Heidi and Spencer Threaten to Quit NBC Show Before It Starts

In a shocking well-timed development in the Speidi saga, celebrity newlyweds Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are regretting their much publicized decision to join the cast of NBC's I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

The show exiles a handful of celebrities in the Costa Rican jungle for a month and has them duke it out in physical and mental challenges dictated by the home viewer.

The cast arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica on Wednesday, May 27 and Speidi has made sure to make their presence known.

The duo verbally protested the calibre of celebrity in the cast which includes actors Stephen Baldwin and Lou Diamond Phillips, TV host Janice Dickinson and former basketball player John Salley, among others.

LISTEN | Heidi and Spencer Trash Castmates

According to inside sources, Speidi refused to eat the same food as the rest of the cast because they wanted to be treated like stars. They thought they would be staying in a Four Seasons Hotel, working out and getting a tan, said insiders.

We're also told NBC's Executive Vice President of Alternative Programming Paul Telegdy made an emergency trip to Costa Rica to convince Heidi and Spencer not to leave the show when they were on the brink of calling it quits.

Cut to Sunday, during a competition in which Spencer ate a live stick insect and Heidi ate a scorpion, Spencer said "I'm going to be a billionaire by 2010."

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here premieres Monday, June 1st at 8PM/7C on NBC.

Watch video below of Heidi, Spencer and Janice Dickinson talking strategy after arriving in Costa Rica.

UPDATE: Paul Telegdy of NBC called in from Costa Rica Monday morning to chat about Spencer and Heidi wanting "out" of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

He got a call late Saturday evening instructing him to "Get on a plane down to the jungle, Spencer and Heidi have walked." Oh lord.

Telegdy confirmed that despite their threats,"they are back in, they've calmed down, but all I can say is what's unfolding here is some of the most extraordinary TV that I've ever witnessed as 20 years as a producer."  In that case, we're watching this train wreck go down.

Apparently "Spencer thought that he was about to arrive in some jungle top four seasons."  He told Telegdy, "I can't do this, I eat five times a day."

Heidi also had some words for Telegdy.  She was insulted that their were no 'real' celebrities on the cast with them.  "You could've at least gotten Kevin Federline," she told him.  Yea, that's real A-List material there, Heidi.

He got them to sing a different tune after telling Mr. Pratt, "It just plays in a bit too much into your stereotype, Spencer, to quit something on the first day so just bring it and we'll see if there's a different side to you." 

Heidi also changed her 'tude...I guess anything goes when you're starving!  Telegdy revealed that "Heidi wolfed down a rat's tail like she was quite used to have a small piece of cartilage put in her mouth." Oh, this we can't miss.