After another intense season, it all came down to Bret Michaels vs. Holly Robinson Peete on the highly anticipated third season finale of NBC's 'Celebrity Apprentice.' Who did Donald Trump ultimate hire? Continue reading --

Rocker Bret Michaels was named the winner of NBC's 'Celebrity Apprentice' season 3, ousting finalist Holly Robinson Peete.

It was a bittersweet moment for the reality television star, who has been in and out of the hospital multiple times in the last few months, most notably at the end of April after he suffered a brain hemorrhage.

Despite all odds, Michaels managed to appear during tonight's live two-hour finale, and received a standing ovation when he entered the boardroom. Even Peete was moved to tears, and seemed well-aware that Michaels was the odds-on favorite heading into tonight's decision. At one point, she quipped that even her 5-year-old son was now rooting for him. "Mom, I love you, but I'm kind of pulling for Bret," he had said to her that morning.

Michaels, who appeared to be limping as he made his way to the table, took a moment to speak about his current condition, confirming that it was a risk for him just to be there. "It's been a rough go," he said, referring to the last month and a half. Watch Michaels talk about his health below--


Peete added that she was "devastated" when she found out the news, but that she was "overjoyed" he had made it to the finale. "We all love you, Bret," she said.

Michaels was awarded $250,00 for his charity, the American Diabetes Association.

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The two-hour live finale kicked off with the news that everyone was dying to know: Michaels would indeed appear at the final boardroom, according to Trump. Trump then referred to Michaels and Peete as "great champions" before the show launched into a quick recap package, highlighting their most memorable moments from the season.

With the Snapple challenge now underway, Michaels worked overtime to complete two (yes, two) commercials, a decision that left Ivanka Trump a bit confused. Still, Michaels seemed to have everything in order -- that is, until he realized he had left his script at the studio. At the editing bay, Michaels was ultimately forced to wing it.

As Ivanka noted, Holly's team appeared to be more calm at this stage, due to the fact that she was only editing one commercial. However, she did express some concern that Peete might be playing it safe.

Back in the live boardroom, Trump brought out former competitors Carol Leifer, Sinbad, Rod Blagojevich, Selita Ebanks and Cyndi Lauper, and used that time to ask some hard-hitting questions.

"Did you do the right thing?" he asked of Blagojevich, referring to his decision to appear on television amidst ongoing political scandal. "Anytime that you been falsely accused of things you didn't do ... and you're given a mountain top ... I think it's very helpful," Blagojevich said. "And again, I just want to assert: I'm just looking forward to the chance to establish my innocence and vindicate myself."

As Michaels put the final touches on his event presentation, he received a surprise visit from his daughter, Raine, a borderline diabetic. The visit stunned Michaels and moved teammate Sanders to tears. Raine later appeared at Michaels' Snapple presentation, and her presence helped him steer through a few stumbles at the beginning of his speech. In fact, when Trump asked the crowd whose presentation was better, Michaels received a rousing cheer from the audience. The Snapple executives, however, were more on the fence.

Trump returned to the boardroom, where was joined once again by Ivanka and Donald Trump, Jr. There, they pressed the teams on a number of hot button issues, including whether Michaels felt that he was at a disadvantage promoting a diet drink and why Peete chose to use actors instead of celebrities in her commercial. The biggest moment came when Trump forced Sanders to choose between her teammate and her friend, to which she finally replied, "In this situation, I would choose Bret."

Left with the decision of who to fire, Trump turned to two former winners -- Joan Rivers and Bill Rancic -- for advice. Rivers went with her emotions and said that Michaels should win, while Rancic took a more by-the-books approach, choosing Holly because of her record-breaking earnings. It was at that point when Trump brought out Peete and Michaels, who were given one last chance to fight for their lives.

Before the final decision was made, Cyndi Lauper took to the stage to perform her new single, 'Just Your Fool.'

At the end of the episode, Trump revealed that Snapple would match the winning prize, meaning that both charities would walk away with $250,000.

Peete was competing for the HollyRod Foundation, which raises awareness for autism.