The Celebrity Apprentice finalist Annie Duke may have not come out on top in last night's season finale – she lost to sworn nemesis Joan Rivers.

But the Apprentice friends she made during the 14-week process, which raised nearly $1.6 million for charity, seemed to be the most upset over her defeat.

“I feel a little disappointed,” Claudia Jordan told me on the red carpet for the Celebrity Apprentice after-party at NYC’s American Museum of Natural History last night.

“Even though I had my differences with Annie, you cannot take away the fact that she raised the most money.”

 

Brande Roderick has her own theory on Donald Trump’s pick to win.

“I know that it is television so there’s reason behind it, and I do know that Joan Rivers has a new show out with (Apprentice producer) Mark Burnett, so obviously they did it for those purposes, it would be great for their publicity,” she said.

Joan is hosting a new show called How’d You Get so Rich for TV Land this fall.

Brande concluded, “Annie’s the one who actually really earned it and deserved it.”

It’s great to have your friends rally around you when you’re down.

Still, it’s hard to ignore last season’s Celebrity Apprentice winner Piers Morgan, who pointed out that—in the finale numbers game—Joan did come out on top.

“Annie blew the finale,” he declared, referring to the sparring gals’ final Kodak branding silent auction challenge.

“There were five criteria. Joan won three, and Annie won two. Game over,’ Piers continued.

“Annie’s a poker player, and three-of-a-kind always beats a pair.”

While Joan may be rethinking her last heated exchange with the card champion, Annie has already made her decision on whether the two women can ever make amends.

“I'm not interested in people who attack people the way that she does,” she told me.

It’s just business, until it does get personal!

 

For more behind-the-scenes scoop from the after-party, check out Mary Rambin's video coverage of the even for Kodak here.

When Annie Duke takes on Joan Rivers on the live finale of Celebrity Apprentice Sunday night, she won't just be looking for the win, but she's also ready for an apology!

On the April 26 episode of the series that saw the firing of Melissa Rivers, daughter and mom Joan resorted to calling their former teammate names and branding all poker players "beyond white trash." Oh, snap!

"I'm no longer taking the things she said about me personally," says Annie, who last encountered Joan as they completed their final task last November.

But it's Joan's characterization of the entire poker community that still has the card champion fuming.

"They definitely didn't deserve what she said," she declares. "There are 70 million of them and they are all really pissed off now."

As for the final task rolled out on Sunday, Annie says that it is a battle of ultimate proportions.

"I stand in the way of the Joan Rivers' treating people poorly bus, and I little get a little run over by it," Annie teases.

"There are things that happen in the finale that are not in my control that she makes happen. I wasn't expecting that."

And Annie isn't expecting to hear words of regret from Joan this weekend when the show broadcast live from New York City's American Museum of Natural History.

"No doubt there will be some sort of a showdown," Annie theorizes.

"Joan’s going to attack and I’m going to defend myself and it's going to some create some drama."

Double snap! I’ll be in the audience, so I’ll be sure to bring you back all the commercial break gossip!

Celebrity Apprentice, season finale, airs Sunday, May 10 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Eliminated American Idol contestant Matt Giraud knows who he would have picked as a duet partner for last night’s rock duo performances.

“Kris Allen,” he revealed when he stopped by the OK! office yesterday. “Me on the piano, and him on guitar, just rocking it out.”

Matt and Kris do have a strong bond that started back during their Idol journey at Hollywood week.

“We actually roomed together when there were 150 of us in the competition,” Matt said.

“We met at the same airport, rode in the same car and stayed roommates all the way up till the top nine were announced, and then I had to move out.

“I was like, ‘Aw man, I guess this is it.’ And he was like, ‘You’ll be back for the Wild Card. It was cool.”

While Matt’s also gotten buddy buddy with remaining Idol hopefuls Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert, he’s a little more protective when it comes to 17-year-old performer – and last girl standing  – Allison Iraheta.

“If she ever liked a guy, we’d be like, ‘How old is he?’” Matt said.

“We made sure Allison got home on time and if she ever got into trouble, we were like 'Don’t you ever do that again.' But you can’t tell a little girl anything. It’s in one ear and out the other,” Matt explained, adding he’s got one younger sister at home, so he knows what he's talking about.

Matt will be back in Los Angeles to perform in the Idol finale May 20.

Often a showcase of the finalists with a celeb singer, Matt knows who’d he like to rock the mic with that night

“Rihanna,” he declared. “That’s my boo!”

Well put, Matt!

Catch American Idol, the elimination round Wednesday, May 6 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis only wants one thing from American Idol tonight.

 

Now starring in the new Broadway production Rock of Ages, for which he was nominated for leading actor in a musical, Constantine says, "It would be nice for them to mention it tonight on rock night in front of 30 million people.

 

"It's sort of a big deal, and it would be great for our show."

 

Constantine is the first Idol alum to be nominated for a Tony award.

 

"I'm very excited and blessed," he shares. "We have a great show, and this a great cast. I've been in tons of shows, but this a team effort, and the show got a best musical nomination, which is amazing," he reveals to the TV Fanatic.

 

Constantine found out about the nomination while lying on his home couch.

 

"I fell asleep watching Sports Center. I woke up this morning around 8:30 a.m. and said let me turn on the television, and they were on my category. They mentioned my name and I was sort of floored. Then my phone started ringing."

 

In Ages, Constantine plays Drew, a struggling wannabe rocker sweeping floors in a bar on the Sunset Strip, dreaming about the day he’ll make it big.

The show features a kick-ass medley of ’80s hits, and yes, you do wind up singing along!

I’ve been saying that Constantine would be in this very predicament after watching him sing his heart out at the show’s opening night last month.

Now he only has one thing to think about: should he thank Idol judge Simon Cowell if he wins!

 

"I haven't thought about that," he laughs.

 

The 63rd Annual Tony Awards airs on June 7 at 8 p.m. on CBS.