Noel Edmonds and wife forced to 'grab dogs and flee home' after terrifying ordeal at New Zealand estate
The former Deal Or No Deal host, 76, and his wife, Liz, own a 800-acre estate, River Haven, which features a restaurant, a vineyard, a pub and a wellness centre.
Despite the stunning surrounding landscape, their time there hasn't been completely positive and the couple have had to grapple with extreme weather conditions.
The TV star recalled one particular incident to The Sun and recounted how an earthquake 'really shook the house'.
He revealed they have experienced three earthquakes whilst living on the estate.
Noel told the publication: '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.
'The biggest one really shook the house — the cutlery drawer rattled, and Liz and I each grabbed a dog and ran outside.'
Fortunately, the incident didn't cause any structural damage to the property.
He added: 'But, yes, earthquakes — and a dormant volcano just up the way. At least, we hope that it's dormant.'
Noel described the weather as having an 'attitude' because of how severe it can get.
He recalled trees falling down in strong winds, 'tropical rain' and landslips.
His new documentary, Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure, hit screens earlier this month on ITV and follows the couple as they navigate life together in New Zealand.
The TV personality and radio presenter was best known for his stint hosting the Channel 4 game show from 2005 to 2016 when it ended, before its revival with Stephen Mulhern in 2023.
But after more than 50 years on British TV and radio, Noel left the UK in 2018 with Liz to build a new life in New Zealand.
They have now opened a hospitality business in the small rural, riverside town of Ngatimoti.
Noel admitted in the first-look trailer of his show: 'New Zealand's a great place to come to. It's not the easiest place to set up a business.'
The veteran presenter also confesses at another point in the clip: 'We're haemorrhaging money at the moment.'
Noel tugged on fans' heartstrings as he opened up about hitting rock bottom in the series' opening episode.
He introduced viewers to a sculpture, called Guardian, and narrator Rob Brydon explained, 'In 2005, at the height of his fame, Noel's production company unexpectedly went bankrupt, hugely affecting his mental health.'
Noel showed a plaque by the statue and said: '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 asset, that's basically what it was about.'
Noel reflected on the time and revealed how it made him feel.
'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'.'
He explained: 'Liz designed the shield, because it is our story of the fight to get our losses back.'
The sculpture featured a knight kneeling with his head down and praying.
Noel appeared emotional and said: 'He's praying before he gets up and defeats the dark force, the enemy.'
He then 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?
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