Just when you thought the saga of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich couldn't get any stranger, it has.Blagojevich wants to star on the NBC reality show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" — a program similar to "Survivor" in which contestants will be plopped down in the Costa Rican jungle to perform sweaty physical tasks, scheme to avoid elimination and throw tantrums for the camera.
If a federal judge gives permission, the man who faces years in prison on corruption charges could be following in the steps of Flava Flav and Kathy Griffin — D-list celebrities willing to play the clown on TV.
Perhaps he will have to retrieve items from a crocodile-infested swamp, like one participant on an earlier version of "I'm a Celebrity ..."
"I'm sure Illinois viewers would love to see Blagojevich have to do something like that — especially if the crocodiles win," said Jenn Brasler, associate editor of the Web site RealityNewsOnline.
First, Blagojevich needs to get Judge James B. Zagel to let him leave the country with a pending criminal case. He was ordered to surrender his passport after his December arrest on charges that included trying to sell off President Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
Northwestern University law professor Anthony D'Amato said the judge might be willing to approve the project because of Costa Rica's strong extradition agreement with the United States — meaning Blagojevich could not just hole up there forever. But the decision is far from certain, particularly with a judge known for being strict.