Celebrity get me ......

Oh the wild drama of it all! I was strangely interested and maybe just a tad excited to learn that the American version of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here started on NBC and MTV this week. Gosh, I remember when they still played music videos on MTV, but obviously those days are gone, they haven't shown more than a minute and five seconds of a music video since 1996!

Damien Fahey, an MTV presenter co-hosts along with our very own jungle queen Myleen Klass live from the Costa Rican jungle and it really is a jungle. The whole camp looks very similar to the UK show, except the jungle is far more real that the Aussie camp from which Ant & Dec host from. So far the challenges are pretty similar, they pit the boys against the girls and set them down for an eating trial. The celebs had to eat things like rats tails, scorpions, stick insects, testicles and spiders!

England can catch up with the US show next week, as it's going to be on ITV2 tonight or tomorrow, or online, and you'll be able to see the complete toss pots that are Spencer & Heidi Pratt, who are pretty much famous for being on another TV reality show 'The Hill's which basically means they are pretty pointless people who have more air upstairs than a hot air balloon. Other celebs in this TV jungle include Janice Dickinson, you'd have thought she would have had enough when she was on the UK version of the show, but hey, it's surprising what you can overcome when there is a bit pot of cash. La Bamba, Courage Under Fire, Che star Lou Diamond Phillips is also on the show and looking rather tough, which sadly can not be said for the once best looking of the Baldwin brothers - Stephen, who now appears to be, ermm, well rounded. Other jungle inhabitants are Torrie Wilson (a former pro-wrestler and gym owner) John Salley (NBA star) Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol 6th series) Frangela (A comedy duo) Patti Blagojevich (wife of former Illinois state Governor)

There are many controversies regarding Patti's hubby, who on the good side while in office, signed numerous pieces of progressive legislation such as ethics reform, death penalty reform, a state Income Tax Credit, a statewide comprehensive smoking ban (can't puff away inside or within 10 feet of a building where public are) expansions of health programs like KidCare. Increased spending on state schools to record levels, without increasing taxes. Blagojevich also signed a bill in 2005 that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit - one of only 20 states to have such a thing.

On the bad side of things he spent $2.6 million on a flu vaccine that wasn't allowed to be used in the states, couldn't be sold and ended up being destroyed. He was arrested on Federal corruption charges in December 2008. These charges involved conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspired to commit several "pay to play" schemes, including attempting to sell Barack Obamas vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. In Jan this year the Illinois House of Representatives voted to impeach Blagojevich by a 114–1 vote for corruption and misconduct in office. He was subsequently convicted and removed from office on January 29, 2009 by a unanimous 59–0 vote by the State Senate who also permanently barred him from holding public office again in the state of Illinois. He wanted to come to the jungle, but officials wouldn't allow it!

There has already been plenty of action, tears, tantrums, muscle flexing, bitching and back biting, it's much like the UK version only magnified by 50%, which makes compulsive viewing and had me screaming at the flat screen TV and scaring the squirrels outside!

One of the best sights I've seen so far is Spencer Pratt saying to the assembled celebs in the camp "I'm too rich, I'm too famous to be in here" The giggles from Stephen Baldwin just said it all. It was hilarious, Pratt is much like the spoilt little rich kid with no maners that everyone hates, he thinks his family invented chess, that everyone else in the jungle is armature and not as famous or worthy as he. You've just gotta watch his baptism by Stephen Baldwin in the river, it's beyond funny. I really like I'm Jungle Get Me A Celebrity US style, it's fun, with a capital F!

Oh and yes, just like the UK version the public get to vote celebs out and those said celebs are raising money for various charities including Feeding America, Feed the Children, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, Children's Cancer Center. Wanna know more, find out here.

More soon.