Bret Michaels, Holly Robinson Peete, Donald Trump and more at 'The Celebrity Apprentice' after-party

It wasn't surprising that Bret Michaels, the lead singer of Poison, was named the winner of "The Celebrity Apprentice" Season 3. What was surprising is that he even made it to "The Celebrity Apprentice" live third-season finale (which aired May 23 on NBC), without showing any outward signs that he had gone through a brain hemorrhage, an appendectomy, a mini stroke and a defective-heart diagnosis all within a span of a few months. Michaels had been released from the hospital just two days before the finale (after experiencing the stroke and after doctors found a small hole in his heart), and his speech and behavior were pretty much the same as they were before his recent health problems. "The Celebrity Apprentice," hosted and executive produced by Donald Trump, features stars competing on various business tasks to raise money for their selected charities. Michaels' chosen charity was the American Diabetes Foundation.

All of the former contestants of "The Celebrity Apprentice" Season 3 (except for Goldberg and Sharon Osbourne) attended the live finale show at the Skirball Center in New York City, and then celebrated at the after-party, which was held at the Trump SoHo Hotel. I caught up with many of "The Celebrity Apprentice" stars at the after-party, including a triumphant Michaels, who seemed to get rounds of much-deserved applause everywhere he went. Holly Robinson Peete, who came in second place to Michaels in the final round of the show, was very gracious about not being named the winner, because she (like the rest of the contestants) did not lose sight of the most important goal: to raise money and awareness for charity. Here's what some of "The Celebrity Apprentice" Season 3 stars had to say when I chatted with them at the after-party. 

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BRET MICHAELS

What was going through your mind when you were sitting there in front of "The Celebrity Apprentice" judges in the live finale, right when Donald Trump was about to announce the winner?

I heard the syllable for "fired" and I thought, "This can’t be happening." [Snapple] matched the [$250,000 prize money for the final two contestants], and I thought it was a sympathy way to get rid of me. I thought they were going to dump me!

You were told by some health experts that you shouldn’t have gone to "The Celebrity Apprentice" finale because it could negatively affect your health recovery. Are you going to get some rest after this?

I’m going to try. My energy is so up right now. I just want to go rock right now. I just want to party, but I’m feeling a little beat.

How is your daughter Raine doing? How is she reacting to everything that’s happened? [Michaels has diabetes, and his older daughter Raine has been diagnosed as a borderline diabetic.]

She’s fine. It was bittersweet awesome. [My family] is ecstatic. We also love Holly [Robinson Peete] a lot. She raised more money than any of us. She really won too.

What can you say about your tour?

They [the doctors] don’t want me to go at all, at least for a couple of more weeks, but I want to go this weekend. We’re going to see what happens.

Was doing "The Celebrity Apprentice" worth it? Would you do it again?

I would do it again. Let me tell anyone out there who gets invited to do it: Don’t believe anything they say about them letting you sleep in, because it’s a lie. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. They had me up at 4 or 5 in the morning, but I would do it again to raise money [for charity]. You know sometimes shows tell you [it’s hard], and then you go in and it’s a piece of cake. "The Celebrity Apprentice" is hard.

You said "The Celebrity Apprentice" is the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Really? Harder than overcoming a serious illness and near-death experiences?

Not harder than coming near death, but close! [He laughs.]

What can you say about your new reality show on VH1?

I’ve got a brand-new reality show called "[Bret Michaels:] Life as I Know It." Unfortunately, we stopped filming it when I went in the hospital. It’s going to have a sneak preview on Memorial Day. It’s an amazing show. It’s a slice of my life, exactly like I’m living. It’s very unprotected reality.

And your two daughters are going to be on the show, right?

Yeah. You will laugh. My kids are as crazy as I am.

Do your daughters want to go into the entertainment business?

I don’t know if they want to do that. They made [our reality show] a lot of fun. They just came in and filmed stuff, and we are just exactly who we are.

How exactly are you feeling right now, after being all you’ve been through these last several weeks?

I’m feeling a little beat up right now, to tell you the truth. I’m taking medicine and doing all the right stuff.

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HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE

Did you think Bret Michaels was going to win because he would get the sympathy vote from "The Celebrity Apprentice" judges?

Yes, because I felt the same way. I was so concerned for him. I was so worried for him, having become so close to him. We talked after every "Celebrity Apprentice" challenge … I even joked with him, "Oh, you’re trying to get the sympathy vote." In the end, the right thing happened, and I’m just thrilled that he’s here.

I see that you’re drinking the Snapple tea that you had to market for your final "Celebrity Apprentice" challenge.

I am. It’s Compassionberry Tea for the HollyRod Foundation. Snapple has made an unbelievable donation to my charity. Snapple is an amazing philanthropic corporate brand. I’m proud to be affiliated with them. I mean, I can be in an office all day, calling people and hounding people for money, which you saw on the show, but this? [She points to her Snapple drink] To have the HollyRod Foundation be a part of it is an honor.

You revealed in the live finale that your mother was diagnosed with breast cancer while you were filming "The Celebrity Apprentice," and that you almost left the show because of that, but she encouraged you to stay. How is your mother doing?

She’s doing fine. She’s doing absolutely fine. I’m happy that she got through everything.

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DONALD TRUMP

What do you have to say about Bret Michaels?

He’s a great guy, and he did great on the show. He did not listen to his doctors, who didn’t want him to fly and do two hours of live television.

Did you choose Bret Michaels as the winner out of sympathy for all the health problems he’s had?

No. I picked Bret because of his bravery. He’s very, very brave. The doctors didn’t want him here. They didn’t want him flying. They didn’t want him to go through the pressure of live television. And he said, "I’m doing it." And he got on a plane last night. We didn’t know if he was coming or not. I actually thought he probably wouldn’t be able to make it. And you know what? That does have to count for something, because he was brave guy.

Can you talk about bringing back the original "Apprentice" show?

NBC, by popular demand, is bringing back the regular "Apprentice" and "The Celebrity Apprentice." So we’re going to have two ["Apprentice" series]: one in the fall and one in the spring.

What do you think the return of the regular "Apprentice" will be like?

It’ll be more vicious!

If you could you describe Season 3 of "The Celebrity Apprentice" in one word, what would it be?

Intelligent. It was an intelligent season, intelligent people — not as vicious as last year or the Omarosa years, but it was a group of smart, intelligent people.

Besides Bret Michaels’ recovery, what was the highlight of this "Celebrity Apprentice" season?

The highlight of the season was tonight. This was a great victory for Bret and a great victory for Holly. They both won tonight. Their charities got [a total] of half a million dollars tonight. Not bad.

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DONALD TRUMP JR.

What do you have to say about Bret Michaels and Holly Robinson Peete being the final two "Celebrity Apprentice" contestants this season, considering almost everyone expected Bret to win?

Holly did an amazing job in her own right. She’s a great winner. If I could’ve picked a finalist from day one, it would’ve been Holly. Bret came into his stride much later, but also did a great job. I don’t look at it as there was a definitive winner. They both won. They both played for a great cause.

Your father gave you a hard time during one of the "Celebrity Apprentice" episodes this season. Is he really that tough at home, or is it just a show for the cameras?

He’s really that tough at home. But that’s the reality of the world. You get back up and you do it again. They could’ve easily cut that out, and they didn’t, but that’s OK.

How are your kids?

They’re doing great. They’re getting big. We’re having a lot of fun with them, we’re really enjoying it. They’re 3 and 14 months. The little girl, she’s going to be trouble. I’m going to have to watch her very closely for the next 10 or 15 or 20 years. And the little guy is just getting a personality. We’re having a lot of fun.

What can you say about "The Apprentice," the original version, coming back?

It’s filming in about a week. No rest for the wicked.

So you and your sister Ivanka will be doing double duty as judges on "The Apprentice" and "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

Yes, double duty.

What can you say about "The Apprentice" returning with the economy in a recession? How will the economy affect the show?

It could be interesting because of the economy. The job [with the Trump Organization as the grand prize] really means a lot more to people. People are going to really be fighting hard for it. People want to watch that.

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 SINBAD

Can you compare and contrast Bret Michaels and Holly Robinson Peete?

They’re both competitors. It’s like asking the difference between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant — both of them are athletes, but they both play the game differently … I have no criticisms.

You joked around a lot on "The Celebrity Apprentice." Do you think you would’ve gotten further in the competition if you had been more serious?

Everybody jokes. Do you think I’m not going to joke? This is what I do for a living. This is what I love to do. It’s not about joking. It’s about surviving the project. Once you’re in the boardroom, people still got fired from every field.

When you were watching "The Celebrity Apprentice," was there anything that surprised you?

The editing. We all talk about the editing, but hey ... Sometimes it looks like you did something stupid, but it’s good TV.

If you could do on another reality show, what kind of reality show would you want to do?

I don’t know. This is probably the only one I would do.

Can you talk a little more about the charity you were playing for in "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

The Omega Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco. It’s a great group directed by Dr. Joseph Marshall. They’ve also got StreetSoldiers.org. They take kids in Oakland and San Francisco, they send them to college, they take gangbangers off the streets. They’re saving lives. They’re amazing. They fly [Dr. Marshall] around the world now and ask him how to stop violence among young people.

What’s next for you?

I’m on the road every weekend. I’m writing some more stuff. Right now, they’re buying sitcoms again. Can you believe it? I had an idea four years ago, and now might be the right time. My daughter sings, so I’m going to tour with her.

What’s your sitcom about?

It’s about my life, my weird marriage and everything else — a side that people don’t know about me. I’ll be starring in it.

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MARIA KANELLIS

Which do you like better: wrestling or reality TV?

I love all of it, and I love singing now. It’s one of those things that I think everybody grows from it. Everybody transitions from one thing to the next. You might love something for a while, but once you feel it’s enough, maybe it’s time to move on. Now that I’m involved in singing, it’s incredible, because I wrote the music and the lyrics. I know what I was going through, so being able to come from that place — it’s all mine — that’s really cool.

You got fired from "The Celebrity Apprentice" because Donald Trump didn’t like how you said in the boardroom that your dressing room stunk after fellow contestant Curtis Stone "took a crap." And you also said at other times on the show that you didn’t like Curtis because you thought he was arrogant. You later apologized on the show for saying those things, but what’s your relationship like with Curtis these days?

[She laughs.] My relationship with Curtis is amazing now. He’s a very attractive man, so who wouldn’t like that? He’s also a sweetheart. He comes from a place of wanting to do good things for charity. When he was on "The Biggest Loser," he wanted to do good things for them. I’m also the kind of person who’s like, "If you slap me in the face today, I’ll forgive you tomorrow and we’ll be best friends." I’m all about forgiveness.

From what they showed on TV, you really went through a wide range of emotions when you were on "The Celebrity of Apprentice." Was that how you really felt or was it selective editing?

Oh gosh, every night I was going home with a different emotion. Tonight, I was crying three different times. You go through so many emotions.

In the episode where you got fired, all your fellow teammates said you should be the one to be fired. How do you feel about it now?

It’s good to get criticized. That’s the only way to learn to do better. I take all of that in, and I go, "OK, I can learn from that." And you become a better person.

So now that you’ve launched a music career, is there anyone you’d like to go on tour with, whether or not they were on "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

I would love to tour with Cyndi [Lauper], but I don’t want to necessarily work with her in business. [She laughs.] Touring? Amazing. Performing? Amazing. Her music is wonderful. I can’t wait to grab her [new] CD up. I learned so much from these people, every single one of them, from Summer [Sanders] to Sharon [Osbourne] even to Rod [Blagojevich]. I learned from so many people. It was wonderful. The people are wonderful.

Can you talk about any personal highlights of being involved in your chosen charity, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, whether or not those highlights were shown on TV?

My highlight was just being able to have the kids involved in the show. When they watched the show and saw themselves on it, they were so excited about that. All those Make-a-Wish kids are amazing.

What’s next for you?

Music is my next thing. It’s the thing I’m passionate and most focused on right now. So I’m excited about that.

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When you were watching "The Celebrity Apprentice" episodes that were filmed after you left the show, were there any moments that you saw that you wished you could’ve been there?

I enjoyed the time that I was there. Every moment [afterward], I wish I could’ve still been there. It was a great time. Unfortunately, I had to leave the show, but up until that point, I really enjoyed it. We had a great group of guys, and they did a great job after I left. At the end of the day, a guy from our team won, so it was great.

What can your fans expect from you in the future?

I’m a quiet, private guy, for the most part. I do my thing and I’ll continue to do my business and continue to raise money for my charity, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. We do great work around the world for kids in dangerous situations. We’ve done some great things and will continue to do that.

You quit "The Celebrity Apprentice" because of a "family emergency" involving your son. How are things now?

Everybody’s great, and life is good.

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SELITA EBANKS

If you could do anything differently during your time on "The Celebrity Apprentice," what would it be?

If there was one thing I would do differently, it would be to be a little more aggressive. I’m not a confrontational person. I’m very island. I’m very laid-back. I get it from my mom. For me, the way I was raised, actions speak louder than words. You can judge me based on my actual product. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out so well. You’ve got to go hard [on "The Celebrity Apprentice"]. It’s OK. If a man fell down in the street right now, I would push people out of the way to save his life, because I’m quicker to have someone else’s back than my own.

Do you think nice guys finish last in the business world?

I don’t know. I think we’re all cut from different cloths, and we don’t have to be malicious or catty. I think I’ve done quite well in my career.

Is the "Apprentice" boardroom as tense and stressful as it looks on TV?

Absolutely, because you don’t know what is going to be said, who is going to be thrown under a bus, how you’re going to defend yourself. And at the end of the day, you’re fired, the light is beaming on you, you can’t see anything, and people are accusing you of things. So you either want to snap or say, "I’m done."

In terms of your chosen charity, Shine on Sierra Leone, what was a personal highlight for you, whether it was shown on TV or not?

It was when I was able to give $20,000 to the charity. And people being able to see Shine on Sierra Leone, and they can actually learn a thing or two about child mortality. That’s the whole reason why I did the show: just to bring awareness. It’s literally now my life’s mission to bring awareness to child mortality. I think being on "The Celebrity Apprentice" has set a great platform for me, and I’m just going to run with it.

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ROD BLAGOJEVICH

On "The Celebrity Apprentice," you were the butt of people’s jokes because you didn’t know how to do things like send e-mail or text messages. How are you computer skills now in those areas?

As a matter of fact, I can text. I text my daughter and do it all the time now. Someone asked me earlier, "What’s the most important thing you learned from ‘The Celebrity Apprentice?" And I said, "I learned that I needed to learn how to text message." And so I did, and I can. And I constantly text message my daughter Annie updates on Cubs games, and she does the same to me. I’m even learning how to do [text] abbreviations.

Do you think being on "The Celebrity Apprentice" improved your image?

I don’t know. I’ll leave it to others to decide that. All I can tell you is I’m pleased with the opportunity I had to be able to try and raise money for the Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida … I’ve been lied about and ["The Celebrity Apprentice"] was a little bit of a mountaintop to get out there and say, "It ain’t so. I didn’t do it. These are lies, and I’ll prove it." So I’m grateful for that opportunity, too. I’ll leave it to other people to decide. I’ve been fired before, but this is the first time I actually like the guy who fired me.

Do you have more respect for Donald Trump after being on "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

He actually supported me before [when I was governor of Illinois], so I always had high regard for him. I always thought, "Here’s a guy who has the courage of his convictions." He’s prepared to be a maverick when he had to be. He’s willing to march to the beat of his own drummer. I consider myself to be a governor in that way. I take pride in the fact that I wouldn’t take no for no for an answer. I’d find legal ways around legislation to get results for people. I always admire people who are like that in other walks of life as well.

And Donald doesn’t take no for an answer, and he keeps fighting and pursuing the things he tries to get done. He’s gone through a lot of adversity to keep being successful. He’s known what it’s like to suffer real setbacks. That’s what I learned about him.

I think he’s got a soft spot in his heart for people who are underdogs and fighting back and have the strength and courage to fight back. That side of him I didn’t really know that well [before I was on "The Celebrity Apprentice"]. When you look at his record, he’s done that for other people. I’m exceedingly grateful for him for giving me a chance to be on his show. I was a big fan of his before. I’m an even bigger fan of his now.

Is there anything else you want to say about the charity you were playing for on "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

The Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, is an organization that raises money for kids and the families of kids who have cancer so that the kids can find some joy and happiness as they fight through the illness. In the [majority] of the cases, if they get the treatment, they will [get better].

Would you want to be on any other reality shows?

I have a reality show called a trial [on corruption charges] coming up. So I’ve got to prove my innocence and get past that before I start thinking about some of these other [reality shows]. I’m not ruling anything out, once I establish my innocence. One thing I’d like to do is get back in government. I miss being a governor and fighting for the people.

Someone asked me earlier what I would do about the British Petroleum oil spill. If I were in a position of power, if I were president, I would call for an immediate special session of Congress, and I’d ask for the necessary power to help the government avoid those spills and hold British Petroleum accountable to stop the spill that’s causing irreparable damage to our environment.

What advice would you have for anyone who’d want to be on "The Celebrity Apprentice"?

I think you should do it, and I think you should be as honest as you can and be the best as you can be and work as hard as you can and be true to yourself.

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Photo credits: Photos #1, 2: Carla Hay. Photos #3, 4: Getty Images. All other photos: Photo Agency.