Richie: I'm comfortable being the joke

Nicole Richie is “comfortable” being the butt of the joke.

The 32-year-old socialite returns to reality TV in the US next week with VH1 series Candidly Nicole, which she considers a kind of “sequel” to 2003 show The Simple Life, co-starring pal Paris Hilton.

More than a decade after the show’s premiere, Nicole insists she still has no problem making fun of herself for others’ enjoyment.

"I'm definitely the butt of the joke in this one too, and I'm very comfortable with it," she told USA Today.

The series, based on her Twitter feed, initially showed Nicole doing things like visiting a specialist to inquire about getting her “tramp stamp” removed when it aired on AOL.

She’s calling it a "a tongue firmly planted in cheek, very fun-type show”, but says it won’t be the sort of soap opera typical of reality these days. And she’s got the rights this time around to ensure nothing she doesn’t want aired gets on-screen.

"I have more control, I created the show and produced the show,” Nicole explained, "My kids and husband aren't on the show.” However, her singer father Lionel does make appearances “because he's desperate and a celebrity”. Her younger sister will also pop in.

USA Today reports one upcoming episode shows Nicole being coached by her father as she struggles with parking. Lionel then puts a cardboard cut-out of himself in the driveway.

“You hit me!” he shouts.

In addition to The Simple Life, which aired on Fox and E! networks in the US, Nicole has also served as a mentor on Fashion Star on NBC.

Her reality TV fame helped her to launch several successful business ventures, including a jewellery line named after her daughter, called House of Harlow 1960, in 2008. In 2010, the collection was extended to include apparel and shoes.