Nicole Richie has angered bosses of her reality show for refusing to feature more of her family.

The former 'Simple Life' star doesn't want her father Lionel Richie or husband Joel Madden to feature too heavily and won't have her kids Harlow, six, and Sparrow, four, on camera at all.

A source told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "VH1 wanted to position itself as the next E! and were depending on Nicole's show to make a splash and boost ratings.

"But the show isn't doing well, and they're putting all the pressure on her -- so now it's putting a rift between Nicole and the network.

"She put in as much of her family that she felt comfortable with, but that isn't what the show is about."

However, the eight-episode show - which features Nicole in situations such as learning to parallel park and enjoying a tour of Beverly Hills - is likely to be renewed for another season because it's part of the station's bid to attract a new audience.

A spokesperson for VH1 also denied a rift, saying: "Nothing could be further from the truth. Nicole has been an invaluable partner through every step of 'Candidly Nicole.' We're thrilled with its performance so far, which has increased ratings in its time period over 50 percent compared to the same time last year, while bringing in a whole new wave of viewers. We're excited to be talking to her about the future of the series."