Edward Short has said his ex wife has been left with nothing and admitted to "pulling the stability rug from under them" in order to fulfil his dream.
The housebuilder appeared on what has been dubbed Grand Designs ' "saddest ever episode" as he set out to renovate his dream home Chesil Cliff House.
He has now said he will always feel guilty for what he put his ex wife Hazel through and is determined to repay her.
The couple parted ways after 20-years of marriage during the renovation of the £10 million house, which sits between Saunton Sands and Croyde Beach.
Edward originally thought the project would cost just £1.8 million, but they were plunged into debt after a whopping £6 million was spent.
He has said that while the renovation was not entirely to blame for the breakdown of his marriage, it did add a lot of stress to him and Hazel.
Both Edward and Hazel have since moved on with separate partners.
"There’s no doubt what I put Hazel through was horrendous," Edward told The Sun.
"It was awful for the family because I pulled the stability rug from under them, without being able to give answers of how we were going to get out of it, other than that I had to carry on."
He said he became so stressed that he started losing sleep and was left "unable to function". However, Edward said the project has now made him much more resilient.
He insisted he and his ex wife are still "best of friends" and said he would never have a bad word to say about Hazel, after she supported him and tried to keep the project going.
Edward has vowed to give Hazel back her sense of security, which he says she lost due to his exploits.
"I will always carry a sense of guilt for what I’ve put her through and the fact I’ve taken away her stability.
"I really want to give Hazel security again. That’s gone from her life, because of my exploits."
Hazel had worked as a fashion buyer for Harrods, Selfridges and Simpsons, but was left with "nothing" following the renovation project.
The home is now on sale, 11 years after work started on it and has a £10 million price tag.
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