Rickitt had a musical career, both as a solo artist and as a member of 5th Story, a supergroup formed for the ITV reality series The Big Reunion.

Alone, he released Good Times (1999) through Polydor Records, an album that spawned the UK Top 25 singles "I Breathe Again", "Everything My Heart Desires", and "The Best Thing".

[2] However, he was cast in the role of Nick Tilsley and remained on the soap until 1999, returning briefly in 2002 and for a longer spell from 2003 to 2004.

His most famous and controversial storyline was in 2003, when his character was involved in the series' first gay kiss with Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley).

[2] Rickitt starred as Mark Cohen in the 2001 UK tour of Rent, before moving to London's West End.

[18] In December 2006, Rickitt appeared in his first pantomime, Cinderella, in the role of Prince Charming at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

[19] Rickitt joined the cast of the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street in early 2007, portraying the role of Kieran Mitchell, with his first appearance being shown on 16 March 2007.

[25] Rickitt returned to the United Kingdom to continue his acting career, and in 2016, he made a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC medical soap opera Doctors.

[13] He has an autoimmune disorder called ankylosing spondylitis, which made Rickitt infertile, with a sperm count of two.

[31] In 2019, the couple took over an artisan bottle shop called Dexter and Jones in the Cheshire town of Knutsford.

[34] He left in 2013 to begin working with the cancer charity Help Harry Help Others, and Chief Executive of the mental health foundation, the Caerus Partnership.

[35] On 21 September 2007, Rickitt was arrested and charged with shoplifting a block of cheese, a bottle of HP sauce and a jar of coffee beans from an Auckland supermarket.