Rock singer Bret Michaels finally had a reason to celebrate on Sunday after a string of medical emergencies -- winning the reality TV show "The Celebrity Apprentice."

The show's host Donald Trump told Michaels he was "hired" in Sunday's finale, winning $250,000 for his nominated charity, the American Diabetes Association.

In second place was actress Holly Robinson Peete with $250,000 also to go to her chosen charity, her own HollyRod Foundation that supports families facing a serious illness.

Michaels, 47, the frontman of glam rock band Poison, suffers from diabetes and underwent an emergency appendectomy two weeks before suffering a potentially fatal brain hemorrhage on April 25.

The singer, famous for his colorful bandannas and long blond hair, survived the brain hemorrhage and appeared on the road to recovery but was then readmitted to hospital after experiencing numbness on the left side of his body.

A statement last week on his website BretMichaels.com said he had suffered a mini-stroke last week and tests showed he has a hole in his heart.

Doctors said it was "highly unlikely that the problems were related to the brain hemorrhage" and the heart condition was operable, but that for now he would receive blood thinners and outpatient treatment.

However these health woes raised some doubt over whether he would appear in the finale of the NBC TV show that was largely shot before his health issues arose but he was present with Sunday's show included live and taped sequences.

Trump told Michaels that he was "popular, imaginative and brave," adding "everyone loved you."

COPYRIGHT: (c) Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.