Traduza\\ BRET MICHAELS Returns To Top Of VH1

POISON singer Bret Michaels' new VH1 reality series, "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It", premiered this past Monday and right out of the gate became the highest-rated program of the night. The show, which showcases the 47-year-old rocker's life with his two daughters — Jorja, 5, and Raine, 10 — and Kristi Gibson, the mother of Michaels' kids, with whom he has been together on and off since 1993, quickly made its way to the top of VH1 with viewers as well as message-board activity and episode video clip downloads at VH1.com.

In a recent interview with MTV News, Michaels stated about the new series, "The inspiration for the new show was simple. Even when I was doing [the hit VH1 show] 'Rock of Love' ... I wanted to do 'Celebrity Apprentice', to raise awareness for the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation," Michaels said. "And I'm so lucky I got to go over there and do it. And from that, the idea for this show was sort of spawned. ... It's a great balance between my passion and love for my family and my passion and love for being on the road. And they're two different ends of the spectrum, and then you watch it collide, and the whole show is about finding that balance."

He added, "Initially, [VH1] wanted me to do a show called 'Rock Of Love Boat', but I came to them with this idea, and they were interested. I said, 'Listen, sometimes it's going to be exciting, and sometimes it's going to be me, scooping up dog poop ... that's life.' And I think the authenticity of it is what people are really going to love. They're going to see me as both a parent and a dad and also being on the road, rocking it."