Kyle prepares for his big day
AS KYLE’S WEDDING APPROACHES, ADAM RICKITT IS DELIGHTED WITH HIS NEW SCREEN FAMILY, AND HIS IMPORTANT STORYLINE...
I’m not sure if any of the Hollyoaks audience were alive when I was on Coronation Street, let alone when Chris Quentin was on it!” laughs Adam Rickitt, as we call him up for a chat about his alter ego Kyle’s upcoming family dramas. “It’s one of the most bizarre experiences of my life to meet the man who played my dad all those years before I played his son on Corrie.”
It’s certainly a tangled soap story. You see, once upon a time an actor called Chris Quentin played Gail’s hubby Brian Tilsley in Corrie, the dad of young Nick Tilsley – with housewives up and down the country weeping into their tea when heartthrob Brian was tragically murdered in 1989. Fast-forward a decade, and Adam was cast in Coronation Street to take over the role of Nick – but with Brian long dead, Adam’s Nick never met his dad.
But all that’s about to change, because Chris will soon be back in soap with a role in Hollyoaks as, you guessed it, the dad of Adam’s character, Kyle! And Adam couldn’t be more thrilled…
“Chris is a lovely guy, and Diana Weston, who plays Kyle’s mum, is great!” enthuses the star about the arrival of his onscreen parents. “They’re very contrasting to Kyle, and the way they play their roles is hilarious! Kyle’s so effervescent and outgoing, and you’re really going to see a difference between him and his parents. I think it brings a lot of comedy to the show.”
While Kyle’s wedding to Nancy – and the family reunion – is a little way off yet, Adam is currently enjoying the lead-up to the celebrations, and looking forward to the drama the big day might bring…
“I think Nancy, aka Little Miss Methodical, is a bit dubious about trusting Kyle with any of the planning!” laughs the actor. “It’s like asking your four-yearold to bake some buns. You’re going let them do it, but you know they’re going to make a mess of it by the end!”
While Kyle is doing his best to help, unbeknown to Nancy, he is sinking deeper into depression. He’s struggling to contain his emotions, which makes even the smallest of tasks difficult.
“He is absolutely terrified of losing Nancy,” explains Adam. “She has so much responsibility – she’s a teacher, a mum and a provider for her family – and Kyle doesn’t want to put any more pressure on her. I think Kyle knows that Nancy would want to be there for him, although he doesn’t want to see her struggle because of him.”
However, Kyle has been confiding in an unlikely confidante, his future wife’s ex-husband, Darren Osborne! With Darren also struggling with his mental health, he volunteers to help Kyle fulfil his wedding duties.
“It was a bit of a shock – the ex-husband of Kyle’s soon-to-be wife offering to help,” Adam tells us. “I think Kyle’s friendship with Darren becomes more of a crutch than it would normally, and they both help each other – it’s sweet. Kyle’s proud of himself and what he’s achieved with the tasks, but he forgot to check the other side of the list! So when Nancy goes, ‘You forgot to send out the invitations’, it breaks his heart a bit…”
Despite the challenging story, Adam tells us that he’s pleased Hollyoaks is exploring depression, and hopes it might help to start discussions in households.
“I think it’s amazing, I genuinely do,” beams the star. “It’s something
I’ve campaigned on for 20 years now – I think there are so many misconceptions on mental health. It’s seen as a weakness, which it’s really not. Every single person on the planet is susceptible to having mental health issues. With our younger audience demographic, I really hope it’ll start a conversation, and that people become as aware about mental health as they are about physical health.”
Kyle and Darren both help each other – it’s sweet!