NBC ANNOUNCES COMPLETE CAST AND RESPECTIVE CHARITIES THAT CELEBRITIES WILL BE PLAYING FOR ON 'I'M A CELEBRITY.GET ME OUT OF HERE!' -- PREMIERING WITH A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EVENT TONIGHT!
Celebrities Stephen Baldwin, Patti Blagojevich, Janice Dickinson, Sanjaya Malakar, Lou Diamond Phillips, Spencer and Heidi Pratt, John Salley, Torrie Wilson, Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton (better known together as Frangela) to Face Off in the Jungle for Charity
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. - June 1, 2009 - NBC announced today the complete cast and the respective charities the celebrity participants will be playing for during its new, groundbreaking and live summer television event "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" that kicks off tonight, Monday, June 1 with a two-hour special from 8-10 p.m. (ET).
Heading into the jungle to compete in the wild are: actor Stephen Baldwin ("The Usual Suspects"), Patti Blagojevich (wife of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich), supermodel and television star Janice Dickinson ("America's Next Top Model," "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency"), multi-talented actor Lou Diamond Phillips ("La Bamba," "Stand and Deliver"), 2007 "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar, Spencer and Heidi Pratt (stars of MTV's "The Hills"), NBA great and television personality John Salley ("Best Damn Sports Show Period"), WWE wrestler and beauty queen Torrie Wilson -- and comedy duo (and real life best friends) Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton, also known as "Frangela."
As previously announced, Damien Fahey and Myleene Klass will serve as the co-hosts, and will be broadcasting from inside the Costa Rican jungle.
"With a lineup of contestants as dynamic as this, we can't wait for viewers to experience these celebrities braving the elements -- and each other, all in the name of charity," said Jayson Dinsmore, executive producer of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" "This will be an eye-opener from the moment they begin."
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
Each celebrity contestant was handpicked for their mental and physical toughness. Capsule bios are below.
STEPHEN BALDWIN is the youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers and his multi-faceted talents extend to include films, television, books, radio and more. His diverse film credits span more than 60 films and include key roles in everything from "The Usual Suspects" to "Bio-Dome." Among his television credits include "The Young Riders," "Fear Factor" and the seventh season of NBC's hit "The Celebrity Apprentice," where he placed fifth. He has his own production company that develops projects for both television and film and he also serves as the co-host of a nationally syndicated radio show "Xtreme Radio with Stephen Baldwin and Kevin McCullough." It is his current role as director, co-producer and founder of the Global Breakthrough Ministry that is bringing out his passion for reaching today's youth with a positive faith-based message. He will be playing for the charity, Love 146.
PATTI BLAGOJEVICH, the wife of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and daughter of a Chicago alderman, is a licensed real estate broker and appraiser who owns her own real estate company. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in economics. She and her husband have two daughters, ages 12 and 6. She will be playing for Children's Cancer Center.
LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS is a versatile talent who has had success in feature films, television and theater as an actor, director, writer and producer. He first gained widespread attention starring as Richie Valens in "La Bamba" and solidified his reputation in "Stand and Deliver," for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination and a Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award. His vast resume of features includes roles in such films as "Courage Under Fire," "Supernova," "Hollywood Homicide," "Young Guns I and II," "The Big Hit," "Brokedown Palace" and "El Cortez." On stage, Phillips has appeared in numerous productions and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actor for his performance as the King of Siam in the Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The King and I." He can next be seen on the Sci-Fi series "Stargate: Universe" and continues to appear on "Numb3ers." He will be playing for the charity, Art Has Heart.
JANICE DICKINSON is a successful model who has graced the covers of every major fashion magazine from Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Playboy. She has also walked the runways in Milan, Paris, and New York, wearing the clothes of Versace, Armani, Calvin Klein and many others. Through "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," the Oxygen Network's most-watched docudrama, she has also fulfilled a lifelong dream to open her own agency representing ethnically diverse, cutting-edge talent while demonstrating her ability to balance life as a businesswoman, mentor, and mother. She will be playing for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
FRANCES CALLIER and ANGELA V. SHELTON are better known as the comedy duo Frangela. Real-life best friends, they each have an array of television and film credits. Together they have appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" where they were dubbed as "America's funniest people," and were featured in the hit film "He's Just Not That Into You." Callier has appeared in "My Name Is Earl," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and is also a fan favorite as Hanna Montana's bodyguard Roxie, on Disney's "Hannah Montana." Shelton has hosted the regional Emmy Award-winning PBS series, "The Cheap Show" and has television credits that include "Grounded for Life," "Significant Others" and "Mr. Show." They are regular pop cultural pundits on NBC's "Today" show and "Dateline NBC," "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet," "Showbiz Today" and on "Headline News," "Red Eye," "The Big Story" and "The Big Debate." They are also regular contributors to NPR's "Day to Day" and "Off Ramp." Together, the duo host their own Los Angeles radio show, "The Week According to Frangela" and fill in for the nationally syndicated radio talk show "Stephanie Miller." They have co-authored a book called "Frangela's Friendship Handbook." Callier will be playing for Feeding America while Shelton's charity is Covenant House of California.
SANJAYA MALAKAR took the world by storm and gained national attention during the sixth season of "American Idol" when "Sanjaya" became one of the most recognizable "Idol" contestants in the history of the show. Earlier this year, Malakar released the autobiography, "Dancing to the Music in My Head: Memoirs of the People's Idol," which details his experience with the show. His debut EP, also titled "Dancing to the Music in My Head," was released the same day as his book. He will be playing for the Shriner's Hospital for Children.
HEIDI PRATT (formerly Montag) is on her fifth season of MTV's popular reality show "The Hills." In addition to her career in television, Pratt is a musician, fashion designer, aspiring actress and president of her own music label, Heidi Montag Records. Last year, she debuted her fashion line, Heidiwood, and plans to release another line later this year. She recently married her manager and "The Hills" co-star, Spencer Pratt, who will be joining her in the jungle. She will be playing for the charity, Feed the Children.
SPENCER PRATT is best known to audiences for his performance on the popular reality series "The Hills." Recently married to his co-star Heidi Mongtag, who also will be participating in the show, he has used his celebrity and talents to further develop his career as an entrepreneur. In addition to his executive role on "The Princes of Malibu," Pratt is an accomplished music producer and president of Innovator Management, a management company with clients that include his wife and MMA superstar Kevin Casey. He will be playing for the American Red Cross.
JOHN SALLEY is a 15-year NBA veteran and was the first NBA player to win four championships with three different teams that included the Detroit Pistons, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been featured in numerous feature films and television shows, including a seven-year stint as host of the Emmy Award-nominated "The Best Damn Sports Show Period." He has had his own radio morning show, "The John Salley Block Party" which aired in Los Angeles and he also runs his own production company, Black Folk Entertainment, that has numerous television and film projects currently on the slate. Along with his brother Jerry, they head the Salley Foundation, which is involved with several important causes including raising awareness to the AIDS pandemic by working in conjunction with VH1 and the Global Fund, Operation Smile and PETA. He will be playing for Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
TORRIE WILSON started her career as a fitness competitor, model and actress before she was scouted and hired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Wilson made her WWE debut in June 2001 and over a career in the ring that spanned nine years, became one of the most popular "Divas" -- competing in numerous WWE Raw and SmackDown matches. She has graced the cover of Playboy twice and was included in FHM 's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" list. Wilson has branched outside the ring with her official clothing line "Officially Jaded" and retail store "Jaded," which she started along with former WWE wrestler Nick Mitchell. She will be playing for the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust.
Based on the hit UK series, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" is the ultimate "Swiss Family Robinson" as the 11 celebrities will be dropped into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle to face fun and comedic challenges designed to test their survival skills. America is the puppet master, controlling their favorite celebrities by putting them into challenges and tasks to win food, supplies and luxury items. In each episode, friendships will be tested, hilarity will ensue and viewers will decide which celebrities stay or go. The last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle, winning a substantial cash prize for his or her favorite charity.
In a unique scheduling move, following the June 1 two-hour premiere, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" will air over four weeks in June from 8-9 p.m. (ET). For three weeks, the show will air Mondays through Thursdays. During the fourth week of June, the series will be telecast Monday through Wednesday, with the finale being telecast on Wednesday, June 24.
Additionally, each Sunday, beginning June 7, MTV will air a marathon of the week's episodes including never before seen footage and commentary from cast members in real time, providing an enhanced viewing experience for die-hard fans.
For more information, go to www.nbc.com/imacelebritygetmeoutofhere. Additionally, to follow the cast through their jungle adventure, viewers can go to the official "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" twitter page at http://twitter.com/imacelebritynbc.
The series is produced by ITV Studios (formerly known as Granada America.) Jayson Dinsmore, Chris Brogden and Natalka Znak serve as executive producers; Michael Brooks, Tamsin Dodgson and Rachel Watson are the co-executive producers.
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