WHEN NICK TILSLEY RETURNED to Weatherfield last summer,everything was rosy. Mum Gail was marrying Richard Hillman and Sarah was still living at home with Bethany.
How things have changed.
This time, after returning for a job interview, Nick, played by actor Adam Rickitt, 25, found a family in crisis. Serial killer Richard is dead and buried, Sarah and Gail are at each other's throats since Sarah moved out with Bethany to live with Todd, and David is none too happy. Where's Jerry Springer when you need him?
Things are a real mess,' says Adam. 'And Nick sees it as his job to be the man of the house and tries to heal the rifts.'
Sister Sarah's certainly pleased to have her big brother around... as long as he's on her side. And it seems he is. First he told Gail how wrong she was to report Sarah to Social Services and how he can understand why Sarah left. Then he paid the rent owing on Sarah and Todd's flat, so effectively helping them to stay together.
And he's also tried to help Gail see Bethany.
'It's Nick in a different role,' says Adam. 'He's come back a grown man and he's determined to stick by his family.
His last visit was fleeting. He came back for the wedding, seduced Maria and then came back for her. This time around though he's going to be around for longer.
'He is offered Joe Carter's old job at Mike's factory and decides to stick around. His family need him and he feels he can't leave them. He feels really guilty about the past - he can't forget about how he persuaded Leanne Battersby to abort his child. And he feels bad about not being there for his mum when she went through all that trauma with Richard.
This is his way of putting some of that right,' reveals Adam.
Putting things right with Maria is another mission for reformed Nick... And one that doesn't go too well at first try. There's still a lot of chemistry there,' Adam. 'But she's not interested... Or maybe she's playing hard to get. There's definitely a lot more mileage in that particular relationship.
Adam is thrilled to be back on the Street as he's in line for a big storyline. 'It's really exciting stuff, but I can't talk about it at the moment.When they told me what they had in store for Nick, I couldn't really refuse,' he says.
Since he disappeared off our screens in August 2002, Adam has been working flat out. He reveals: 'I did a play in London called Office Games, and a film in Holland called Emergency Exit where I played the Devil.
'Then I went to America for six months. I was offered a lot of films, but nothing was right. I did manage to secure a feature film for 2005, though, which I'm really chuffed about. America was great - the only thing I didn't like about it was not being able to smoke. I had to hire a car just so I had somewhere to satisfy my nicotine cravings! It's refreshing to be back in Manchester where everyone is so much more down to earth.
Nick's pretty glad to be back too, despite his family's troubles,' adds Adam. And on the whole, everyone is pleased to see him. In fact one admirer turns out to be rather more than just pleased. For in a surprise storyline, Sarah's Todd mistakes Nick's support and sympathy for something completely different... and he ends up kissing Nick!
Oops. Looks like those family troubles are going to get a whole lot worse!
