Noel Edmonds suffered a terrifyng ordeal at his New Zealand estate(Image: ITV)Noel Edmonds and his wife Liz fled their New Zealand home after a terrifying ordeal. The former Deal or No Deal presenter quit life in the UK and moved to New Zealand in 2018.
He bought the 800-acre River Haven estate, which boasts its own vineyard, in a bid to open up a luxury retreat, complete with its own pub, the Bugger Inn. His move has been documented in Noel’s Kiwi Adventure, the programme a return to television for Noel, who has largely been absent from screens since appearing in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2018.
The transition hasn’t been without its troubles for the former Swap Shop presenter, with the second instalment of his New Zealand series revealing that he was “haemorrhaging money” into his ventures.
Moreover, Noel has had to become accustomed to the severe climate conditions in New Zealand, including adapting to frequent earthquakes. Talking to The Sun, Noel recounted his experiences with the natural disturbances: “You get landslips. And the sun? It’ll burn you within ten minutes in the peak season. Oh, and earthquakes. We’ve had three.”
He described one event where the ground’s shaking was so subtle it only caused ripples in their wine, but another incident was more intense, shaking their home vigorously: “The biggest one really shook the house – the cutlery drawer rattled, and Liz and I each grabbed a dog and ran outside.”
Noel swapped the UK for New Zealand with wife Liz(Image: ITV)Despite these challenges, Noel has managed to come out unscathed, with River Haven fortunately not suffering any damage during the quakes. Yet the tremors remain just one aspect of many that Noel is grappling with in his new life abroad.
The TV presenter has revealed that the rainfall in New Zealand is a world apart from what he was used to back in Devon. While accustomed to the English coast’s “drizzle” he’s now facing “tropical rain” in his new location.
Noel also discussed on the show how the weather affects his business operations, explaining: “When you come to New Zealand, you change your view about your relationship between the weather and the economy.”
(Image: ITV)He went on to say: “We’re haemorrhaging money at the moment because you have to take staff on in anticipation of the guests coming. We’re going to have to have a spectacular November and December to balance the books.”
At 76, Noel is pondering if the efforts put into River Haven can secure his future. Questioning the sustainability of his venture, he remarked: “New Zealand is a great place to come to but it’s not the easiest place to set up a business.”
Noel talked about his current project, adding: “We’ve done a fascinating thing with the River Haven adventure. Will it be the move that sustains us for years to come? Watch this space!”.
Noel’s Kiwi Adventure returns on ITV One tonight at 9pm. This week fans will watch as Liz and Noel battle against frost damage.