Paris, Nicole: To Fight on The Simple Life 5?

WEDNESDAY JULY 12, 2006 03:50PM EST

By Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna

Hilton (left) and Richie

Photo by: Dave Hogan / Getty; NPX / starmax

E! Entertainment Television has ordered a fifth season of the reality series The Simple Life, E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert announced at the Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday.

But this time, stars and best friends-turned-archenemies Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie might not be filmed separately, as they were for season four, The Simple Life: 'Til Death Do Us Part.

"I don't have any control over whether they'll be friends by next season," Harbert tells PEOPLE. "We need to talk about the best thing to do for the show, and I'm not sure shooting them separately again is the best thing for the show."

On the most recent season, Hilton, 25, and Richie, 24, were shown trying to run the households of regular families – but the two did not share any screen time.

Still, the show was a hit for E! – its June 6 premiere drew triple the cable net's average viewers. "We pulled off a difficult thing this year, but frankly we got away with it," says Harbert. "We can't do that again."

And hopefully, when the feuding heiresses are forced to interact, sparks will fly, says an insider. "They want to give the viewers what they want, and what the viewers want is to see Paris and Nicole together, fighting," says the source.

I say bring it on! I love these two. This season has rebounded from Season Three very nicely!

According to a recent TV GUIDE interview with Nicole, it wasn't their idea to be separate. The producers thought it would be difficult for them to work together so THEY decided to split them up.

^ Yup. I think they can at least remain professional enough ... on screen. LOL.

I liked them apart for this season, actually. It's been nice seeing how they act apart and see them in similar situations but how different they both are in them.

It can't work again, so I'm all for them getting "back together" (albeit as enemies) for S5.

I've loved Season 4. Had some downright HILARIOUS and PRICELESS moments. Bring on S5!

im sure as soon as they are filming and nicole does something funny paris will laugh and they will make up.