Ten celebrities will leave behind their pampered lives for weeks of roughing it in a remote camp in the Australian rain forest, on the premiere of "I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here!," the fresh, interactive series to be broadcast live, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The series will continue to air live for 15 consecutive nights on the Network.
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The cast will be helicoptered in to a dense rain forest outpost in the interior of Australia's Gold Coast, live, as viewers in the U.S. watch. Based on the phenomenally successful British hit of the same name, the series will let American viewers on the other side of the globe vote to control the action via the phone and the internet. The series will follow the U.K. version, showing how 10 celebrities fare without their accustomed luxuries, as they experience living with some of the world's most dangerous bugs and snakes. The celebrities will be living out in the open, sleeping on makeshift cots in primitive conditions and trading their gourmet meals for rice, beans and water. And all under the control of the viewing audience.
In week one, they will be at the mercy of television viewers who single out a celebrity a night to undertake a dare -- "The Bush Tucker Trial" -- in order to win extra food for the rest of the group. In the final week, viewers vote to keep their favorite contestant in the camp; the one receiving the least number of votes each night is forced to leave. The lone, remaining celebrity at the end of the trial will emerge as the King - or Queen - of the Jungle and win a sizable sum for their favorite charity.
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The ten celebrities participating in the program are actress Maria Conchita Alonso; international sex symbol and famed model Tyson Beckford; sassy TV host "Downtown" Julie Brown; Olympic champion and successful business entrepreneur Bruce Jenner; dancer/choreographer Cris Judd; the man who coined the phrase "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," Robin Leach; Hollywood scion and fashion critic-of-the-stars Melissa Rivers; actress/model/former Playboy Playmate Nikki Schieler Ziering; actress Alana Stewart (former wife of rocker Rod Stewart and actor George Hamilton); and Howard Stern's infamous radio cohort, Stuttering John. Standup comic/improv performer John Lehr is host.
Viewers can participate by either calling phone lines or voting on ABC.com, Keyword: Celebrity. The phone numbers are: 866-411-4081 Maria Conchita Alonso; 866-411-4082 Tyson Beckford; 866-411-4083 Julie Brown; 866-411-4084 Bruce Jenner; 866-411-4085 Cris Judd; 866-411-4086 Robin Leach; 866-411-4087 John Melendez; 866-411-4088 Melissa Rivers; 866-411-4089 Alana Stewart and 866-411-4090 Nikki Schieler Ziering.
"I'm a Celebrity -- Get Me Out Of Here!" is produced by Granada Entertainment USA. John Saade and Natalka Znak are executive producers; Richard Cowles is producer of the series.