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Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Noel Edmonds' new life rocked by earthquakes, landslides and money problems
Noel Edmonds has opened up about how he and his wife were forced to flee their home after a terrifying ordeal Noel Edmonds has revealed he and wife Liz were forced to "grab their dogs and run" after a terrifying earthquake shook their New Zealand estate. The former Deal or No Deal host, 76, has swapped the small screen for the scenic countryside, living on an 800-acre estate complete with a vineyard, pub, wellness centre and restaurant but despite the tranquil surroundings, life in New Zealand hasn't always been smooth sailing. 'During the first one, we were sitting outside with a glass of wine, and I noticed the surface of the wine rippling. That was a mild one,' Noel recalled. 'The biggest one really shook the house - the cutlery drawer rattled, and Liz and I each grabbed a dog and ran outside.' Luckily, there was no structural damage 'But, yes, earthquakes and a dormant volcano just up the way. At least, we hope that it's dormant.' Noel also described the unpredictable climate in their new hometown. He's had to deal with strong winds knocking down trees, 'tropical rain' and dangerous landslips, saying the weather has a serious 'attitude'. The candid moments feature in his new ITV documentary Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure, which follows the couple's new life abroad after they left the UK in 2018. In the opening episode, Noel opens up about some of the darkest moments in his life including suicidal thoughts and the collapse of his company in 2005. 'There's a description of my story here, for guests to understand why I had Guardian created,' Noel said, introducing viewers to a sculpture he commissioned after years of emotional struggle. 'My Unique group of companies was deliberately collapsed by some corrupt bankers. And I'm safe in saying that because my bank manager went to prison, along with four others, for 50 years,' he said, 'what they were doing was pushing businesses over the edge and then taking asset, that's basically what it was about.' He reflected on how it impacted his mental health at the time. 'When the companies went into administration in 2006, I thought I was a crap businessman. I thought it was my fault. 70 people lost their jobs,' he said. 'And I said to Liz, who was a fantastic support, 'When,' not if, 'When I win my battle to get my losses back, I'm gonna get the great Weta Studios, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the real creative powerhouse here in New Zealand, I'm gonna ask them to build me a statue'.' 'Liz designed the shield, because it is our story of the fight to get our losses back,' he added. The statue, named Guardian, features a knight kneeling in prayer. As Noel explained: 'He's praying before he gets up and defeats the dark force, the enemy.' Getting emotional, he admitted: 'I'll tell you, when you go to that dark space… I used to, like many people, kind of look down my nose and think, why would anybody want to take their own life? Why would they want to do that? 'I'll tell you, if you've ever been in that dark space, you'll never be critical, because it is a space where there is no reason.' Noel also admits the move hasn't been easy on their bank balance. 'New Zealand's a great place to come to. It's not the easiest place to set up a business,' he says in the series trailer. 'We're haemorrhaging money at the moment.' Despite the ups and downs, the couple are pushing on with their hospitality business in the rural riverside town of Ngatimoti and documenting it all along the way.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Noel Edmonds tearfully recalls being in a 'dark place' before suicide attempt
Former Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds has returned to screens with new show Kiwi Adventure, which delves into his life in New Zealand with wife Liz Noel Edmonds has opened up about the 'dark times' he's faced in his past as he makes a return to television. The former host of Deal or No Deal is back with Kiwi Adventure, a series that follows his life in New Zealand alongside his wife Liz, where they operate a hospitality business in the rural town of Ngatimoti. Noel, 76, and Liz, who tied the knot in 2009, decided to relocate in 2015 and made the move in 2019. Noel had previously spoken about the 'incredible spiritual pull' he experienced when visiting the country, which inspired him to settle there. The couple now own an expansive 800-acre estate named River Haven, complete with a vineyard, restaurant, wellness centre, and a pub cheekily named The Bugger Inn. In the first episode of his new show, Noel, last seen on our screens during his stint on I'm A Celebrity in 2018, became emotional as he reflected on his challenging past and suicidal thoughts. At one point, he visited a sculpture called Guardian, described by narrator Rob Brydon as 'a permanent reminder of a difficult period in his life'. "In 2005, at the height of his fame, Noel's production company unexpectedly went bankrupt, hugely affecting his mental health," Rob explained to viewers. Returning to Noel, the former House Party presenter gestured towards a plinth: "There's a description of my story here, for guests to understand why I had Guardian created. My Unique group of companies was deliberately collapsed by some corrupt bankers. "And I'm safe in saying that because my bank manager went to prison, along with four others, for 50. What they were doing was pushing businesses over the edge and then taking assets—that's basically what it was about. When the companies went into administration in 2006, I thought I was a crap businessman. I thought it was my fault. 70 people lost their jobs." Noel then revealed: "And I said to Liz, who was a fantastic support, 'When,' not if, When I win my battle to get my losses back, I'm gonna get the great Weta Studios, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the real creative powerhouses here in New Zealand, I'm gonna ask them to build me a statue." Later, Guardian was created, with Liz designing the shield the statue holds to symbolise his legal 'fight'. Next to the statue of a man crouching with his head bowed is an inscription, which Noel says inspired him to construct it in the first place. "It was that inscription that held me together and motivated me during some very dark times," he confessed, with the plaque reading: "'The devil saw me with my head down and thought he'd won until I said Amen. The relevance of that is the knight is not kneeling in defeat; he's praying," revealed Noel. He then became emotional as he detailed just how severely the legal battle impacted his mental health:"He's praying before he gets up and defeats the dark force, the enemy. I'll tell you, when you go to that dark space... I used to, like many people, kind of look down my nose and think, why would anybody want to take their own life? Why would they want to do that? I'll tell you, if If you've ever found yourself in that bleak place, you'll never pass judgement, because it's a realm devoid of reason," Noel expressed. He concluded by saying the Guardian statue stands as a beacon for those who feel 'weak,' 'disenfranchised,' 'marginalised,' and 'let down' by society. "He has not given up. You can feel it." With tears in his eyes, he grasped the sword and said: "Thanks, mate. Thank you." This isn't the first time Noel has openly discussed his suicidal thoughts. Back in June 2017, he revealed that he had attempted to end his life in 2005 after a fraudulent scheme by a group of HBOS financiers ruined his businesses. At that point, he wanted to 'end the overwhelming mental pain that had consumed [his] whole being'. "Until these criminals took me to the brink of emotional annihilation, I had always felt those who opt out by taking their own lives were selfish and cowardly... But having been cast into that bottomless dark space devoid of logic and reason, I have a much deeper understanding of life without hope...," he confessed. Noel also made it clear then that he 'sought no sympathy' and 'felt no shame' in making this admission. In the end, Noel received an apology from Lloyds Banking Group, which settled a compensation deal with him following the fraud case. While the specifics of the settlement were kept under wraps, the Daily Mail reported that he received around £5million. *If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch
Metro
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Noel Edmonds tears up reflecting on ‘dark space' when he attempted suicide
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Noel Edmonds has reflected on 'dark times' from his past in his return to TV. The former Deal or No Deal host is back with Kiwi Adventure, which follows his life in New Zealand with wife Liz as they run a hospitality business in the rural town of Ngatimoti. Noel, 76, and Liz, whom we married in 2009, decided to make the move in 2015 before going ahead in 2019, having previously said the 'incredible spiritual pull' he felt when visiting the country made him want to settle there. Now, the couple owns an 800-acre estate called River Haven, boasting a vineyard, restaurant, wellness centre, and a pub named The Bugger Inn. In the first episode of his comeback, Noel, who was last seen on telly when he was voted off I'm A Celebrity in 2018, became emotional as he looked back on his tougher moments and feeling suicidal. At one point, he visited a sculpture named Guardian, which was described by narrator Rob Brydon as 'a permanent reminder of a difficult period in his life'. 'In 2005, at the height of his fame, Noel's production company unexpectedly went bankrupt, hugely affecting his mental health,' Rob explained to viewers. Cutting back to Noel, the former House Party presenter pointed to a plinth: 'There's a description of my story here, for guests to understand why I had Guardian created.' 'My Unique group of companies was deliberately collapsed by some corrupt bankers,' he recalled. 'And I'm safe in saying that because my bank manager went to prison, along with four others, for 50 years. 'What they were doing was pushing businesses over the edge and then taking assets—that's basically what it was about. 'When the companies went into administration in 2006, I thought I was a crap businessman. I thought it was my fault. 70 people lost their jobs.' Noel then shared: 'And I said to Liz, who was a fantastic support, 'When,' not if, 'When I win my battle to get my losses back, I'm gonna get the great Weta Studios, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the real creative powerhouses here in New Zealand, I'm gonna ask them to build me a statue'.' Indeed, that's when Guardian was made, with Liz designing the shield the statue holds to represent his legal 'fight'. Beside the statue of a crouching man with his head bowed is an inscription, which Noel says is what encouraged him to build it in the first place. 'It was that inscription that held me together and motivated me during some very dark times,' he admitted, with the plaque reading: 'The devil saw me with my head down and thought he'd won until I said Amen.' 'The relevance of that is the knight is not kneeling in defeat; he's praying,' revealed Noel. He then became choked up as he explained just how hard the legal battle hit his mental health: 'He's praying before he gets up and defeats the dark force, the enemy. 'I'll tell you, when you go to that dark space… I used to, like many people, kind of look down my nose and think, why would anybody want to take their own life? Why would they want to do that? 'I'll tell you, if you've ever been in that dark space, you'll never be critical, because it's a space where there is no reason.' Noel concluded by sharing that the Guardian statue is there for those who feel 'weak,' 'disenfranchised,' 'marginalised,' and 'let down' by society. 'He has not given up. You can feel it.' Grabbing onto the sword, he tearfully said: 'Thanks, mate. Thank you.' This isn't the first time Noel has spoken candidly about his suicidal thoughts. In June 2017, he shared that he had attempted to take his life in 2005 after the fraud by a group of HBOS financiers destroyed his businesses. At the time, he wished to 'end the overwhelming mental pain that had consumed [his] whole being'. 'Until these criminals took me to the brink of emotional annihilation, I had always felt those who opt out by taking their own lives were selfish and cowardly… But having been cast into that bottomless dark space devoid of logic and reason, I have a much deeper understanding of life without hope…', he said. Noel also stated then that he 'sought no sympathy' and 'felt no shame' in making the confession. Ultimately, Noel received an apology from Lloyds Banking Group, which agreed a compensation deal with him following the fraud case. While details of the agreement were not made public, it was reported by the Daily Mail that he received around £5million. More Trending Lloyds acknowledged causing Noel 'distress' after corrupt staff from the Reading branch were handed jail sentences for the £245m loans scam between 2003 and 2007. Several businesses were destroyed as profits were squandered on prostitutes and luxury holidays. View More » Watch Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure on ITV.
