Ant Anstead
{{short description|British television presenter, motor specialist and designer}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ant Anstead
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Anthony Richard Anstead
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|3|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Plymouth, Devon, England, U.K.
| other_names =
| spouse = {{marriage|Louise Herbert|2005|2017|reason=divorced}}
{{marriage|Christina Haack|2018|2021|reason=divorced}}
| partner =
| children = 3
| known_for = For the Love of Cars
Wheeler Dealers
| occupation = Television presenter, motor specialist, car builder, designer, artist
| website = {{URL|ant-anstead.co.uk}}
}}
Anthony Richard Anstead (born 28 March 1979){{cite web |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/Zp5MA1ryIgYZu2M3okTLidRAZp8/appointments |title=Anthony Richard ANSTEAD |publisher=Companies House |access-date=3 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=GLBqbbsr7kGzi4vj06cx8w&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=3 September 2017|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}
is an English television presenter, motor specialist, car builder, designer, and artist,{{cite web|url=http://www.discoveryuk.com/press-release-210317/|title=Press Release|accessdate=23 March 2017}} best known for co-presenting the Channel 4 automotive show For the Love of Cars with Philip Glenister. From 2017-2021, Anstead replaced Edd China as co-host of the show Wheeler Dealers, (S.14 -16) alongside Mike Brewer, during the filming and production at their US base.{{Cite web |url= http://wheelerdealers.discoveryuk.com/ |title= Wheelers Dealer |accessdate= 1 June 2017 |publisher= Discover Channel |archive-date= 26 March 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170326230758/http://wheelerdealers.discoveryuk.com/ |url-status= dead }}
Early life
Anstead was born in Plymouth, Devon, England.{{cite news|url= https://people.com/home/who-is-ant-anstead-five-things-to-know-about-christina-el-moussas-new-british-boyfriend/| title=Christina El Moussa Is Dating Ant Anstead — But Who is Her New British Beau?|first=Mackenzie|last= Schmidt | date=January 3, 2018|accessdate=December 23, 2018|work=People}} He lived in Ely, Cambridgeshire, until he was 10, then moved with his family to Hertfordshire. He was educated at Richard Hale School, Hertford, then attended the nearby Haileybury School to complete his A-levels. At sixteen Anstead built his first kit car and sold it immediately for a profit. He then bought an MG and so began his infatuation with cars.{{Citation |title=The Ant Anstead interview PART 2 - crashing on Top Gear, dating Renee Zellweger & cop cars |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAJaiYKbjG4 |access-date=2023-12-06 |language=en}}
Early career
Anstead joined Hertfordshire Constabulary in 1999 and became a Police Constable first stationed at Bishop's Stortford. He moved to Cheshunt police station and then became a member of the Tactical Firearms Team (TFU) in Welwyn Garden City.{{cite web |url=http://www.ant-anstead.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=ant-anstead.co.uk}} During his early police career, Anstead guarded John Duffy the convicted Railway Murderer for three days in a police safe house. He went on to receive two commendations for acts of bravery.{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=David |title=Ant Anstead tells us what got him to where he is today |url=https://www.influx.co.uk/people/ant-anstead/ |website=Influx |date=2 December 2016 |accessdate=15 May 2020}}
In 2005 Anstead resigned from the Police to pursue a career as a car builder. He started building and restoring cars for clients and built recreation cars and one-offs.
Anstead played semi-professional football for over 15 years playing over 700 matches at Ryman level,{{Cite web|url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/ant-anstead|title=Ant Anstead Profile {{!}} Aylesbury United FC|publisher=Aylesbury United FC|accessdate=1 June 2017}} and made the transition from goalkeeper to striker.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/8174/goal-keeper-turned-poacher|title=The Non-League Football Paper|date=October 2013|publisher=Greenways Publishing|accessdate=1 October 2017}}
Television career
Anstead started his own television production company in 2014,{{cite web|url=https://checkltd.co.uk/company/09108550/ant-anstead-limited|title=Ant Anstead Limited|publisher=checkltd.co.uk|accessdate=2017-08-14|archive-date=16 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816231559/https://checkltd.co.uk/company/09108550/ant-anstead-limited|url-status=dead}} producing his own show The World’s Most Expensive Cars.
In 2014, he was approached to host a new Channel 4 car show with British actor Philip Glenister. Since then Anstead has hosted a number of television shows, and in 2015 he hosted BBC Two's live show Building Cars Live, alongside James May and Kate Humble.
Anstead hosts the live stages of some of the UK's car shows as well as after-dinner speaking and motivational speaking in schools and for charities.
In his 2019 TV show Ant Anstead Master Mechanic, Anstead uses a variety of components, from spare parts to donor cars to hand-build an homage to the Alfa Romeo 158. The show sees Anstead work with a variety of automotive personalities and experts in the field.{{cite web |title=MotorTrend Announces the All-New Series Ant Anstead Master Mechanic |url=https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/motortrend-announces-the-all-new-series-ant-anstead-master-mechanic/ |publisher=Discovery, Inc. |access-date=14 September 2021 | date=25 September 2019}}
In addition to Master Mechanic, Anstead is also part of the new ''
= ''Wheeler Dealers'' =
In 2017, Anstead was offered a five-year contract to move with his family to the United States for Wheeler Dealers USA and to replace co-host and close friend Edd China, who had decided to return to the UK.
Three years later, production was transferred back to the UK without Anstead, as he has a young son, Hudson{{Cite web |title=Ant and Christina Anstead Celebrate Son Hudson's 1st Birthday: 'You Are Our Miracle Baby' |url=https://people.com/parents/ant-anstead-christina-anstead-son-hudson-first-birthday/ |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}} who is settled in the US with his second ex-wife Christina Hall with whom he shares custody.{{Citation |title=The Ant Anstead interview PART 1 - the private life and project cars of a Wheeler Dealer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9BrgNvDVXk |access-date=2023-12-06 |language=en}}
Personal life
Anstead has a daughter, Amelie, and son, Archie, with his first wife Louise. They divorced in 2017.
He started dating American television personality Christina Haack in October 2017. On 22 December 2018, they married at their Newport Beach, California home.{{cite web|date=22 December 2018|title=Christina El Moussa Is Married! Inside Her Secret 'Winter Wonderland' Wedding to Ant Anstead|url=https://people.com/tv/christina-el-moussa-marries-ant-anstead/|work=People}} Their son Hudson was born in September 2019. {{cite web | url=https://people.com/parents/ant-anstead-emergency-order-for-full-custody-of-son-hudson-with-ex-christina-hall-denied/ | title=Judge Denies Ant Anstead's Emergency Order for Full Custody of Son Hudson with Ex Christina Hall }} The couple separated in September 2020 and divorced the following year.{{Cite web|date=September 18, 2020|title=Christina Anstead and Husband Ant Split After Less Than 2 Years of Marriage: 'Our Children Will Remain Our Priority'|url=https://people.com/home/christina-anstead-and-ant-anstead-split/|access-date=2020-09-23|website=PEOPLE.com|language=EN}}
In April 2021, seven months after his split from Haack, he began a relationship with American actress Renée Zellweger with whom he had filmed a TV series.{{cite news|date=13 August 2021|title=Ant Anstead and Renee Zellweger Attend 1st Public Event Together — and Tarek El Moussa Was There|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ant-anstead-renee-zellweger-attend-1st-public-event-together/}}
Anstead is patron of Harrison's Fund, a charity that supports research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.{{cite news|date=January 2, 2018|title=About Harrisons Fund – Our Patron|publisher=Harrisons Fund|url=https://harrisonsfund.com/patrons.php/}}
Filmography
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Channel |
|---|
| 2014
| rowspan="18" | Presenter |
| 2015
| Building Cars Live |
| 2016
|World's Most Expensive Cars |
| 2016 |
| 2016
|Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth |
| 2016
|New York: America's Busiest City |
| 2016
|Craft: I Made This |
| 2016
|The Lost Lotus: Restoring a Race Car |
| 2017–2020 |
| 2017
| Britain's Greatest Invention |
| 2017
| Craft It Yourself |
| 2017
|Sunday Brunch – Live |
| 2018
| Barrett-Jackson Live Auto Auction |
| 2019
|Ant Anstead Master Mechanic |
| 2019
|HGTV |
| 2020
|World's Greatest Cars |Sky |
| 2021–present
|Celebrity IOU: Joyride |
| 2024
|Ant Anstead: Born Mechanic |
Bibliography
- Cops and Robbers: The Story of the British Police Car, HarperCollins UK, 2018, {{ISBN|9780008245061}}{{cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008244514/cops-and-robbers/|title=Cops and Robbers by Ant Anstead – Hardcover|publisher=Harper Collins|accessdate=2018-05-17}}
- Petrol Head Parenting: The Essential Guide to Diagnosing and Nurturing a Petrol Head, Great Flood Publishing, 2018, {{ISBN|9780692195543}}{{cite web|url=https://noahfineart.com/collections/petrol-head/products/petrol-head-parenting-by-ant-anstead-amp-noah-elias-us-only|title=Petrol Head Parenting by Ant Anstead & Noah Elias– Hardcover|publisher=Great Flood Parenting|accessdate=2018-05-17}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://ant-anstead.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|7670855}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anstead, Ant}}
Category:English television presenters
Category:Hertfordshire Constabulary officers