Former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Adam Rickitt has opened up about a real-life family feud that lasted 15 years. The actor famously portrayed Nick Tilsley in the late ’90s and early 2000s (now played by Ben Price), as well as Kyle Kelly on Hollyoaks.
In a recent interview, the star spoke about his complicated relationship with his late father, revealing there was a huge rift after his dad stole money from him.
“You Google ‘Adam Rickitt net worth’, it comes up with a figure,” he told Vanessa. “It’s not that figure because he stole all my money. And he did it three times. 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.”
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Related: Best streaming services
Adam explained that his father had made a lot of money himself as a merchant banker, though also struggled with alcoholism.
“I kept lending him money, he kept wasting it, but then he would make money and rather than paying me back, he’d go and spend it on his friends,” he recalled. “He’d never spend it on his family or pay me back.
“So we ended up falling out for 15 years and 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, because he couldn’t prove anything anymore.”
Their relationship “healed” over time but was “never repaired”, according to the star, comparing it to the Beckham feud.
Related: Coronation Street and Emmerdale aren’t on ITV1 and ITVX today – here’s why
“I think when you have a big rift, like the Brooklyn and David Beckham situation, I think they will reconnect,” he predicted. “I don’t think it’ll ever be the same relationship they had before. Mine with my father certainly wasn’t.”
Adam went on to explain why he wanted to eventually bury the hatchet with his dad, noting that “at some point you realise he’s still a human being” and that children tend to put their parents on a pedestal.
He realised that his dad was an “unwanted child” and “the only way his family ever needed him was when he paid for everything for them”.
Lime Pictures
“And then when I went out at 18 years old and became financially independent, he was petrified because he couldn’t have any control on me. So he purposely blew all my money,” he said.
Asked whether he had been to therapy, Adam shared that he “worked it out” himself, elaborating that his father “wasn’t doing it because he hated” him.
“He wasn’t doing it because he wanted to ruin my life. He was doing it because he was a petrified little boy. He was still the four-year-old boy.”
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. The latest episode delves into next week’s soap spoilers for EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale – featuring Leanne’s new discovery about Megan, Graham’s bold idea for Rhona, and more!