Noel Edmonds has been accused of ‘colonising’ the New Zealand village that is now the subject of an ITV series.
The 76-year-old former Deal Or No Deal presenter reportedly bought £30million worth of property in the Motueka Valley.
Originally, the Mr Blobby star and his wife bought a five-bedroom home on an 11-hectare estate at Matakana, north of Auckland in 2021.
But two years later they relocated to the rural Ngātīmoti village, which is home to just 2,500 people.
After being accused of ‘taking over’ the quiet village after he was reportedly permitted to buy 12 houses and build a restaurant, shop and coffee house in his land – his journey has been captured in a six-part series on ITV.
Despite his umbrella estate being called River Haven, various anonymous locals have been disgruntled with his reported ‘colonisation’ of their patch.
What is Noel’s new series about?
Noel is fronting the new ITV series called Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure – which follows his life working on a farm alongside his wife Liz.
In the series it is explained that the pair were inspired to move to the country after visiting following his exit from the Australian jungle during his stint on the popular reality show in 2018.
Noel is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper’s Hot TV column as saying: ‘I was in Australia on I’m A Celebrity and I got voted out a bit quickly.
‘As part of the arrangement, ITV organised for us to visit New Zealand. That trip cemented things for us. In 2019, we sold everything in the UK.
‘We left Heathrow for rented accommodation in the UK, knowing absolutely no one. It was quite bold.’
The former game show host has claimed that his new series is nothing like Jeremy Clarkson’s hit show Clarkson’s Farm.
He told The Sun newspaper: ‘When we were filming our show, some people who knew about Clarkson’s Farm said to me, “Oh, is it like Clarkson’s Farm?”
‘And I said, ‘No, it couldn’t be more different.’ First of all, I’m not like Jeremy in many ways, though I wish I were.
‘He’s brilliant. He can articulate an argument beautifully and deliver a sharp, humorous line like no one else.’
Edmonds has experience of farming after working in agriculture in Devon since the 1980s and praised Clarkson for showing the tough realities of the profession.
Explaining the ‘three things in particular’ he admires about Clarkson’s Farm, Noel said: ‘First, the production values — the way it’s made, the narrative structure — it’s exceptional. Not contrived, but very well-constructed.
‘Second, he’s highlighted how mad our relationship is with public servants. Jeremy trying to get permission for a restaurant, a shop, a car park… dealing with council staff who don’t seem to understand they are public servants.
‘They are meant to serve the public. He’s shown how difficult they make things. Third, and most importantly, he’s shown how hard it is to be a farmer.’
How did the locals react?
Previously, it was reported that two couples Noel and his wife Elizabeth Davies became friendly with in Matakana came with them to the village in South Island, and lived in Edmonds’ property, and worked on the estate.
This led many to joke the former Breakfast Show host was creating a ‘commune’.
Commune or not, in his controversially-named pub, it’s been said that Edmonds sells an array of X-rated drinks including a lager called T*ts Up and a ‘ladies favourite’ called the Dickens Cider.
The publication report while Edmonds justifies this as ‘Kiwi’ humour, some locals deem all this ‘Benny Hill stuff’ unacceptable.
Within the beautiful backdrop of forest and snow-capped mountains, locals aren’t happy and would only speak to the publication anonymously, given the close-knit community in which they have to live side-by-side with Edmonds.
‘He’s got this attitude… about how he’s improved the place and made it amazing – it was already amazing,’ one woman said.
‘I just feel like he’s a coloniser and… he’s come in like the Lord of the Manor,’ said another local.
What has Noel said?
Edmonds’ estate’s catchphrase is ‘positively together’ and he told the publication he was acquiring property to ‘make a difference’.
‘I’m here… to give, to make a difference. My love has always been the environment, the countryside. I haven’t just been buying property for the sake of it,’ he said.
Noel has also raised eyebrows within the community by beetling around in ‘brand new Ford Ranger Wildtraks, jacked up on huge wheels and pimped out with light bars, aerials’ complete with sirens and a loud ‘public address system’.
Apparently convoys of these vehicles would motor up and down the valley, with lookers-on wondering what the hell was going on.
His number plates also reflect his NSFW, er, humour as he reportedly likes playing around with the number 4 and letter Q to spell out ‘f**k you.’
Noel claims he wants to assimilate himself into the community, and recently paid the village school’s £3,000 bill for traffic management during the village’s annual bustling festival.
When the reporters met up with him, at one point he said they should be asking him how he looks so good at his age. For anyone wondering, it’s a daily session of electro-magnetic field therapy and one hour a week in an oxygen chamber.
When asked whether he can pronounce the name of his home village now – after confessing to not being able to when he arrived – the Noel’s House Party star replied: ‘Yeah, I’ll pronounce it the way that somebody said last week, that it’s Noeltimoti.’
In a recording obtained by the publication, Edmonds can be heard raising his voice to a woman named Belinda Crisp, a cycle trail manager who agreed to meet with the TV star on his estate to discuss a previously approved cycle trail through one of his properties.
Before Edmonds moved to the area last year, the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trail Trust had approval from the Tasman District Council and the Government to build a cycle trail here as part of the region’s Great Taste Trail.
Expecting a logistical conversation about how they could make it work for everyone, Crisp was instead greeted by a voice recorder in River Haven’s café and a bristled Edmonds after she explained who she worked for.
‘When he heard [the council], he said, “you’re the servant and I’m the ratepayer, so I’m the master”,’ Crisp recalled.
In the tape, he can allegedly be heard saying: ‘All hell’s gonna break loose, right. And while you, still, have this attitude you are not welcome here. Don’t even think about having a coffee, having a slice… you are our enemies.’
He raised his voice: ‘You are our enemies. You have to be defeated otherwise you’re gonna bring down this wonderful country.
‘Yes you are, because you’re so proud. Anyway, good luck with it. As we say in Britain, ‘on yer bike’.’
This article was first published on November 4, 2023.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
