Outside the Beltway

Hilton-Richie Spat Complicates Simple Life

James Joyner · Friday, April 15, 2005 · 6 comments

A rift between stars Paris Hilton and Nichole Richie may kill Fox’s plans for a third season of “A Simple Life.”

No ‘Simple’ Answer Yet for Fox Reality Show (Reuters-Hollywood Reporter)

With the production start date for the next installment of Fox’s reality series “The Simple Life” approaching, the rumor mill is going into overdrive about the future of the reality franchise starring socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

The falling-out between the former best friends over the past year has been well documented. Now reports have surfaced that in the new season of the show, targeted to begin production in late spring-early summer, Richie might be replaced.

Sources said that both Hilton and Richie are under deals to appear in at least five seasons of the show, but their options for the upcoming installment have yet to be picked up. According to syndicated entertainment newsmagazine “The Insider,” the show’s producers are considering Kimberly Stewart, daughter of singer Rod Stewart, as a potential replacement for Richie.

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After a scorching first season in 2003, “Simple Life” has lost some of its luster. Now in its third season, the show still delivers respectable numbers for Fox.

It’s sad that the world could be robbed of such fine entertainment simply because its two superstars can’t get along. That Nicole Richie could be tossed aside so easily, despite all her father’s talent, is shocking. Of course, Rod Stewart is quite talented as well, so it naturally follows that his daughter will be, too.

Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Chuck Yarborough is distraught, too, that “Nicole Richie won’t always have Paris.”

And they said it wouldn’t last. Turns out, they — whoever the heck “they” are — were right. “The Insider” and all sorts of other gossipmongering outlets report that Fox is hunting for a new “The Simple Life” partner for Paris Hilton. The ubiq uitous Ms. Hilton — who seems to get more airtime on cell-phone screens and Web sites than she does on televi sion — and Nicole Richie reportedly are on the outs as friends. And their personality clash means an end to the team. So sad. First Abbott & Costello, Lewis & Martin, then Bush & Quayle, and now this. Y’all wanna hear what’s really scary? The two names most often bandied about as replacements are (drum roll) Mary-Kate and Ashley, the Olsen twins. Yeah, like they need the money. Take a look at the photo here, then picture the Olsens the last time you saw a snap. I suspect the smallest item in the budget would be the catering bill. You could feed the lot of ’em for a week with two White Castle sliders and a french fry.

Sadly, no photo is provided. The Calgary Sun, however, does not disappoint.

Duo on the outs РA rift between Paris Hilton and best friend Nicole Richie may kill any plans for a fourth instalment of Fox̢۪s The Simple Life

If the series sees another season, Hilton will be performing her notorious high jinks escapades with another willing companion, reports Zap2it.com

With Richie possibly out of the picture, the network and the show’s producers are looking to team someone else with Hilton. The showbiz-news program The Insider says the show is hoping to recruit one of the Olsen twins. Hilton’s own sister, Nicky opted not to take part in the show. Richie, too, is reportedly angling to stay with the network and film a “Newlywedsâ€-style show with her fiance, Adam DJ AM Goldstein.

Whether FOX even brings The Simple Life back is still undecided. The third season, which premiered in January, is averaging a little more than 10 million viewers per week. It hasn̢۪t been a consistent draw for audiences. The show follows displaced socialites Hilton and Richie as they wing-it in the ordinary world.

One can not imagine the Olsen Twins separating for such a venture. Or, indeed, participating in such a venture.

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