Spencer and Heidi not Tortured on I’m a Celebrity…But the Viewers Are

Contrary to reports all over the internet, The Hills’ Spencer Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag were not tortured on the NBC reality show, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.

Reports of Heidi being rushed to the hospital over the weekend because of a life-threatening stomach ailment caused by the cruel and unusual treatment by the show’s producers, were highly exaggerated and…well, just a load of crap.

The MTV lovebirds agreed to spend a together in a darkened room called “The Lost Chamber” in a challenge to decide their return to the competition (which they had quit three times in two days). Within hours  Heidi was rushed to the hospital with a stomach ailment. Could it have been the same water-borne stomach ailment RRC reported on  that sickened the crew weeks  earlier? Possibly. But Heidi’s sister Twittered that it was much more horrific than that:

“[I'm] really saddened to hear that NBC felt it was ok to punish Speidi so harshly – and torture them as if they were criminals – that Heidi was rushed to the hospital and has an IV in her arm after being locked in a dark room for 3 days [with] no food or water. [Please] pray she will be ok.  Her family is flying out to see her in the hospital. I know they pulled some shitty antics – but really NBC?? Too far.”

Within hours, reports of  “torture” cropped up all over the internet, even thought  that it was doubtful that the network and producers would set themselves up for the lawsuit that would follow such treatment.

Soon, the production company for I’m a Celebrity released this statement in their defense:

“ITV Studios, producers  of the series, state that press reports at this time are untrue. ITV has been producing this format around the world for many years and the health of the celeb participants are of the utmost importance. A medic and a doctor are present at the location at all times for all participants. All allegations of the celebrities being deprived of food and water are completely untrue.”

Sensing that maybe their clients’ idiotic attention-grabbing shenanigans had gone too far, couple’s representative shot down the claims of torture, telling Entertainment Weekly:

“What we can say at this time is that Heidi went to a hospital in San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturday evening because she was not feeling well. She has been released from the hospital and is doing well,” the couple’s representative added. “In addition, it was reported the Pratts have fired their legal counsel. This is inaccurate.”

Ratings for I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here have been steadily declining since its debut last week, recently coming in last in its time slot.

NBC Extends the “Celebrity” Insanity to Two Hours Tonight

NBC announced today that “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!,” the hot summer series, has been extended to a two-hour edition next Wednesday, June 10 from 8-10 p.m. (ET). This joins the previously announced two-hour installment set for Monday, June 8. On Tuesday evening, June 9, the network will be showcasing exciting NHL coverage of game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Next week’s exciting episodes will showcase Heidi and Spencer’s nightmarish adventure inside the creature-infested “Lost Chamber” and the fate of their return. Meanwhile, the hazardous conditions of living in the jungle come to the forefront and begin to take their toll on our celebrities.

The series airs Mondays-Thursdays in its regular 8-9 p.m. time slot until the final week of the show, with the finale on Wednesday, June 24 (8-9 p.m. ET). In addition, 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.

Spence and Heidi Quit “I’m a Celebrity…” and This Time They Mean It

Spencer and Heidi Pratt of the MTV show The Hills have left the cast of the NBC reality show, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.

If you watched the debut of the show last night  or read our review, you know that Heidi and Spence brought their own patented brand of flakiness to Costa Rica. Heidi whined and pouted and Spencer’s douchebaggery was  fine-tuned and far-reaching.

Aside from the couple being unhappy with the lack of accommodations in the Costa Rican jungle, they seemed to be at loss because there was no script.

According to TMZ, before quitting for the last time Spencer told the show’s producers that he was not a reality star; he’s on The Hills. “I’m a TV producer and a character,” he explained.

No word yet on if the two non-reality stars will be replaced. However, the American Red Cross, the charity that Spence was competing for, wants no further association with the show.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here Premier

Based on the very popular British reality show, the American version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here has washed up on our shores…with all manner of washed up celebrities. But despite all of the egos, silicone, and sweat, the main attraction has to be the sideshow that is Spencer and Heidi Pratt. And if you are made ill by the sight of Spencer Pratt’s “creepy flesh colored beard,” maybe this show isn’t for you.

Hosted by a random former-MTV VJ and some British women with clunky shoes, the tone of I’m a Celebrity is clear right from the very start. The appropriate cast of celebrities should have started with Michael Jackson. Maybe Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. Boy George would have been great in a show like this. As it is, we’re dealing with a slightly lower wattage of star. The red team is made up of Spencer and Heidi Pratt, Janice Dickinson, John Salley, and Patti Blagojevich. The yellow team is composed of Stephen Baldwin, the Frangela duo, Lou Diamond Philips, Sanjaya Malakar, and Torrie Wilson.

It should be clear right now that of all these people, the lowest watt stars are Frangela, the Pratts, and Patti Blagojevich. Now, Patti bless her heart is taking one for the team: her husband, Rod Blagojevich, was set to do this show, but was prevented from leaving the country during his impeachment trial. So in a pinch, wife Patti took over, and showed herself to be a model of normalcy. She has nothing to promote, so she has nothing to put forward but sweetness and maternal warmth. Frangela are a comedic duo of two African American comediennes, and they have been my favorite ever since I saw them on I Love the 80s. Franny and Angela, along with Stephen Baldwin, represent the cornerstone of wit and humor on which the whole shows rest,

Which leaves us with the Pratts. Now no one would know who these two people were if not for US weekly. They’re on a small MTV show no one watches, and they do stupid things every once in a while for publicity. Like go on their honeymoon to Mexico wearing surgical masks on the beach. Or making awesomely bad music videos.

Which makes it so funny when, 30 minutes after they arrive, Spencer Pratt asks the producer to get NBC chairman Ben Silverman on the phone. Complaining that the crowd of pseudo-celebrities was devaluing their fame (“I’m too rich, I’m too famous to be on this show”), they threaten to walk off. But they don’t. And then a few hours later, they threaten to leave again. It didn’t take the other celebrities—or the viewing audience—long to discover that they were doing this to get attention, and quickly ignored them.

In fact, much might be written about Spencer and Heidi’s highly calculated stupidity, all of it as fake as possible. They’re feigned planning, their faux arrogance, their over-the-top displays of Christianity…it’s all done so the Pratts can get as much attention as possible. But knocking a jug out of Frangela’s hands isn’t as interesting as the other relationships: Janice’s pseudo-racist comments (sample: Janice: “John, there’s a big black monkey up here.” John: “What you trying to state?”) John Salley’s absurd claims of veganism, and Sanjaya’s obscene optimism.

I think one of the best things about I’m A Celebrity may be to help America see how ridiculous and ostentatious a vegan lifestyle is. I hope John Salley teaches everyone a lesson when he fails miserably. On the first episode, though, he tries to stay strong, volunteering to be a cook. “I want to know where my food comes from,” was his argument.

During the 2-hour premier, there were many moments of pain. A fight over dry shampoo. Sanjaya doing a fire dance with the Pratts (’cause you know, Native Americans (like me) don’t watch TV), Patti arguing passionately about her innocent husband.

The first challenge is men against women, eating disgusting things a la Survivor or Tila Tequila. All the challenges are made better by a great deal of hilarious commentary from Frangela and Stephen Baldwin. The challenge has no point other than deciding who gets the chicken and fruit, and who gets leftover rice and beans. Later, to decide what team has immunity, the celebrities are placed head down in a tank of bugs.

In general, these challenges are far more delightful than they would normally be on a show like survivor, because most of these celebrities are so genuinely unlikable. We want to see Spencer Pratt shove a stick insect into his mouth. We are dying to see Janice Dickinson and her chicken neck stretched and distorted with age and jungle heat. It simultaneously fills our need to worship celebrities while watching them fail. So really, everybody wins. Especially when Frangela are involved