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| Adam Rickitt | |
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| Born | Adam Peter Rickitt 29 May 1978 Crewe, Cheshire, England |
| Official website | |
Adam Peter Rickitt (born 29 May 1978, Crewe, Cheshire), is an English actor, former singer and model.
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Biography
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 Grant1 which operates in Chester and London. Adam was educated at Sedbergh School, a boarding school in Cumbria. He played in the rugby first team.
Rickitt has spoken about suffering from bulimia in his teenage years and about how male sufferers have largely been neglected.2 He lost 3 stone (42 lb; 19 kg) in weight.
After leaving school, he flirted with the idea of becoming a journalist, but his work experience placement at the Northwich Chronicle in Cheshire lasted only one day.
When Rickitt turned 20, fans swamped him with 200 teddy bears, mountains of chocolates and bunches of flowers. He stated: "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.
Rickitt is 5 foot 11 inches (1.80 m) tall.
Career
Coronation Street
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. His girlfriend sent his pictures to various showbusiness agents, one of whom was Nigel Martin-Smith. At first Martin-Smith had the idea of putting him in a boy band he was forming, but when he found out that Coronation Street were re-casting the part of Nick, Rickitt auditioned for the part and got the job. The part had previously been played by actor Warren Jackson until 1996 when the character moved to Canada.
Rickitt left the series in 1999, returning briefly in 2002 and for a longer spell from 2003 to 2004 after which he along with several cast members were sacked when a new producer came to the show. His most famous and controversial storyline was in 2003 when the character of Nick was involved in the series' first gay kiss with Todd Grimshaw (played by Bruno Langley).
Pop career
Rickitt left Coronation Street in 1999 to start a music career. He signed a six-album deal, although he only released one album - Good Times - in 2000. Rickitt's first single, I Breathe Again, reached number five in the UK Top Ten, but follow up singles Everything My Heart Desires (also recorded by Mandy Moore), and Best Thing only entered the Top Twenty and Top Thirty respectively. The album failed, despite sexy music videos which showed off his muscular body (it peaked at No. 41 in the chart). Rickitt's disillusionment with the direction of his career led him to abandon pop music.3 However in 2003, he played Mark Cohen in the musical Rent.
Rickitt actively courted gay audiences during this period, appearing regularly at gay venues, the BBC series Gaytime TV and a photoshoot for gay lifestyle magazine Attitude as well as children's television and mainstream pop festivals and television series.
Modelling
Prior to his acting career, Rickitt had briefly been a child model. He subsequently has modelled for UK magazines such as Attitude and Cosmopolitan. He is known especially in the tabloid press for having an extremely well-defined "six-pack" and firm pecs. This, combined with his blond hair and very good looks, has led to the accusation that he is a himbo. Nonetheless, Rickitt turned down an opportunity to study law at Cambridge University in favour of continuing his modelling and acting career.
Conservative Party
In October 2005, Rickitt was approved as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party.4 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 attends major party functions and local party functions in the hope of being selected as well as developing a political blog on his website.5 However, a newspaper article alleged 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. Rickitt however refuted the claims and confirmed that he was a member.6 He also, along with David Cameron, provoked the anger of Sir Nicholas Winterton when it was revealed that Rickitt was tipped to stand for the safe Conservative seat of Macclesfield which Winterton had represented 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." 37
According to his website,8 as of July 2007 he has elected to continue his acting career in New Zealand rather than seek selection as a candidate, although politics remains a long-term plan.
Shortland Street
Rickitt is currently playing the role of Kieran Mitchell in the New Zealand drama Shortland Street and he has said that he prefers Shortland Street, to working on Coronation Street.9
His character was originally the main suspect for the serial killings of various characters, but has now been cleared. Kieran Mitchell has now become the owner of local bar The IV and Rickitt's contract with the show extended for another year.
Other ventures
Rickitt starred as Mark Cohen in the UK National touring of the musical Rent moving to the West End of London for a record breaking run. He made a return to the London stage to star in Bill Kenwright's production Office Games, followed by a new play Final Judgement and also appearing in Nick Moran's play Telstar on UK Tour.10
He also took part in the Channel Four reality show The Games during March 2006, although he only had two weeks' training, compared to the other contestants' twelve. He had replaced 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. Rickitt himself sustained two black eyes after over-rotating off the diving board.11 He finished last in the contest.
In December 2006 he appeared in his first pantomime, Cinderella, in the role of Prince Charming
The Chris Moyles Show has often mentioned Rickitt in the past, and once featured a segment entitled "Stick It Up Your Rickett".
Alleged Shoplifting
On 21 September 2007, Rickitt was arrested and charged with shoplifting a block of cheese, a bottle of HP sauce and a jar of coffee from an Auckland supermarket. During an interview with Herald on Sunday he said that it was an honest mistake. 12.
Discography
Studio Albums
1999
- Adam Rickett - The Good Times
Singles
1999
- Adam Rickett - "I Breathe Again"
- Adam Rickett - "Everything My Heart Desires" (later recorded by Mandy Moore)
2000
- Adam Rickett - "The Best Thing"
References
- ^ http://www.rickittgrant.co.uk/ Rickitt Grant Estate Agency Website
- ^ BBC News | Health | Male eating disorders 'go untreated'
- ^ a b Adam Rickitt: True blue hunk - People, News - Independent.co.uk
- ^ http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2107162005
- ^ http://www.adamrickitt.com AdamRickitt.com
- ^ ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: David Cameron on the A-list
- ^ Tory grey list thwarts the A-list - Telegraph
- ^ Adam Rickitt Journal July 2007
- ^ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=0004413D-CBF6-15B1-A72783027AF1010F
- ^ [1]Official website
- ^ Fatter, older, slower ... Melbourne a distant second to Games for a laugh - Times Online
- ^ Shortland Street star questioned by police over shoplifting - 23 Sep 2007 - Television news and reviews - NZ Herald
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 January 2009, at 13:28.
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