival skills in the Costa Rican jungle and vie for bragging rights and money for charity: former pro basketball player John Salley; model and TV host Janice Dickinson; former pro wrestler and model Torrie Wilson and actor Stephen Baldwin – who seems to be interested in getting Blagojevich back on the show.
Blagojevich was barred by a judge from traveling to Costa Rica for filming “I’m a Celebrity” while he awaits trial in Chicago on racketeering and other fraud charges. He was arrested in December, and lawmakers impeached him and threw him out of office in January.
In a statement put out by Blagojevich’s publicist, Baldwin said he would be happy to ask the judge to change his mind. Blagojevich publicist Glenn Selig said the actor claimed the impeached and indicted former governor would “add intensity and spice” to the show and should be allowed to participate because he was innocent until proven guilty.
But in the meantime, the statement says, Baldwin might start wearing a button on his lapel proclaiming “Leggo My Blago.”
Blagojevich traveled to southern California on Thursday and filmed a promotional spot for the show in which he was hoisted in front of a blank screen and feigned making a parachute jump.
Trying to survive in the jungle would not have been his first choice of a job, Blagojevich said Friday. But he had “basically deluded myself” into thinking of it as a chance to be a modern-day version of the adventurous Teddy Roosevelt.
Blagojevich said he would abide by the court’s decision.
