UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: ‘WHEN WE FOUND OUT I COULDN'T HAVE KIDS IT WASN'T SCARY AT ALL'

HOLLYOAKS STAR ADAM RICKITT AND HIS WIFE KATY OPEN UP TO OK!’S KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER ABOUT ADAM’S MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY

- KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER

Warm, energetic and funny, it’s hard to imagine Hollyoaks star Adam Rickitt having a dark day. But a battle with anxiety and depression left the former pop star feeling suicidal for 17 years. Mental health issues can affect anyone, anywhere. But, most importantly, recovery is possible. Adam, who is now happily married to Good Morning Britain reporter Katy Fawcett, is living proof of that.

But sadly, many never get to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with suicide the biggest killer of men under 45 in Britain. Last week, Adam’s Hollyoaks exit story saw his character Kyle Kelly take his own life.

Adam, 42, tells us, “It was difficult to get back into that headspace, but I felt privileged to be trusted with such a storyline.”

Adam and Katy, 36, met in 2011, when Katy went to interview the star at an animal rescue centre. By then, Adam had been free from anxiety and depression for six years and he describes their loving relationship as a “reward” for his struggles.

The couple can’t have children, as Adam’s condition Ankylosing Spondylitis has made him infertile. Thankfully, becoming parents was never part of their plan. They are, however, mum and dad to adorable pooches Rufus, an Australian cattle dog, and Tallulah and Daphne the bulldogs.

Here, the pair, who also run Dexter & Jones bar in Knutsford, exclusively invite us inside their Cheshire home as they open up about former Coronation Street star Adam’s journey to happiness...

When did you first experience mental health issues, Adam?