QUICK TAKES - May 22, 2009

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wasn’t allowed to appear in a network TV reality show in Costa Rica, so his wife will appear instead.

A federal judge barred Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges, from being on the NBC show “I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here” because it would send him out of the country. But his wife, Patti, accepted an offer from the network to appear instead.

The couple appeared on NBC’s “Today” show Thursday to announce the move. Patti Blagojevich said she hopes her appearance on the reality series will help show that she isn’t the profanity-spewing person portrayed on federal wiretaps.