After scam wrecked my business I tried to kill myself, Noel Edmonds reveals

NOEL EDMONDS came close to taking his own life after falling victim to financial fraud, the Deal or No Deal star has revealed, as he continues to seek compensation from Lloyds Banking Group.

The TV star said he was taken “to the brink of emotional annihilation” after a group of corrupt HBOS financiers helped destroy his former business Unique Group.

Lloyds, which rescued HBOS during the financial crisis, said in April it would begin making compensation offers to fraud victims in May from a £100million pot. However, Edmonds has repeatedly urged Lloyds to speed up the process.

He said: “Until these criminals took me to the brink of emotional annihilation, I had always felt those who opt out by taking their own lives were selfish and cowardly. But having been cast into that bottomless dark space devoid of logic and reason, I have a much deeper understanding of life without hope. I feel no shame in admitting that on the evening of January 18 2005 I attempted to end the overwhelming mental pain which had consumed my whole being. The fact that I did not become another suicide statistic is solely due to the swift response of a Devon ambulance crew and the support of the Priory in Bristol.”

The former HBOS financiers were jailed earlier this year for carrying out a £245 million loans scam that destroyed several businesses before they squandered the profits on high-end prostitutes and luxury holidays.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman said: “Our customers’ safety is of paramount importance. We have a clear policy that if a customer says they are considering taking their own life that we must take action to protect them.”