With two less divas in the jungle, Costa Rica is a little quieter on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Here. More would go missing before the end of the Monday episode - but that wasn’t the only surprise NBC was waiting to spring on viewers.

Janice Dickinson and Holly Montag were taken out of the contest at the end of last week’s episodes, which eliminated at least one problematic contestant. The celebs were sorry to see Holly go, though in a way it’s only fair as she joined the competition at least one week after everyone else arrived. Sanjaya Malakar, who’d developed a close friendship with the Montag sis, was especially sad when she left. Malakar, close to Dickinson as well, was drained by the experience.

“Janice Dickinson has been like a thorn in my paw,” John Salley admitted in the confessional. For most, there was something of a joyous atmosphere in the air after Dickinson trekked down the elimination bridge.

“I think the competition just got kicked up a level or two,” Lou Diamond Phillips observed.

Stephen Baldwin, however, was feeling a little low. “I really wanted to go home tonight,” he admitted after the elimination. “I don’t want to be here,” he told the others.

“I am absolutely flabbergasted,” Lou said of Stephen’s low spirits and desire to leave.

“Five days to go, “ Torrie Wilson  reminded him.

“The jungle is like a mirror, and it forces you to look at yourself,” Stephen got philosophical in front of the camera. “I’ll just miss the people. I won’t miss the jungle, I won’t miss the insects. I won’t miss rice and beans,” he smiled. “I think that it makes sense to stay if you want to be here, and I’m just, like, not in that place.”

“Well, there you have it,” Lou said as Stephen stood by his decision to leave.

“Are you really leaving?” The women asked.

“Yep,” Baldwin’s answer was simple. He hugged everyone and walked out of the camp, calling out “love you guys,” as he left.

“I can’t believe you’re takin’ that walk,” John Salley was sad to see him go.

And that leaves five.

“In twenty-four hours, we just lost three people,” Torrie remarked to Patti, surprised by the turn of events.

Perhaps John Salley said it best in the confessional: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”

But since Baldwin left, a former camper is now allowed to return. This was not done in the past when people left, but apparently it’s being done now. Each would-be accepted-again camper would parade through the camp to plead their case in the matter.

And of course, Janice Dickinson was the first to enter. “I really missed you guys. Hi.” She greeted them.

The former model then got down on her knees. “I simply forgot who I was. I refuse to leave this camp with you guys thinking that I am not a team player,” she began. “I didn’t know how to follow the leader.”

Sanjaya Malakar was moved by her plea, and Torrie believed everyone was “touched.”

Bubbly Holly Montag followed, delivering a big hug to Sanjaya immediately. “You get to choose between the two of us,” she explained. “I was devastated when I left,” Holly had tears in her eyes as she made her plea. “Whatever you decide, I’m totally cool with.”

“I love Holly, she’s a breath of fresh air…but when it comes down to competing, I’m here to win.” John Sally admitted in his confession.

The celebs saw it in the most competitive of terms: which one of the two would be most likely to defeat those who remain in Costa Rica? Since both were eliminated, it might be a moot point, but the campers seemed to believe one is more likable than the other.

John Salley read the vote in front of both of them later in the day. “The results were unanimous, with five votes to zero.” Everyone voted for Holly Montag, a pretty tough blow for Janice Dickinson.

“Why not take someone who we already know is not going to take any work to get along with?” Lou asked in his confession.

“I am Janice Dickinson. I am a celebrity, get me out of here,” she said her good-bye to the camera, and Dickinson is gone from the jungle. Whew. Viewers really dodged a bullet there.

Holly was very appreciative of her second chance, saying she missed Sanjaya a great deal while they were apart. “I really do love Holly,” Malakar told the camera.

“They’re such a cute little couple. I think this is the blossoming of a very deep friendship,” Phillips observed.

As reported, Heidi and Spencer, as well as Stephen and the others will be returning for the I’m A Celebrity season finale, airing later this week. Speidi has already flown back to the jungle to attend. Evidently, the couple has not burned all their bridges at NBC.

The food trial, individually conducted, put John Salley through a very personal trial. Named Head of Horror, this challenged featured spiders. Only one could win the meal of cheeseburger and fries. Using their mouths and teeth, finalists had to maneuver stars while their heads were trapped in see-through boxes. Spiders, which frighten John Salley, along with various creepy-crawlies, added the horror aspect of the challenge.

Holly and Patti competed first, but Blagojevich would not even put her head inside the cockroach-filled box. Montag continued to compete, finishing up her task and moving all the stars. John and Sanjaya were paired up to compete next.. “Hope it’s not tarantulas,” Malakar tried a little trash-talk against the NBA star. Of course, these boxes held spiders. Both pushed their heads inside, Salley more reluctantly than the celeb they’ve nicknamed “Jungle Boy.” Malakar finished quickly, but John won a personal battle with his fear.

Torri and Lou were the next to compete, this time against snakes and other sundry reptiles. Both immediately started to move their stars around, but Lou again defeated Wilson by seconds only. The former wrestler called it “unbelievably frustrating.” The two have come up against each other several times now, with Lou winning just moments before her.

The three winners - Holly, Lou and Sanjaya - then had to compete in boxes filled with huge tarantulas. Holly left the challenge early and Malakar took himself out moments later, but Lou had to finish to win. As spiders crawled on his face, Lou Diamond Phillips (my favorite) pushed out the stars to win the big meal.

On the eve of their twenty-first day, the celebs got some scales and a blackboard to find out how much they weigh after nearly a month in the jungle. Salley lost twenty-one pounds, Patti dropped ten, Sanjaya eight, Torrie gained seven pounds, Holly lost nine pounds. Lou dropped fifteen pounds during his stay, but John has suffered the largest change in weight. “I’m the biggest jungle loser,” he winked at the camera as he related the events.

Later, Lou walked into camp with his cheeseburger meal - a double decker monster with all the trimmings. Phillips called the meal “delicious.” He groaned from the results of his full belly when the burger was finished.

John brought his luxury item out to share past pictures with the other campers. In it, he had pictures of every one of the campers who have shared a little of the Celebrity experience. He showed off some great moments with the celebs of the show, as well as beautiful landscapes of the jungle. “Did I look that flabby when I came into this camp?” Lou wondered.

Sunday, of course, was Father’s Day for the celebs - and everyone else. It was particularly hard for Lou and John, two fathers. As a reward, the two were given the opportunity to video conference with their families. Married mother Patti and son Sanjaya were also a little sad to miss out on the day. For the first video call, four beautiful girls chorused “Happy Father’s Day” in front of the Web cam, remarking on John Salley’s weight loss. Lou shared an emotional message with his wife; he, too, has daughters.

Why would celebs travel to the jungle and be away from their families for an entire month? To revive sagging careers? To earn a little NBC dough? The premise of the show is actually that they’re raising money for charity, with the winner gaining the most for his or her selected organization.

As per the open vote, two celebs had to compete on Monday night, vying for the opportunity to drink a disgusting beverage the quickest. The two with the lowest number of votes, one of which is Holly (by virtue of her prior elimination), would go head-to-head to fight for a chance to stay. John Salley was selected to be Montag’s competition, a result which seemed to surprise the others.

“Wow, that came up on us quick,” Lou said to the group at large.

Campers offered encouraging words to both as the two prepared to face off in the next challenge. But soon enough, John and Holly were trekking off into the jungle. “I’m going to leave everything on the table here,” Holly told hosts Myleene Klass and Damien Fahey.

Five rounds of drinks would decide the victor. Each glass had to be drained down to the dregs. The first round was grasshopper - not the cocktail kind but a mixture of actual grasshoppers and crickets. Both swallowed their drinks quickly, but shorter Holly slammed her glass down a little quicker. Salley quickly realized his tall height was a disadvantage. “Bring on the next glass,” he said.

This was a tarantula teaser - you guess what was inside. This time, it was John who finished first. Dung beetle daiquiris followed - complete with little umbrellas and real beetle. John won this round as well, working with a new strategy of bending over the table. Both competitors were affected by the drink.

But the next course was scorpion sunrise - containing a dead scorpion who floated around the middle. It was Holly Montag who swallowed everything whole - and faster than Salley. Now tied two to two, the fifth drink would determine the results of the elimination trial.

It was chili coladas - hot chilies in a glass. Salley slammed his down just before Holly Montag, which caused the hosts to go to video replay to determine the results. Either way you look at it, his was first. “At least it was close,” Holly was a good sport about losing.

Sanjaya and Patti talked around the campfire as they waited to learn the outcome. Patti is great buddies with John, while Holly of course is Malakar’s jungle BFF. Though at opposite ends of the issue, the two shared small talk as the campers tensely awaited the returning celeb.

Lou was the first to greet John, relieving Patti. Salley related the events of the trial to the others, praising Holly’s fight at the challenge. The others gave him hugs of welcome.

For the live shot, the hosts trekked into camp to let them know that two more will leave the jungle Tuesday night. Each had to stand and make a public plea. Malakar went first, beginning with a litany of everything he’s done in the jungle. “I think I’ve worked hard,” he said. Salley followed, saying he has “strength,” and that he’s been “resourceful.” Patti followed with some of the negative things that have happened to her, saying she’s earned the respect of her fellow campers. Torrie says she’s “been giving 110%,” and won’t “go down without a fight.” Lou Diamond Phillips says he loves the viewers, that he’s “been a good camp leader and a good camp mate,” and he conducts himself with “integrity.”

At the end of Monday’s episode, the voting lines were opened. Which three celebs will go on to compete in the final three? NBC viewers get to decide.

(You can find all the I’m a Celebrity posts here.)