Former Neighbours star’s mega payday after split from billionaire husband

The former Aussie TV star is likely to take a cut of her ex-husband Nick Candy’s assets, including his impressive property portfolio.

She may have signed a prenup, but Holly Valance’s split from British property tycoon Nick Candy could still deliver her a mega payday.

Divorce law experts say the former Neighbours star, who married the property developer in a lavish $6.3 million ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, 13 years ago, is eyeballing a portion of his £1.4 billion ($A2.93 billion) fortune.

They say there is a “good chance” a financial agreement would have been signed, entitling the 42-year-old mother of two to a percentage of assets and/or spousal payments.

“Certainly when we do prenups in Australia we tend to take into account all future circumstances,” prominent Sydney family lawyer and founding partner of Edwards Maloney, Fran Edwards, said.

Holly Valance has been spotted for the first time since her shock split from billionaire husband Nick Candy and the ring was off. Picture: BACKGRID

“They would generally try to take into account the growth in assets … in our jurisdiction the document would also generally take into account any future needs including spouse maintenance.

“It can say pretty much anything that the party’s agree on … but I would’ve thought he would have been advised to err on the side of a bit of generosity towards her … to keep any potential separation and property settlement private and avoid any suggestion the deal is not equitable.”

Family lawyer and Lander and Rogers partner Elanor Lau said there’s no guarantee a prenup would not be challenged.

“Where one party comes into the relationship with significantly more wealth, typically parties want a prenup,” Ms Lau said.

“Once a financial agreement is signed it doesn’t guarantee it will never be set aside by a court … it’s always a possibility.”

Candy’s impressive property portfolio includes a two-storey penthouse in his family’s $2.5bn One Hyde Park development, which has been for sale for four years for $366m.

An aerial view of Gordon House, which stands next to the Royal London hospital in Chelsea, was given to Nick Candy by his brother, Christian in 2014. Picture: Supplied

If sold, the five-bedroom property – which spans 548 square metres and was gifted to Candy by his brother – would be the most expensive in London.

Candy, 52, and Valance reportedly only spent around 20 days a year in the apartment, instead residing in a $142m property built by Candy and his brother Christian in the grounds of Chelsea’s Royal Hospital.

That Chelsea residence, which merged three heritage structuresproperties, boasts a 426 square metre basement, a swimming pool and a private IMAX cinema.

The rest of the portfolio includes a $100m Los Angeles mansion, a comparatively humble $18m Oxfordshire estate and a six floor Mayfair office Candy bought for $27m in 2015.

Famously in 2015, Candy gifted the former Neighbours actor a $54m superyacht despite her chronic seasickness, which was so bad she enlisted the help of top hypnotist Paul McKenna.

The pair parted with the he Benetti vessel, named 11:11 in reference to their daughter Luka’s birthday, in 2023.

Holly Valance’s billionaire husband Nick Candy gifted her the Benetti superyacht in 2015. Picture: Y CO / Scholey Photography

It apparently lacked a decent laundry, did not have indoor and outdoor bars on every level, or storage for the apparently mandatory 1000 bottles of wine.

“It’s like anything in life. Sometimes you want to have a change. Later in life, people contract their lives; at this age, I’m still expanding,” he said in 2020, still hopeful of owning another vessel.

Though details of Candy’s current car collection are murky, his love for expensive luxury vehicles is well established.

In 2021, Nick Candy and Holly Valance reportedly forked out £8.5 million ($A18 million) on an Oxfordshire estate. Picture: Supplied

When he lived with his brother, in a Monaco penthouse, Nick boasted their garage held a Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rolls-Royce convertible, Mercedes SLR McLaren, Ferrari F430 Spider, Ferrari 575M Maranello, two Range Rovers, a Cherokee Jeep and a Renault Clio.

Candy’s extensive business holdings – including an interior design company and a venture capital firm with interests in everything from fintech start-ups to mines in Nicaragua – could also be included in the divorce deal.

It’s unclear whether Valance would get a slice of Candy Capital, his privately-held family office which recently announced a joint venture with an Abu-Dhabi based developer.

Originally published as Former Neighbours star’s mega payday after split from billionaire husband