Richard Hatch reports for prison — just wait till the Donald gets home

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Whether Bret Michaels would be healthy enough to make the ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ finale was last season’s cliff-hanger; this season, it could be whether Richard Hatch can pull off a prison break in time.

Reality-TV personality Hatch, who was sentenced Friday to nine months in prison on a probation violation, turned himself in Monday at the U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I.

Eleven of the show’s 12 episodes have been taped, with the live finale expected, um, sooner than nine months from now. Season 11 premiered on March 6, and who makes it to the final two has obviously not yet been revealed.

‘We don’t expect this to be a conflict’ with the live finale, ‘Apprentice’ honcho Donald Trump told ‘Hollywood 411’ on Monday in New York. ‘If we have to, we will get him out. ... I assume he will behave well.’

‘I don’t know what it is with him,’ Trump said. ‘I like him; he’s a nice guy. I thought he served his time, and now he’s going back to jail. ... I’m gonna have to sit down with him and talk to him.’

‘You can continue to proclaim your innocence,’ Judge William Smith told Hatch in court on Friday. ‘You don’t have the option of engaging in this type of game or negotiation with the court. It needs to be a severe punishment. That’s the only thing that will deter you in the future.’

The first ‘Survivor’ winner served three years behind bars for tax evasion after failing to pay taxes on the $1-million prize he won in 2000. He was put on three years’ supervised release starting in 2009, with terms of probation including re-filing his 2000 and 2001 tax returns and paying what he owed. That never happened, though Hatch told the judge Friday that his taxes were extremely complicated and he was working with an accountant to determine from the IRS what he owed.

Also awaiting Hatch: 26 months of supervised release to follow the new prison time, and the garnishing of 25% of his gross wages, to be paid to the IRS toward the $2 million the prosecution said he now owes in back taxes and penalties.

Plus, perhaps, that sit-down with the Donald.

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— Christie D’Zurilla

The Associated Press contributed to this report.