Ant Anstead, the British TV presenter and mechanic, told Hello! that Renée Zellweger is “the greatest human I’ve ever met” as he promoted the second season of his show Born Mechanic.
In the interview, Anstead, 46, said one of the things that attracted him to the Oscar-winning actress was that she is “a hands-on car girl.” The couple met after Zellweger appeared on Anstead’s earlier series, Celebrity IOU Joyride, and he recounted that she even welded during that appearance. Anstead said Zellweger, 56, has also influenced his plan to restore and sell classic cars to fund the renovation of a 500-year-old farmhouse he bought for his parents, calling her “very, very good at designing” and noting he takes her advice.
Born Mechanic’s second season, which Anstead discussed during promotional appearances, is scheduled to debut on Discovery on Sept. 16. Zellweger is due to appear in season five of the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, which is set to premiere Sept. 9.
The couple, who began dating in 2021, have faced heightened scrutiny in recent months as Anstead’s business troubles became public. In October 2024 his company, Radford Motors, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the case was later converted to Chapter 7, a move that typically leads to liquidation. The company faces lawsuits from business partners and several former clients who say they paid large deposits for luxury custom cars they never received. It was not immediately clear how the conversion to Chapter 7 would proceed in this matter.
Media reports in May said Anstead and Zellweger had been living apart for some time amid the financial and legal issues. The couple had not been photographed together in public since early March, when they attended a soccer game supporting Anstead’s young son. Anstead and his ex-wife, television personality Christina Haack, posted photos and videos from their son Hudson’s sixth birthday in late summer; Zellweger did not appear in images from the celebration.
Anstead has said he has downsized his living arrangements, moving from a multi-million-dollar home in Laguna Beach, California, to a smaller, more affordable residence for himself and Hudson. He is also the father of two adult children from a prior marriage. Zellweger, who has long guarded her private life, told British Vogue in January that she lives in Southern California near San Diego because “that’s where my fellow lives, and his little boy.”
Representatives for Anstead and Zellweger did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The couple continue to pursue separate professional projects as Anstead promotes Born Mechanic and Zellweger prepares for her role in Only Murders in the Building.