Noel Edmonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Noel Edmonds
Edmonds in 2020
Born	Noel Ernest Edmonds (1948-12-22) 22 December 1948 (age 76) Ilford, Essex, England
Occupation	Television presenter radio DJ writer producer businessman
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Gillian Slater ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1982)​ Helen Soby ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 2005)​ Liz Davies ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	4

Noel Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is a famous English television presenter, radio DJ, writer, producer, and businessman. He first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg. Later, he moved to BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He hosted the popular Breakfast Show for almost five years.

Noel has presented many radio shows and fun TV programmes for over 50 years. He worked for the BBC, then later for Sky UK and Channel 4. He is especially famous for hosting Noel's House Party on BBC One. This show ran for eight years, from 1991 to 1999. It was watched by 15 million people at its most popular. The show also introduced the funny character Mr Blobby. Later, Noel hosted the game show Deal or No Deal on Channel 4. This show was on from 2005 to 2016.

Early Life and Education

Noel Edmonds was born in Ilford, Essex, England. His dad, Dudley Edmonds, was a headmaster. His mum, Lydia Edmonds, was an art teacher. Noel went to Glade Primary School in Clayhall. He also attended Brentwood School in Brentwood, Essex.

He was offered a place at the University of Surrey. However, he decided not to go. Instead, he chose to focus on his exciting radio career.

Radio Adventures

Noel Edmonds started his radio journey in 1968. He worked as a newsreader on Radio Luxembourg. He got this job after sending tapes to different radio stations.

Joining BBC Radio 1

In 1969, Noel joined BBC Radio 1. He started by recording short announcements. He also filled in for other DJs when they were away. In April 1970, he got his own show on Saturday afternoons. By July, he was hosting a Saturday morning show. In October 1971, he moved to a Sunday slot.

His big break came in June 1973. He became the host of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show. He hosted this popular show until April 1978. After that, he moved to Sunday mornings. He also presented a talk show called Talkabout. Noel left Radio 1 in March 1983. He returned briefly in 1985 and 1992 for special occasions.

Later Radio Work

In 2003, Noel made a short comeback to radio. He hosted the drivetime show on BBC Radio 2. This was for eight weeks while the regular host was ill. In 2020, Noel started his own online radio network. It is called Positivity Radio and is based in New Zealand.

Television Journey

Edmonds at a Radio 1 Raceday, Mallory Park, May 1976

Noel Edmonds hosted Top of the Pops many times. This was between 1972 and 1978. During this period, he also presented other shows. These included Z Shed for teenagers and Hobby Horse.

Multi-Coloured Swap Shop

He became very well-known for hosting Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. This was a children's Saturday morning show. It ran from 1976 to 1982. Noel, along with Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin, formed a music group. They were called Brown Sauce. In 1981, their song "I Wanna Be a Winner" reached number 15 in the UK music charts. In 1980, Noel even introduced the UK entry at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Top Gear and Other Shows

Noel was one of the first presenters of the BBC's car show Top Gear. This was in the late 1970s. He later returned to Top Gear in the 1990s. He tested a classic car he owned. In the 1980s, he also hosted The Time of Your Life. This show featured celebrities sharing happy moments from their careers.

The Late, Late Breakfast Show

The Late, Late Breakfast Show was Noel's first big Saturday evening show. It was live on BBC from 1982 to 1986. The show was known for its exciting stunts. However, it was cancelled after an accident during a rehearsal. Noel resigned from the BBC soon after.

Telly Addicts

Noel also hosted Telly Addicts. This was a popular game show on BBC1. It ran for 13 years, from 1985 to 1998. The questions were all about past and present TV shows. Two teams sat on sofas and answered questions.

Noel's Saturday Roadshow

Noel's Saturday Roadshow was another BBC show. It was broadcast on Saturday evenings from 1988 to 1990. This was Noel's first big TV project after his previous show ended. The show had quizzes, celebrity interviews, and live music. It pretended to be from a different exciting location each week. These were actually clever studio sets.

This show slowly became very successful. It helped Noel become popular again. It also introduced fun features like the Gunge Tank and the Gotcha Oscars. These ideas were later used in his next big show.

Noel's House Party

By 1991, Noel's Saturday Roadshow turned into Noel's House Party. This show ran for eight years. It was set in Noel's pretend mansion in Crinkley Bottom village. A popular part was NTV. Hidden cameras were secretly placed in viewers' homes. Another famous part was the "Gotchas". Celebrities were caught in funny and embarrassing situations.

The pink and yellow spotted character, Mr Blobby, first appeared in the "Gotcha" section. He became a regular and very popular part of the show. Mr Blobby even had a Christmas number one song in 1993! Noel's House Party was a huge hit on BBC1 throughout the 1990s. It often had over 15 million viewers. The final show was on March 20, 1999.

Deal or No Deal

Edmonds presented the Channel 4 game show Deal or No Deal between 2005 and 2016

In 2005, Noel returned to TV to host Deal or No Deal. This was a new game show format. Noel first said no, but then agreed to host a short series. The show became very popular. It was broadcast on Channel 4 almost every day. Noel's contract was extended, making him one of the highest-paid TV personalities.

Deal or No Deal ran for 11 years. Almost 3,000 shows were recorded. Over £40 million was given away to contestants! The show ended in 2016. The final shows were filmed in special locations. These included a Boeing 737 plane, the Flying Scotsman train, and even inside a cave!

Work with Sky

In 2007, Sky One announced Noel would host the UK version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?. It was called Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old?. Noel hosted the main evening show.

In 2008, Noel also hosted Noel's HQ on Sky1. This was a live show that aimed to help people. Noel gave his earnings from the show to a charity.

Other TV Appearances

Edmonds in 2006

Noel has hosted many big TV events. These include the BAFTA Awards and the Brit Awards. He also hosted the launch of the UK National Lottery. In 1985, Noel helped with the Live Aid concerts. He used his helicopter to fly stars to the Wembley Stadium concert.

Noel's Christmas Presents was an annual TV special. Noel would deliver special gifts to deserving people. These gifts included trips to Lapland for sick children. He also arranged family reunions. This show was on BBC One every Christmas Day from 1989 to 1999. It returned on Sky1 from 2007 to 2011.

In 2017, Noel presented Cheap Cheap Cheap. This was a mix of a sitcom and a game show. Contestants had to find the cheapest item out of three similar ones.

Documentaries about Noel's career have also been made. These include The Curse of Noel Edmonds (2004) and Noel Edmonds: The Rise & Fall of Mr. Saturday Night (2022).

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

In November 2018, Noel took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. This is a reality show where celebrities live in a jungle camp. Noel was the first celebrity to leave the series. Many fans were surprised by his early departure.

Business Ventures

Noel Edmonds has also been involved in various businesses.

Unique Group

In 1985, Noel started the Unique Group. This group included different companies. One part, the Unique Broadcasting Company Media Group, produced audio for radio. Noel later stepped down from this role. He also had interests in a car company called Unique Motor Company.

Theme Parks

Noel also had theme park attractions. These were based on Crinkley Bottom and Mr Blobby. They were set up in existing parks. A new park was also built in Morecambe. However, these parks did not attract enough visitors. The deals were cancelled, and the parks closed. There were also legal problems with the local council in Morecambe. This event was even called 'Blobbygate' by the media.

Thoughts on the BBC

In 2014, Noel said he was part of a group that wanted to buy the BBC. He believed the BBC was "sleepwalking itself to destruction." He also mentioned that he did not have a TV licence himself.

Personal Life

Noel Edmonds has been married three times. He first married Gillian Slater in 1971. They divorced after 11 years. From 1986 to 2005, he was married to Helen Soby. They have four daughters together. In 2009, Noel married his third wife, Liz Davies. They met when she was a make-up artist on Deal or No Deal.

Noel is a licensed helicopter pilot. One of his early helicopters was even registered G-NOEL. He was also the president of the British Horse Society for a few years.

In 2015, Noel and his wife decided to move to New Zealand. They officially moved there in 2019. During the COVID lockdown, he started 100 online community radio stations. These were called Positivity Radio. He now lives in Ngātīmoti, in the South Island. He gained residency permission in February 2020. Noel said he felt a "spiritual pull" to New Zealand during a visit in 2016.

Noel sometimes refers to himself using his own name, which is called Illeism.

Views on Energy

Noel was the chairman of the Renewable Energy Foundation. This group is against wind farms. He joined because of a threat to his home in Devon. He believes that wind power is too expensive and cannot meet all energy needs. He also thinks it can harm the countryside.

TV Licence Views

Noel said he stopped paying his TV licence in 2008. He did this because he disagreed with how the licence fee was collected. He felt that people were being "threatened" and "badgered." TV Licensing later claimed he had a valid licence, but Noel's spokesperson denied this.

Spiritual Beliefs

For many years, Noel has believed in spiritualism. He is especially interested in cosmic ordering. This is a belief that you can make your dreams come true by ordering them from the universe. He became interested after reading a book about it. He had not worked on TV since 1999. One of his wishes was for a new challenge. Later, he was offered the chance to host Deal or No Deal. Noel even wrote his own book called Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways To Change Your Life.

In 2008, Noel said he is always with two "spiritual energy" balls. He believes these are the spirits of his dead parents. He calls them "orbs" and says they are "little bundles of positive energy." He believes they only show up in digital photos.

In 2015, Noel said that "electrosmog" from Wi-Fi was a big problem. He also believes that death is impossible. He thinks the body is just a container for "universal energy." When he dies, he expects his energy to return to this "universal web of energy."

Dispute with Lloyds Bank

In 2005, Noel's company, Unique Group, faced problems. Noel blamed Lloyds Bank for this. Lloyds had bought another bank, HBOS. This bank's Reading branch was involved in a fraud case. Noel claimed his company suffered huge losses because of this. He sought a large amount of money in damages.

In 2017, the bankers involved in the fraud were found guilty and jailed. In 2019, Noel and Lloyds Bank reached an agreement. Lloyds Bank apologized to him for the "distress" he had experienced.

Filmography