"I'm the first to admit I've had a sheltered life. I grew up in the country and went to a boarding school. It was all just part of the business - be nice to everyone and all that"
About this Quote
The specifics matter. “The country” and “boarding school” are not neutral biographical facts in Britain; they’re class-coded shorthand. Rickitt gestures at privilege without dwelling on it, then briskly reframes the whole thing as occupational training: “part of the business.” That pivot is the subtextual engine. It suggests that whatever softness his upbringing produced was quickly repurposed into professionalism, the polite, camera-ready demeanor expected in entertainment.
Then there’s the shrugging coda, “be nice to everyone and all that,” which functions like a verbal wink. It’s a downplaying move, implying the rules are obvious, even banal, while also hinting at an industry where niceness can be as strategic as talent. The line carries a mild cynicism: civility isn’t purely virtue, it’s etiquette, brand protection, survival.
In the late-90s/early-2000s celebrity ecosystem Rickitt came up in, relatability was currency. This is relatability engineered: a controlled admission of insulation paired with a promise of social competence, smoothing class edges into a marketable, non-threatening charm.
Quote Details
| Topic | Life |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Rickitt, Adam. (2026, January 17). I'm the first to admit I've had a sheltered life. I grew up in the country and went to a boarding school. It was all just part of the business - be nice to everyone and all that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-the-first-to-admit-ive-had-a-sheltered-life-i-37679/
Chicago Style
Rickitt, Adam. "I'm the first to admit I've had a sheltered life. I grew up in the country and went to a boarding school. It was all just part of the business - be nice to everyone and all that." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-the-first-to-admit-ive-had-a-sheltered-life-i-37679/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I'm the first to admit I've had a sheltered life. I grew up in the country and went to a boarding school. It was all just part of the business - be nice to everyone and all that." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-the-first-to-admit-ive-had-a-sheltered-life-i-37679/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.








