Rod Blagojevich, the indicted governor of the U.S. state of Illinois, isn't coming to Costa Rica any time soon.

According to news reports, a U.S. district judge on Tuesday denied the former Democratic governor's bid to travel outside the country in order to appear on NBC's “I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” reality TV show that will begin production in Costa Rica next month.

The judge said Blagojevich, who pled not guilty to federal corruption charges last week, must remain in the United States to assist his attorneys in assembling a defense strategy.

In a statement last week, NBC confirmed that Blagojevich would be a contestant on the show pending the court's approval. The network has not released the names of the show's other contestants, but news and celebrity gossip Web sites have speculated that the show may include such celebrities and reality show regulars as talk show host Geraldo Rivera, MTV reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, former “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar and Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman.

Calls to NBC Tuesday were not immediately returned.

A remake of a popular British series, "I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out of Here” first ran on ABC in the United States in 2003. On that show, contestants were dropped in the Australian rainforest and forced to compete in such challenges as sitting in a tank of leeches and swimming through a snake-inhabited pool.

According to NBC, viewers decide which celebrities get booted off each episode, with the final winner being crowned “King or Queen of the Jungle” and winning a cash prize for their favorite charity. Multiple outlets reported that Blagojevich would have been paid $80,000 a week to participate in the show, which would have helped fund his legal defense.

Although the network has not confirmed exactly where and when the show will be filmed in Costa Rica, all signs point to the Sarapiquí region.

Selva Verde Rainforest Lodge is currently in negotiations with the network to house some of the cast or crew, a reservations supervisor told The Tico Times, while the daily La Nación reported that nearby Hotel Sueño Azul Resort would serve as the headquarters for production.

The resort would not comment when contacted by The Tico Times.