Coronation Street Star Adam Rickitt Details 15-Year Estrangement from Late Father
Former Coronation Street actor Adam Rickitt has publicly addressed the painful 15-year feud he endured with his late father, who he claims repeatedly stole his money and ultimately left him financially devastated. The revelation came during a candid interview on Channel 5's Vanessa, where Rickitt shared the emotional toll of their fractured relationship.
A Soap Star's Rise and Financial Betrayal
Adam Rickitt, best known for playing Nick Tilsley on the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street, first joined the show in 1997 and quickly became a fan favourite. He left in 1999 to pursue a pop career but returned for a two-year stint from 2002 to 2004. Since then, he has appeared in other series like Hollyoaks and BBC's Doctors.
However, behind the scenes, Rickitt's personal life was marred by financial exploitation. He revealed that his father, a former merchant banker who earned millions annually, "blew all of his money" on multiple occasions. "You Google Adam Rickitt Networth, it comes up with a figure. It's not that figure because he stole all my money. And he did it three times," Rickitt stated during the interview.
The Breakdown of a Father-Son Relationship
The actor explained that despite his success and income from Coronation Street and music, his funds consistently flowed to his father, who squandered them due to alcoholism. "So even though I was 18 years old and Corrie and doing the pop music and money was coming in, it kept just going to him and he kept losing it," Rickitt recounted.
This pattern led to a 15-year estrangement, with Rickitt noting that his father would make money but never repay him, instead spending it on friends. The rift only began to heal when his father's fortunes collapsed, leaving him penniless and living on a state pension. "We only reconnected when he went from earning millions of pounds to living on a state pension and penniless, having his home repossessed because he had nothing to prove anymore," Rickitt said.
Healing Without Full Repair
Rickitt emphasised that while their relationship healed to some extent, it was never fully repaired. He drew parallels to other high-profile family rifts, such as that between Brooklyn and David Beckham, suggesting such bonds may reconnect but never return to their former state. "Mine with my father certainly wasn't," he added, reflecting on the lasting impact of the betrayal.
When host Vanessa Feltz questioned why he chose to reconnect, Rickitt explained that he eventually saw his father as a flawed human being rather than a perfect parental figure. He attributed his father's behaviour to deep-seated insecurities from childhood, stating, "The reason my dad was the way he was, was because he was an unwanted child and he was made to feel unwanted."
Rickitt concluded that his father's actions stemmed from fear and a need for control, not malice. "He wasn't doing it because he hated me. He was doing it because he was a petrified little boy. He was still the four-year-old boy," he said, revealing he came to this understanding without therapy, through personal reflection.
