Blago heads to "Celebrity Apprentice"

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) will return to the spotlight in March when he joins this season's cast of "Celebrity Apprentice," the NBC reality show created by Donald Trump.

Blagojevich -- forced out of the governor's mansion last year for allegedly trying to barter off President Barack Obama's open Senate seat -- will join 13 other contestants on the show, including comedian-actor Sinbad, former Rock of Love star Bret Michaels and former baseball player Darryl Strawberry.

Interestingly enough, "Celebrity Apprentice" will not be Blago's first experience with reality television. Reports the AP:

Blagojevich, whose chosen charity is the Children's Cancer Center (which assists kids with life-threatening diseases and their families), has tried before to land a role on a reality show. Last spring he attempted to join NBC's "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here," but a federal judge barred him from going to the Costa Rican site where the show originated. His wife, former first lady Patti Blagojevich, competed in his place.

"It's a wilderness period for me," Blagojevich later said. "But sometimes real opportunities develop in your life's journey that you can't really see when you're facing tumultuous times and the kind of storm that I'm facing."