Adam Peter Rickitt (born 29 May 1978 in Crewe, Cheshire, England), is a British actor, singer and model.
Rickitt is the youngest child of four in his family. He has three older brothers: Tim (Timothy Grant), Mark (Mark Edward) and Sam (Samuel James). The family business is the estate agency Rickitt Grant which operates in Chester and London. Adam was educated at Sedbergh School.
He is most famous for his role on popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street, where he took over the role of Nick Tilsley in 1997. The part had previously been played by actor Warren Jackson until 1996 when Nicky (as the character was then known) moved to Canada. His most famous and controversial storyline was in 2003 when his (straight} character was involved in Coronation Street's first gay kiss with Todd Grimshaw (played by Bruno Langley).
Rickitt currently does not appear on the show.
Pop career
After leaving Coronation Street, Rickitt signed a six-album deal, although he only released one album Good Times in 2000. Rickitt's first hit single "I Breathe Again", reached the number five spot in the UK Top Ten, and follow up singles "Everything My Heart Desires", and "The Best Thing", entered the Top Twenty and Top Thirty respectively. His video for "I Breathe Again" grew popular due to him appearing naked in it. By using different camera angles and body positions, sight of his private parts were avoided but his six-pack was on full show.
Modelling
Rickitt has modelled for popular UK magazines such as Attitude and Cosmopolitan. Adam is known for having an extremely well-defined "six-pack". This, combined with his blond hair and good looks, has led to the accusation that he is a himbo, which contrasts with his academic and artistic record. Rickitt turned down an opportunity to study law at Cambridge University in favour of continuing his modelling and acting career. He is considered a gay icon and has many male as well as female admirers.
Conservative Party
In October 2005, Rickitt was approved as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the UK Conservative Party, meaning he can put himself forward to be chosen as the party's candidate in parliamentary constituencies where the current Member of Parliament (MP) has chosen to stand down, has been removed or has died; or where the seat is not currently held by the Conservative Party. As part of this attempt to reinvent himself, in February 2006 he appeared on the political debate show Question Time, as the non-partisan guest. In May 2006, he was one of 100 would-be MPs chosen for the Conservative party 'A-list'. The following month he appeared on Sunday AM with Andrew Marr. He is now active at attending major party functions and local party functions in the hope of being selected as well as writing for various newspapers and blogs. However, Rickitt faced embarrassment when it was revealed that he was not actually a member of the Conservative Party, and had only decided to support them because of his dislike of Prime Minister Tony Blair, leading many to question his political integrity. He also, along with David Cameron, provoked the anger of Sir Nicholas Winterton when it was revealed that Rickitt was tipped to stand for election in Macclesfield) - a Conservative stronghold in North-West England, and also Winterton's seat for nearly thirty years. Winterton was outraged, stating that he had no intention of standing down from this seat, "I wish Adam luck, but there are no vacancies here." [1]. There are accusations that the Conservative Party are trying to bring in younger candidates from diverse backgrounds
Other ventures
He also took part in The Games television programme during March 2006, although he only had two weeks training, compared to the other contestants 12 weeks of training. This is due to the fact that the scheduled contestant, electronic musician Goldie, had to pull out during an accident during training for the water ski jump, in which he fractured his femur. In January 2007 it was announced that Rickitt would appear on the New Zealand Soap opera Shortland Street in a guest role.
Trivia
Tried out for Coronation Street as a joke.
When his first child is born he's going to tattoo the child's footprint on his back.
He has a birthmark on his bum in the shape of Australia.
He has a flat in the London area, and two houses in the Manchester area.
Mum (Jill) keeps a scrapbook of everything (audio and written), even if he's only a crossword clue or only on TV for a minute.
When he turned 20, fans swamped him with 200 teddy bears, mountains of chocolates and bunches of flowers. Adam admits: "I didn't know what to do with them all. The house was full to bursting. It was amazing." He handed the gift bonanza over to local hospitals and other charities.
He hates looking glam, but he loves lounging in trainers and a tracksuit. "I'm dead scruffy. I hate wearing make-up at work."
He never shaves because he has little chin hair: "I've only got a tiny bit of hair there. I'd never need to have a full blown shave."
Enjoys surfing: "I've been doing it on and off for five years and I'm awful. But do it once and you're hooked."
The Chris Moyles Show has often mentioned Adam Rickitt in the past, and once featured a segment entitled "Stick It Up Your Rickett".
Comments (0) | Add Comment