Ant Anstead facts for kids

Anthony Richard Anstead (born on March 28, 1979) is a British television presenter. He is also known as a motor specialist, car builder, designer, and artist. Many people know him from the TV show For the Love of Cars on Channel 4, where he worked with Philip Glenister. From 2017 to 2021, Ant Anstead was also a co-host on the show Wheeler Dealers. He joined Mike Brewer for seasons 14 to 16 when the show was filmed in the United States.

Ant Anstead's Early Life

Ant Anstead was born in Plymouth, Devon, England. He lived in Ely, Cambridgeshire, until he was 10 years old. Then, his family moved to Hertfordshire. He went to Richard Hale School in Hertford. Later, he studied at Haileybury School to finish his A-levels.

Building Cars Early On

When Ant was just sixteen, he built his very first kit car. He sold it right away and made a profit. After that, he bought an MG car. This is how his love for cars truly began.

Ant Anstead's First Jobs

In 1999, Ant Anstead joined the Hertfordshire Constabulary, which is a police force. He started as a Police Constable in Bishop's Stortford. He later moved to Cheshunt police station. He then became part of the Tactical Firearms Team in Welwyn Garden City. During his time as a police officer, Ant Anstead received two awards for being brave.

In 2005, Ant Anstead decided to leave the police force. He wanted to focus on building cars full-time. He started his own business, building and restoring cars for different clients. He also created special, one-of-a-kind cars.

Playing Football

Ant Anstead also played semi-professional football for more than 15 years. He played over 700 matches in the Isthmian League. He started as a goalkeeper and later became a striker.

Ant Anstead on TV

In 2014, Ant Anstead started his own TV production company. He created his first show, The World’s Most Expensive Cars.

Later in 2014, he was asked to host a new car show on Channel 4. He hosted it with the British actor Philip Glenister. Since then, Ant Anstead has hosted many different TV shows. In 2015, he hosted BBC Two's live show Building Cars Live. He worked alongside James May and Kate Humble on this show.

Ant Anstead also hosts live events at car shows in the UK. He gives talks after dinners and gives inspiring speeches in schools and for charities.

Ant Anstead Master Mechanic

In his 2019 TV show Ant Anstead Master Mechanic, Ant built a special car. He used many different parts, from spare pieces to parts from other cars. He created a car that looked like the famous Alfa Romeo 158. In this show, Ant worked with many car experts and famous people from the car world.

World's Greatest Cars

Ant Anstead is also part of the TV series World's Greatest Cars. In this show, a group of car experts talks about the five best sports cars ever made. They look at how amazing the car designs are and how well they perform.

Wheeler Dealers TV Show

In 2017, Ant Anstead was offered a five-year contract. This meant he would move to the United States for the show Wheeler Dealers. He took over from his friend Edd China, who decided to go back to the UK.

Three years later, the show's production moved back to the UK. However, Ant Anstead stayed in the US. He has a young son named Hudson who lives there with his second ex-wife, Christina Hall. They share custody of their son.

Ant Anstead's Family Life

Ant Anstead has a daughter named Amelie and a son named Archie with his first wife, Louise. They got divorced in 2017.

In October 2017, he started dating American TV personality Christina Haack. They got married on December 22, 2018, at their home in Newport Beach, California. Their son, Hudson, was born in September 2019. The couple separated in September 2020 and later divorced in 2021.

In April 2021, Ant Anstead began a relationship with American actress Renée Zellweger. They had worked together on a TV series.

Ant Anstead also supports a charity called Harrison's Fund. This charity helps research into a muscle disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Ant Anstead's TV Shows

Television