Taylor Armstrong is in turmoil about possibly being "phased out" of her TV show.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is currently outlining its third season.

Taylor's abusive relationship with late husband Russell Armstrong and the financier's eventual suicide last year may have tarnished her opportunity to return to the programme full time.

"Producers reluctantly decided to sign Taylor for the next season and I think a lot of their decision was based purely on the fact that they felt bad just dumping her after all she went through last year," a source told Radar Online.

"But, they are definitely looking to phase her out of the show gradually. The feeling is that Taylor won't really be bringing much to the table and that she's not needed anymore."

"Producers don't feel she's particularly a sympathetic character and that she lost a lot of people's respect by bringing out a book about the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband Russell Armstrong following his death, and that she basically cashed in on his suicide."

Taylor is dependent on this show for her family's livelihood.

"Taylor now knows that her days on the show are numbered," the source explained. "She is extremely upset because she just signed a contract extension for season three, but she wasn't made aware of Bravo's plans for her. She absolutely freaked out because she counts on the show as her primary source of income and uses it as a platform to secure other endorsement deals."