Helen Soby is a British woman best known as the second wife of television presenter Noel Edmonds. She was married to him from July 1986 until their divorce in 2005, a span of 19 years. Together they raised four daughters. Since the divorce, Helen Soby has stayed almost entirely out of public view, which is unusual for someone connected to one of Britain’s most recognized broadcasters.

There is also another Helen Soby sometimes referenced online — the first wife of comedian John Cleese. This article covers Noel Edmonds’ former wife only.

Quick Facts

Her age is reported differently across public sources, ranging from her late 50s to mid-70s depending on the outlet. A publicly filed record does list a March 1966 date of birth for a Helen Soby in Devon, which would put her in her late 50s. That record is covered in more detail below.

Who Is Helen Soby?

Helen Soby became publicly known through her marriage to Noel Edmonds, not through any career of her own. That distinction matters. Unlike many spouses of famous entertainers, she never gave interviews, launched a media career, or used the connection for public attention.

Her name still generates search interest decades later. That’s partly because so little is confirmed about her, and partly because Noel Edmonds remains a familiar face on British television.

Early Life and Background

Public records don’t confirm details about Helen Soby’s childhood, education, or family background. What is known is that she had a daughter, Charlotte, from a relationship before she met Noel Edmonds. She entered her marriage to Noel as a mother already.

That single fact tells you something real: she built an independent life before fame touched it. Her privacy after the divorce wasn’t a new habit — it appears to be how she always operated.

Meeting and Marrying Noel Edmonds

Helen Soby and Noel Edmonds met in the early 1980s. At the time, Edmonds was already a household name on British television, having built his profile through game shows and light entertainment formats. In July 1986, the two married, and Edmonds adopted Charlotte, formally making her part of his family.

That adoption is one of the clearest, most concrete facts of their marriage — a legal step, not just a personal one. It shows a level of commitment beyond a typical wedding.

Noel Edmonds’ Career Context at the Time

By the mid-1980s, Edmonds had already hosted Telly Addicts and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, and had appeared on Top of the Pops. He would go on to host Noel’s House Party in the following decade, reaching millions of viewers weekly. Marrying into that level of visibility meant Helen Soby was stepping into a spotlight she never sought for herself.

Life at Broomford Manor

After marrying, the couple settled at Broomford Manor near Okehampton, Devon — a 35-bedroom property spread across roughly 855 acres of farmland and countryside. That’s a scale most people can’t picture: it’s closer to a small estate than a family house, with room to keep the children away from press attention entirely.

Living there for nearly two decades meant the family had genuine physical distance from London’s media world, not just a privacy preference. What happened to the manor after the divorce hasn’t been publicly documented in detail — no confirmed sale price or buyer has been reported.

Family Life and Daughters

Helen and Noel raised four daughters together. Their approach, based on what’s publicly known, centered on keeping the children’s lives as ordinary as possible despite their father’s fame.

Charlotte Edmonds

Charlotte is Helen’s daughter from her earlier relationship, later adopted by Noel. She built a career as a choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker — work she developed on her own terms, separate from her parents’ public profile.

Lorna Edmonds

Lorna appeared as an actress in the 2005 television series Hotel Inspector. Beyond that credit, she has kept a low public profile, similar to her mother.

Olivia Edmonds

Olivia pursued acting in film, with credits including See for Me (2021), Strays (2021), and Opposite Day (2009). Her career has stayed modest and largely outside major tabloid coverage.

Alice Edmonds

Alice is the youngest daughter. Almost nothing about her career or personal life is publicly documented, which fits the pattern the rest of the family has followed since the divorce. Rather than guess, it’s more accurate to say her adult life simply hasn’t been made public — and that’s consistent with how the whole family operates.

Marriage Challenges and Breakdown

By the early 2000s, the marriage was under strain. Edmonds’ business ventures, including his Unique Group, were demanding, and long work hours pulled at family time. In 2003, the couple decided to separate.

The Pilates Instructor Allegations

Media reports at the time claimed Helen Soby had started a relationship with her Pilates instructor before the split was finalized. That story spread quickly and shaped public perception of the divorce for years afterward.

Noel Edmonds’ Public Statements

Edmonds addressed the rumors directly in a 2006 interview with the Daily Mirror. He said the marriage had already ended before he began seeing anyone new, and added that he felt Helen had been treated unfairly by the coverage. That’s a meaningful detail — it’s one of the only moments where Helen Soby’s side of the story gets any real defense on record, and it came from Edmonds himself, not from her.

The 2005 Divorce

The couple separated in 2003 and finalized their divorce in 2005, closing a 19-year marriage. British tabloids covered the split heavily at the time, mostly focused on speculation rather than confirmed detail.

Divorce Settlement and Financial Terms

No verified public figure exists for the settlement amount. Given the length of the marriage and Edmonds’ earnings during that period, a substantial settlement is likely under standard UK divorce principles, but any specific number circulating online is an estimate, not a confirmed fact.

Life After the Divorce

Helen Soby stepped back from public life almost immediately after the divorce. She gave no interviews and made no public statements about the marriage or the separation. That silence, sustained for two decades, is itself the clearest signal of how she wanted to be known — or not known.

Where Is Helen Soby Now in 2026?

As of 2026, Helen Soby lives privately in England. No confirmed current address, employment, or public activity has been documented with certainty beyond the record covered below.

Career and Public Records

A publicly filed Companies House record shows a Helen Soby, born March 1966, appointed as a director on 1 February 2023. Her correspondence address is listed as Pitt Farm, Landkey, near Barnstaple in Devon, and the company is Torridge & District Motor Cycle Club Limited, a mutual club rather than a commercial business.

That detail is more specific than a vague “connected to a Devon address.” A motor club directorship points to community involvement, not a media career — which fits the low-profile pattern she’s kept since 2005. It hasn’t been officially confirmed that this filing refers to Noel Edmonds’ former wife rather than another Helen Soby, so it’s presented here as a documented lead, not a settled fact.

Social Media Presence

Helen Soby has no known public social media accounts under her name. For someone connected to a major TV personality, that’s a deliberate and consistent choice rather than an accident.

Helen Soby’s Relationship with Noel Edmonds Today

Public reporting suggests the co-parenting relationship between Helen and Noel remained workable after the divorce, centered around their daughters. There’s no public detail on how the daughters’ relationship with their stepmother developed, which leaves a real gap in the public record of this family’s story.

Where Is Noel Edmonds Now?

Edmonds remarried in July 2009 to Liz Davies, whom he met on the set of Deal or No Deal. The couple relocated to New Zealand, settling in Ngātīmoti on the South Island after gaining residency in 2020. In 2025, ITV aired a three-part documentary series, Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure, following his new life there with Liz. That contrast is worth noting: while Noel built a second public act around his move abroad, Helen Soby’s life since the divorce has taken the opposite path, staying almost entirely undocumented.

Why Helen Soby Chose Privacy

Helen Soby’s decision to avoid interviews, cameras, and public commentary wasn’t a single choice — it was sustained for over 20 years. That consistency suggests genuine personal preference rather than a temporary reaction to the divorce. Protecting her daughters from tabloid attention during their childhoods was likely part of that decision too.

Public Interest and Legacy

Search interest in Helen Soby persists mainly because so little is confirmed. People are curious about someone connected to a famous figure who never sought fame herself. Her legacy, based on what’s known, is less about public achievement and more about a long, deliberate choice to stay out of the story.

Conclusion

Helen Soby was married to Noel Edmonds for 19 years and remains the mother of his four daughters. Beyond the marriage, divorce, and family details covered here, very little about her life is publicly documented — and that gap is consistent with how she has lived since 2005: privately, on her own terms, even as her ex-husband’s life has played out very differently on television screens in New Zealand.

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FAQs

Who is Helen Soby?

Helen Soby is the second wife of British television presenter Noel Edmonds. They were married from 1986 to 2005 and had four daughters together.

How old is Helen Soby?

A publicly filed record lists a Helen Soby in Devon with a March 1966 date of birth, which would put her in her late 50s as of 2026. This hasn’t been officially confirmed as Noel Edmonds’ former wife.

When did Helen Soby and Noel Edmonds get married?

They married in July 1986.

Why did Helen Soby and Noel Edmonds divorce?

They separated in 2003 and divorced in 2005. Media reports at the time linked the split to an alleged relationship with her Pilates instructor, though Edmonds later said the marriage had already ended beforehand.

How many children does Helen Soby have?

Four daughters: Charlotte, Lorna, Olivia, and Alice. Charlotte is from a previous relationship and was later adopted by Noel Edmonds.

What is Helen Soby’s net worth?

No confirmed figure is publicly available. Any specific number found online is an estimate, not a verified fact.

Is Helen Soby on social media?

No public social media accounts are known to belong to her.

Where does Helen Soby live now?

As of 2026, she lives privately in England. A company filing links a Helen Soby to Landkey, near Barnstaple in Devon, though her exact current residence hasn’t been publicly confirmed.