Former Culture Club singer Boy George is due to make a plea to a High Court judge to be allowed to enter the Celebrity Big Brother (CBB) house this January.
The singer - real name George O'Dowd - was convicted of assault and falsely imprisoning a rent boy earlier this year.
He was freed early and is tagged and on curfew.
Unless the conditions of his release on licence are altered, the singer, aged 48, will not be able to take part in CBB.
Newspaper reports say he has already agreed a £200,000 fee to take part in the show.
Probation Service lawyers argue that allowing George to use the show to promote his status as a celebrity and earn "a lucrative sum of money" could undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.
It would also pose "a high level of risk" to the reputation of the London Probation Service.
The case is being treated as urgent as CBB starts on January 3.
George was jailed for 15 months in January for using "gratuitous violence" on Audun Carlsen, 29.
