Noel Edmonds is accused of blinding 17 employees at his New Zealand winery when he gave them just one day’s notice of the site’s winter closure.
The TV star, 75, moved to remote Ngatimoti in 2022 and opened the River Haven vineyard and Bugger Inn pub.
But The sun report that boss Noel shocked his employees when he closed work and flew back to Britain for the winter months in New Zealand. The star was pictured on the Isle of Man on Tuesday.
Sacked employees told The Sun: ‘The emotions are very high. It came right out of nowhere. A week earlier we had a meeting where Noel asked about our ideas for the winter.’
‘On Saturday April 27 at 4pm one of the managers took a group of us into a back room and said, “Tomorrow is your last day”. We never saw Noel.’
Noel Edmonds has been accused of blinding seventeen employees at his New Zealand winery when he gave them just one day’s notice of the site’s winter closure
The TV star, 75, moved to remote Ngatimoti in 2022 and opened the River Haven vineyard. As well as the winery, the TV star also has a shop, restaurant, pub and café on a £15million estate
Another claimed they were even kicked out of the venue’s pub as they drowned their sorrows with team drinks after the shocking news.
They claimed: ‘I think we’d had one round when another of Noel’s bosses told us to go’.
‘The next day Noel turned up and made jokes but there was no apology. No one has been told anything about future work.”
A post on the winery’s official website announces the winter closure and references the high emotions, stating, “There were some misty eyes when we posted the Winter Closed sign at River Haven, but we need the time to move on to build on the success of the past twelve months.’
‘Yes, closing for the winter months is all your fault! You just made us too popular!!”
“Our hospitality team is getting a well-deserved break, but the construction team is in for a hectic few months.”
Plans are then announced to expand kitchen space during the closure “in addition to seasonal maintenance and equipment repair.”
However, customers seem as bewildered as staff by the decision to close, with one person commenting on the winery’s Instagram page two weeks ago: ‘Very strange that you are closed for the winter, have canceled all your Mother’s Day bookings and we have a had a few meals with you last year and we also came in the middle of winter.
“Very strange, what about all your staff, this decision seems very sudden, maybe you should go somewhere else in mid-winter.”
The dismissed staff said: ‘Emotions are very high. It came right out of nowhere…one of the managers took a group of us into a back room and said, “Tomorrow is your last day”‘
Noel first moved to New Zealand in 2019 with former make-up artist Liz Davies, where he launched a network of radio stations around Auckland before moving to Ngatimoti three years later
Last year River Haven was open in winter, with the venue even promoting ‘Christmas in July’ events on their social media and installing a wood-burning stove in their cafe to ‘enjoy the beautiful sunshine even if the temperature isn’t so friendly ‘. ‘
MailOnline has contacted a representative for Noel for comment.
Noel first moved to New Zealand in 2019 with former make-up artist Liz Davies, where he built a network of radio stations around Auckland before moving to Ngatimoti three years later.
As well as the winery, the TV star also has a shop, restaurant, pub and café on a £15million estate – and in 2023 this sparked furious rows with residents who accused him of ‘colonising’ their idyllic village.
The Deal Or No Deal star has also added winemaking to his repertoire at River Haven.
Noel settled in the Ngatimoti area and purchased twelve properties worth almost £15 million on 270 hectares of land.
A message on the official website hints at the high emotions, saying: ‘There were some misty eyes as we put up the Winter Closed sign’
The city is already known in New Zealand for its annual festival, which usually takes place in October and is attended by thousands of people.
In 2023, he sparked a furious row with residents who accused him of ‘colonizing’ their idyllic village.
One said: ‘I feel like he’s a colonizer. He came in like he was the lord of the manor.”
The television star didn’t help matters by posing for photos at the estate holding a mug with the slogan ‘His Lordship’.
The resident added: “He has this attitude… about how he improved the place and made it great – it was already great.”
Regardless, his efforts have been fruitful, which is a far cry from his last major business venture.
However, customers seem as bewildered as staff by the decision to close, with one commenting on the winery’s Instagram page two weeks ago: ‘Very strange that you are closed for the winter and canceling all your Mother’s Day bookings’
In 2016, after axing Deal Or No Deal, Noel shocked the country when he launched a motivational phone service for pets.
Meanwhile, after flying back to Britain, Noel was spotted wearing strange shoes during a trip to the Isle of Man, in a photo shared on social media on Tuesday.
The Deal Or No Deal star seemed completely unfazed by his choice of shoes as he proudly showed off his two different types of shoes.
Noel chose to wear tan lace-up boots on his right foot and dark brown loafers on his left foot.
Eagle-eyed fans couldn’t help but notice his quirky fashion choice as he posed for a photo with the owners of Laxey Beach Stop Cafe.
Stunned fans flooded the store’s Facebook page with hilarious comments, writing: “Looks like he dressed in the dark.”
Meanwhile, after flying back to Britain, Noel was spotted wearing completely strange shoes during a trip to the Isle of Man, in a photo shared to social media on Tuesday
The Deal Or No Deal star seemed completely unfazed by his choice of shoes as he proudly showed off his two different types of shoes