CORONATION Street star Adam Rickitt has been left heartbroken after his best man and friend of 46 years died.

Actor Adam, 46, took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute alongside a black-and-white photo, revealing the deep loss he’s experiencing after the passing of his closest companion of 46 years.

He wrote in his caption: “So hard to say….but goodbye. I can’t even describe who you are to me.

“Part father, part brother…all friend. For 46 years I knew no matter what the sea of life threw at me…you were the rock that would stand by me as the waves crashed.”

The emotional post continued with Adam describing the fierce loyalty and unconditional support his friend gave him over the decades.

He added: “You would take on an army for me…you would always be my truth…you were the best of men…you were my best man.

“I feel like I’ve lost gravity…but I can’t be sad. The day Janet died…the joy left you. I’m so happy the 2 of you are together…selfishly we’ll miss you…but you best have everything on ice for when we see you again!”

Fans flooded the comments section with messages of condolence and support.

One wrote: “So sorry for your loss. Sending love x,” while another added: “Very sorry for your loss Adam.”

A third said: “What a beautiful tribute to your dear friend, so sorry for your loss.”

Adam shot to fame when he joined the cast of Coronation Street as the original Nick Tilsley in 1997.

Then, in 1999, he took a shot at pop stardom with a solo music career, hitting the Top 10 with his single, I Breathe Again.

Adam initially signed a six-album deal with Polydor, although he only released one, Good Times, before parting ways with them.

He later returned to Corrie from 2002 to 2004.

In 2006, Adam tried his hand in politics, appearing on Question Time as a potential candidate for the Conservative party, but failed to find a seat to stand in.

While he did continue his acting career for some time, even joining Hollyoaks for a three-year stint from 2017 to 2020 as Kyle Kelly, these days things are far more simple.

But now, Adam is totally unrecognisable with a bleach blonde shaggy hairstyle, tattoos and a whole new way of life.

While in the 90s he was known for the era’s signature blonde curtains and boy next door demeanour, in recent years he’s bulked up and grown out his locks.

He married wife Katy Fawcett in 2014, and together they travel the world, sharing pictures from his trip to Taormina, Sicily.

The star showed off his new locks while posing on a balcony during the trip, later joking on Instagram: “Day 1…90% vino or mojito…stupid hair (sorry) but @katyrickitt keeps saying she like it!!!”

While he continues to act, appearing in BBC soap Doctors last year, his priorities have now shifted to his bar, Dexter and Jones in Knutsford, Cheshire.

He and Katy describe the business venture as “the ultimate passion project, blending our love for our community, for each other and for great drinks”.

The star is often sharing his pride in his workplace, which focuses on selling craft beer and specialist gin.

A hands-on manager as well as the owner, Adam frequently posts pictures and videos from his time in the bar.

However, they were devastated in 2022 when they were targeted by fraudsters who conned the business out of £50,000 in a push payment scam.

The conmen called Adam up pretending to be from Barclays Bank, using an 0845 number that appeared legit.

They then proceeded to convince him someone had tried to withdraw money from the account and that they needed to do a ‘dummy transfer’ to trigger the fraud team.

In 2020, Adam revealed he has Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune disease that has left him infertile.

The actor said people can be “brainwashed” into wanting kids, but confirmed that he and Katy are content with their dogs.