Lionel Richie has admitted that rumours about his daughter Nicole's unhealthy weight loss hurt him more than they do her.

During an interview on television show Access Hollywood, the veteran singer revealed: "I'll be honest with you, it hurts me more than it hurts her. I'm more sensitive. I take it more so personal...I must tell you, I'm the basket case."

The 57-year-old also talked about speaking to the Simple Life star about her health. "What are fathers for if you can't point the finger every once in a while? The good part of it is she is aware of it...She has heard this all her life from me so this is just a continuation of the reminder," the star said.

His daughter recently acknowledged that her thin frame is an issue, but that she had been working on gaining weight with a nutritionist, psychiatrist and trainer. She told Vanity Fair: "I know I'm too thin right now."