Lionel Richie Amazed by Nicole's Paparazzi Following  11/2/06

Lionel Richie realized his daughter Nicole had become a huge star when a swarm of paparazzi helicopters began to precede her visits to his house.

The Simple Life star hit out at aggressive photographers who follow her every move earlier this year (06), when malevolent snappers began commenting about her weight in a bid to coax a reaction out of her.

And her Grammy winning dad is amazed by how Nicole copes with the constant

attention: "I can always tell when Nicole is about to visit - there are helicopters overhead.

"I look up and think, 'That's Nicole coming,' and then there are five cars following her. It's tough, but she's handling it."