Features
The George Show?
Ironically, while most people petition the court to restore their freedom, the singer – who was born George O’Dowd – will literally be asking a judge to lock him up inside a house monitored by cameras 24-hours-a-day with other famous people, according to the BBC.
So what’s the problem? At least they’d know where he was and what he was doing at all times. (Oh wait, I think I see the problem…)
George, 48, has been out on probation – or what Brits call “on licence” – with an electronic monitor since he was released after serving four months of a 15 month sentence. The jail time was punishment resulting from his conviction for chaining male model/escort Audun Carlsen to a wall against his will in 2007.
The singer’s initial request to appear on “Celebrity Big Brother,” which begins its final series Jan. 3, was denied by his probation officers, who refused to comment further on the matter when questioned.
“London Probation is defending its position and it is not appropriate to comment further before the outcome of the judicial review,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice told BBC.
The hearing before the High Court was initially scheduled for today, but was moved because O’Dowd’s lawyer has been stranded in Amsterdam by the brutal winter weather gripping Europe.
While a spokeswoman for Channel 4 would not provide any details besides confirming that producers were in talks with Boy George about “Celebrity Big Brother,” the British press is reporting that the singer has been offered £200,000 for the job (which would buy a lot of makeup or not so many escorts).
Other once A-list celebs with somewhat tarnished stars rumored to be in negotiations to be locked up on camera 24/7 with the Boy include Pamela Anderson, M.C. Hammer and – rather amusingly – former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.
Don’t they have laws against cruel and unusual punishment in the U.K. too?