The presenter has shared the personal reason for his return to television with new show, Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure
06:00, 10 Jun 2025Updated 07:28, 10 Jun 2025
Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure premieres on ITV this Friday at 9pm
Noel Edmonds has shared the personal reason why he’s decided to return to the screen. The 76-year-old’s new show, Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure, follows his life now in New Zealand.
The programme arrives on ITV on Friday at 9pm as he hopes to show people in the UK why he decided to move moved across the world with his wife, Liz. In an interview with PA, the former Deal Or No Deal presenter laughed he was also inspired to do the show for a personal reason as he wants to prove to people he’s still alive and kicking.
The 76-year-old said: “There’s a bit of ego involved. People still ask: ‘Noel Edmonds? Didn’t he die? Is he still around?’ Yes, I’m still here – and living life to the full.”
He also is determined to show off his new home in New Zealand. He said: “Sometimes I struggle to explain why I’m so excited about this Kiwi adventure.
“It comes down to the land – the look, the feel of it. We have a beautiful home, and in the morning, we wake up to a view of the mountains. Whether or not you can see them tells you what the weather will be like.
“Just a few kilometres away, there’s a beautiful beach, the Moutere River, and within an hour’s drive, you’re in serious bush – wild terrain.
“The scenery here is magical. Even after six years, we’ll go for a drive and still say: ‘Wow’.” The Ilford born presenter explained the orgins of his move to New Zealand.
He said: “We started our Kiwi adventure north of Auckland. If you understand the geography of the North Island, you’ll know Auckland dominates. It sits at the narrowest point, and of New Zealand’s five million people, around four million live in or around Auckland. So it’s quite busy up there.
“We rented a house – until you get residency, you can’t buy – and it was beautiful. Suddenly, we had all these Kiwi friends. It’s true what they say: Kiwis are very friendly.
“We had a fabulous social circle. But over time, it began to feel a bit like the UK or Europe. I even called it “Euro-Zealand” because it was so busy – busy roads, constant building and development. So we decided to move again and ended up at the top of the South Island.
“We’ve never regretted it. The Tasman region is stunning. Nelson is our nearest city, though it feels more like a large town. We’re very happy here.”
The host has revealed how he bought land around Ngatimoti, a small rural town in the South Island. Then, they built a hospitality business in the heart of the community, one that includes a vineyard, coffee cart, general store and restaurant and pub.
In the series, fans will get to watch as they prepare to reopen to the public for its second full season – and get a taste of the trials and tribulations that the presenter’s entrepreneurial spirit throws up.
His latest idea is to build New Zealand’s first community energy garden, but trouble arises thanks to unseasonal weather, bad press, and the ever-persisting feeling of being an outsider. He added: “I like the challenge of it.
“I always say: the weather here has attitude. I lived in Devon for 20 years, and there you’d get grey days with drizzle drifting in from the Atlantic. But here? When it blows, it really blows – trees come down. When it rains, it’s tropical stair-rodding rain. You get landslips. And the sun? It’ll burn you within 10 minutes in peak season.
“And there are proper seasons here, which surprised me, but I like that. Oh, and earthquakes. We’ve had three. During the first one, we were sitting outside with a glass of wine, and I noticed the surface of the wine rippling – what’s going on?
“That was a mild one. The biggest one really shook the house – the cutlery drawer rattled, and Liz and I each grabbed a dog and ran outside. No structural damage, thankfully.
“But yes, earthquakes – and a dormant volcano just up the way. At least, we hope it’s dormant.” It’s isn’t just the scenery and landscape why Noel has fallen in love with his new home.
He said: “What I love about New Zealanders – Kiwis – is their attitude of ‘give it a go’. That’s taken a bit of a hit in recent years with all the changes and uncertainty, but it’s still very much part of the national character…
“They never throw anything away, which is still evident when you drive past some of the farms. And you know what? It makes sense. Before the jet engine, it took a long time for anything to get to New Zealand. So if you had spare parts for a tractor or old machinery, you didn’t bin it – you left it in a field just in case. It’s a practical kind of resilience.”
“Kiwis are also incredibly sociable. They love a good time, a good laugh – and they don’t take themselves, or their politicians, too seriously. I love that. Especially here, in this area, which became a kind of haven for the hippies in the Sixties and Seventies. There are still people living in yurts up the valley, and good on them. Full respect.
“What we found was overwhelming kindness. We were living in Matakana during the flu outbreak, and suddenly, our mailbox was full of avocados, chocolates, home-cooked things – little gifts from locals who wanted to look after ‘the two Brits up the way’. It was heartwarming.” Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure launches on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday, June 20, with all episodes available that day on ITVX.