Real people: Why are they famous? Adam Rickitt

Main claim

Coronation Street's Nick Tilsley; brought in 14 months ago to replace an earlier Nick Tilsley thought to lack sex appeal. Did the job: now a lust icon for teens. Smash Hits readers' poll TV Actor of the Year and number six in the Sun's Top 100 Hunks league, Adam has just screened his last episode of the soap, now wants a singing career, and has signed a recording contract for a reputed pounds 200,000.

Looks

Pubescent girl. Baby angel. Fresh-faced hero of anti-spot-cream advert. Does 500 sit-ups a day to maintain his six-pack.

Bit of rough (not)

Had never watched Coronation Street when he first turned up on set. Went to public school, got four A-levels, Daddy a merchant banker. The perfect choice to portray a greasy-spoon-reared Weatherfield bad boy, then.

How to get ahead in showbiz

A hunk of raw talent, Adam landed the Street role after a few acting workshops. "I don't deny that it had a lot to do with my looks," says the realistic lad. "The casting director told me it was my potential they went for rather than my experience." Now record company bosses are supposed to have enlisted Boyzone's Ronan Keating to give him a crash course in singing.

Heart-throb

Down, girls, down! Dishy Adam has been celibate for months. And he prefers older women. The grab-a-granny, 20, once had a girlfriend who was "not far off 35" - phwoar! However, he is a sloppy old romantic at heart. "If I found my soulmate tomorrow I'd have no problems getting married," he says. Form an orderly queue.

Adam's shock confessions

"You could be a sack of potatoes on TV and you'd still get a sex following," he says of those sad cases who post him explicit letters. Tell that to Les Battersby.

Fame prospects

Soap to pop can be done; after all, Martine McCutcheon has just blasted to number one in the charts. But Matthew Marsden and Tracy Shaw also tried the same pop thing. Matthew who? Tracy who? Well, quite.