90S HEARTTHROB Adam Rickitt looks completely different after trading in fame for a quiet life as a bar owner.
The 46-year-old actor and singer shot to fame when he joined the cast of Coronation Street as the original Nick Tilsley in 1997.
He remained on the show for two years, with his character getting caught up in a complicated romance with Leanne Battersby, played by Jane Danson.
In 1999, he took a shot at pop stardom with a solo music career, hitting the Top 10 with his single I Breathe Again.
He initially signed a six-album deal with Polydor, although he only released one, Good Times, before parting ways with them.
He later returned to Corrie from 2002 to 2004.
In 2006, Adam tried his hand in politics, appearing on Question Time as a potential candidate for the Conservative party, but failed to find a seat to stand in.
While he did continue his acting career for some time, even joining Hollyoaks for a three-year stint from 2017 to 2020 as Kyle Kelly, these days things are far more simple.
But now, Adam is totally unrecognisable with a bleach blonde shaggy hairstyle, tattoos and a whole new way of life.
While in the 90s he was known for the era’s signature blonde curtains and boy next door demeanour, in recent years he’s bulked up and grown out his locks.
He married wife Katy Fawcett in 2014, and together they travel the world, sharing pictures from his trip to Taormina, Sicily.
While he continues to act, appearing in BBC soap Doctors last year, his priorities have now shifted to his bar, Dexter and Jones in Knutsford, Cheshire.
He and Katy describe the business venture as “the ultimate passion project, blending our love for our community, for each other and for great drinks”.
The star is often sharing his pride in his workplace, which focuses on selling craft beer and specialist gin.
A hands-on manager as well as the owner, Adam frequently posts pictures and videos from his time in the bar.
However, they were devastated in 2022 when they were targeted by fraudsters who conned the business out of £50,000 in a push payment scam.
The conmen called Adam up pretending to be from Barclays Bank, using an 0845 number that appeared legit.
They then proceeded to convince him someone had tried to withdraw money from the account and that they needed to do a ‘dummy transfer’ to trigger the fraud team.
In 2020, Adam revealed he has Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune disease that has left him infertile.
The actor said people can be “brainwashed” into wanting kids, but confirmed that he and Katy are content with their dogs.
