9 Facts About Ant Anstead's Kids With His First Wife
Even if you aren't into cars, you probably know the name Ant Anstead from the headlines he's made for his famous relationships. The British TV personality is dating Oscar winner Renée Zellweger and was previously married to HGTV star Christina Haack. Anstead has had a successful TV career though, hosting automotive-themed shows like "Wheelers and Dealers" and "Celebrity IOU: Joyride." Yet, Anstead may be better known for appearing on Haack's show, "Christina on the Coast."
While Anstead and Haack's split went on to get a lot of attention, it wasn't the first time Anstead got divorced. The "Radford Returns" host was married to his teenage sweetheart, Louise Storey, from 2005 to 2017. The exes have two children together, Amelie and Archie, and both are now teenagers. Anstead has remained close with Storey, telling People, "We will forever be family." Yet, Amelie and Archie seemed happy when their father remarried Haack, especially since they had their little brother, Hudson. In another interview with People, Anstead revealed that his older children were actually devastated when he and Haack split. "It was a very, very difficult FaceTime call," he said. "They loved Christina — they still do — and they really wanted us to work. I think every child just wants to see their parents happy."
After Ant and Christina engaged in a tabloid-making custody battle, Anstead is now co-parenting Hudson with Haack. But Amelie and Archie are still a huge part of Anstead's life, so let's break down everything you should know about Anstead's kids with his first wife.
Amelie and Archie Anstead are best friends with their dad
Amelie and Archie Anstead are teenagers, but they still seem to love spending time with their dad, Ant Anstead. The "Building Cars Live" host even told People, "They are genuinely my best friends." In another interview with People, he revealed that their bond has actually gotten stronger over the years. "Society and history tells you that older kids, generally, tend to drift away from their parents. They then have their own lives and so on. The fact is that we are closer now than we've ever been, and they then get the best of both worlds," he said, adding, "They're amazing humans."
From the looks of Anstead's Instagram, that seems true, because he often posts photos of the things he does with Amelie and Archie. For example, in July 2022, Anstead shared a post detailing a day they spent together, writing, "Daytime beach, Evening BBQ, Night time s'mores." Anstead also shares photos of him and his older kids just hanging out and makes it clear in the captions how much he loves them. He often lovingly refers to them as "legends," too.
If it's not obvious enough that Amelie and Archie are close with Anstead, then perhaps Anstead dedicating a whole Valentine's Day post to his daughter is. In 2023, despite his romantic relationship with Renée Zellweger, Anstead was sure to shout out his other "special lady" on Instagram. Amelie has kept her dad off her Instagram grid (as most teen girls would), though Archie has posted a carousel of photos of him and his dad.
Ant Anstead's older kids still live in England
Amelie and Archie Anstead are obviously close with their dad, Ant Anstead, even though they live on different continents. That's because they still live in Anstead's native England, while he's been living in California since 2017. Yet, Anstead emphasized that the distance hasn't negatively impacted their relationship because they're often taking trips to visit each other. As he explained to People, "I get more time with my older kids because when they come, they come in solid chunks."
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic made things challenging. Amelie and Archie were not able to see their dad for almost a year because of border restrictions. Anstead did get to the U.K. to see them by August 2021 though, writing on his Instagram, "I've been hanging with my kiddos after what has felt like an eternity! Despite the use of technology to get us through, it was an emotional reunion!" From the looks of Anstead's social media, he's spent a lot of time with them in the U.K. since. In January 2023, he posted himself and his youngest son, Hudson, spending time with Amelie and Archie in the English countryside, and then exploring London together. Months later, Anstead returned and apparently hung out with them as soon as he landed.
Amelie has also chosen to stay in the U.K. for college, with Anstead revealing in 2022 that she was attending Loughborough University. Amelie later gave glimpses of her life at the university by sharing photos of her and her friends on campus in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England.
They're close with their dad's son with Christina Haack
Amelie and Archie Anstead seem to have a really good relationship with their little half-brother, Hudson London Anstead. The "Cops & Robbers: The Story of the British Police Car" author welcomed Hudson with his ex-wife, Christina Haack, back in 2019, before they got divorced. At the time, the former couple had made it a point to blend their families, because Haack also had older children from her previous marriage. "I think everybody has to be on the same page. ... If everybody wants the same thing, and that has to be kids first. If you prioritize kids first, it actually kind of falls into place and the rest of it makes sense," Anstead had told ET.
It's clear that Hudson has been very special to both his big sister and brother ever since he was born. Amelie even posted a photo of him as an infant on her Instagram to welcome him into their family. She gushed in the caption, "beyond excited to meet my new baby brother, he's perfect." That next year, she shared another photo of Hudson when he was just a baby, writing, "too cute."
Anstead has shared photos of his older kids spending time with their little brother, as well. In fact, in many of their family photos, Amelie is seen holding and cuddling Hudson. Archie, too, has appeared to have really taken to being Hudson's big brother, and it's not just because Hudson looks like him. In August 2023, Anstead shared an adorable post of them playing together on the beach when Archie visited them in California.
Ant Anstead's kids like his girlfriend, Renée Zellweger
While it can sometimes be hard for kids to see their parents date other people, Amelie and Archie Anstead apparently really like their dad, Ant Anstead's, girlfriend. It probably helps that she's movie star, Renée Zellweger, whom Anstead has been dating since the summer of 2021. Anstead didn't waste too much time before introducing Zellweger to his kids either, considering that he revealed to People that they had all gotten together that Christmas. "It was great," Anstead dished. "I mean, Renée's so personable, and so great with people, and they've met a few times on FaceTime, so everybody was excited to finally get together." Yet it was Amelie, in particular, who hit it off with Zellweger, because the two were seemingly able to have girl time.
That first visit must have gone really well, because it was reported by Page Six that Zellweger spent the following Christmas with Anstead and his older kids in their home country of England. Fans believe the "Bridget Jones's Diary" star can be seen in the background of one of the photos that Anstead posted from his trip there.
It appears that Amelie and Archie have grown closer to Zellweger since then too. In July 2023, Archie posted a series of photos of Zellweger with his family on his Instagram, even though he doesn't have many other photos on his grid. Around that time, a source also told Us Weekly, "Renée gets along really well with Ant's children and they spend a lot of quality time together. ... Despite being in the public eye, Renée and Ant love just hanging out at home with the kids, watching movies, and making dinner together. They enjoy a very low-key lifestyle."
Both Amelie and Archie Anstead are very athletic
Like their dad, Ant Anstead (who plays semi-professional soccer), Amelie and Archie Anstead are quite the athletes. Amelie, for one, plays rugby, frequently sharing candids from the field or her team photos on Instagram. One of the teams that she plays on won a championship in 2023, and she appeared to have traveled with another rugby team after that too. Yet, Amelie is seemingly also just into fitness overall, since she's tried her hand at boxing, as well. She's even shared some videos of her workouts before, and has already booked a sponsorship from a sports clothing brand.
While Archie doesn't post as much about sports as his big sister does, he did share a photo of himself playing rugby in 2022. He also listed himself as an "athlete" in his bio. However, like Amelie, Archie doesn't just play rugby. In August 2023, Anstead shared a photo of him and his son playing soccer in Los Angeles. Anstead captioned it, "What a privilege to see @archoanstead pull on the jersey and play alongside each other."
Anstead has, of course, been cheering on both of his older kids and has made an effort to attend their games despite their international distance. In March 2023, for example, he shared a photo of Archie playing rugby, writing, "LA to London overnight just in time for my handsome young man @archoanstead rugby tournament." In another post, he commended them for staying active in different ways during the summer of 2023.
Like most teens, Amelie and Archie Anstead like to have fun
Like most teenagers, Amelie and Archie Anstead like to have fun, and they like to document some of that fun on social media. Amelie after all, is a college student, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she's posted photos of herself drinking and partying alongside her friends at house parties. She seemingly also likes to go out, because she's shared photos of herself dressed up for theme parties, going on vacations, and attending music festivals, like Standon Calling. One of those nights could have gotten a little wild too, because Amelie captioned some photos from a festival with, "my phones that smashed, I can't see what I'm posting."
As for Archie, the younger teen looks like he enjoys a good party as well, considering that most of the photos on his Instagram seem to be from parties with his friends. In one photo from August 2023, Archie even appears to be at a pub, with what looks like a beer in front of him (the drinking rules for teens in the U.K. are a bit more lenient than those in the U.S.).
Despite Anstead's kids living it up in their youth, it seems they still have their priorities straight. Anstead has posted how they've both done very well in school, receiving mostly A's. In a 2022 photo of Amelie showing off her grades, Anstead wrote, "You worked your socks off for this! You are one inspiring young lady!"
Ant Anstead's daughter suffers from several allergies
Amelie Anstead has been open about how she suffers from several allergies. She even partnered with the food allergy app Spokin to raise awareness about allergies in teens by sharing her own experiences. In an interview with Spokin, she revealed, "I'm allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and was recently diagnosed with wheat, gluten, and yeast allergies." Because of that, the college student says she often chooses to cook her own food over going to restaurants, and she reads the labels on packaged food before she eats anything.
For Amelie, staying prepared has been key too, since she travels a lot for sports and to see her father, Ant Anstead, in California. That means she makes sure to always pack her EpiPen, allergy tablets, and inhaler, as well as her own snacks for any plane ride, because what they have isn't always allergy-friendly. However, Amelie seemingly wants it known that she hasn't let her food allergies hold her back in life, and she's inspiring others to follow her lead. "Having allergies can build your confidence massively if you let it. You're a bit different and so what? You have to own it," she said.
Amelie is allergic to more than just food though, because she wrote about her allergy to animals on Instagram too. Yet, she's still managed to have pets. She explained, "Finding a hypoallergenic dog was hard, but very possible," adding, "He doesn't drop hair therefore doesn't effect my allergies."
Amelie Anstead loves animals, especially her dogs
It's a good thing that Amelie Anstead found a pet that doesn't disturb her allergies, considering that she seems to really love animals, especially her dogs. In 2019, she share a post to introduce her 8-year-old cockapoo, Teddy, where she wrote about how he was the perfect dog for her. She gushed, "He's a mental dog with lots of love to give and is a huge part of our family!"
There's another dog in Amelie's life besides Teddy too, because later that year she shared that she got another puppy, named Ralph. Like Teddy, Ralph is a cockapoo, and therefore hypoallergenic. She's shared some adorable photos of Teddy and Ralph together, and detailed in the caption how they've helped her get over the times that her allergies hindered her love of animals. Amelie explained, "From a young age I had always wanted to become a vet but it's always hard to work with animals when you suffer with severe allergies to animals." She continued, "There has been a few time where I had to re home my pets as I couldn't even hold them!"
While Amelie may have to push aside her dreams of being a vet, her cockapoos have allowed her to at least be a dog mom. Her father, Ant Anstead, and his girlfriend, Renée Zellweger, have dogs of their own too, yet it's unclear if they are hypoallergenic. Either way, Amelie probably still loves them, even if it's from afar.
Ant Anstead's son helped him with home renovations
Archie Anstead may have a future on HGTV because he's already helped his dad, Ant Anstead, remodel a home. In August 2023, Anstead shared a post on his Instagram of Archie using power tools to help him renovate a bathroom in what presumably is his home. He jokingly wrote in the caption, "What are child labour rules in California ....? Asking for a friend." Archie isn't Anstead's only son interested in construction though, since he shared a photo of Archie's little brother, Hudson, enjoying himself at Home Depot. He wrote in the caption, "Hudzo is obsessed with tools, skills and craft!"
While Anstead didn't share too much about the house that he and Archie were working on, it could be the home he reportedly moved in with his girlfriend, Renée Zellweger. Anstead had sold his beloved Temple house after he remodeled that home, and shared some of that process with his Instagram followers. Archie might have been too young to help as much with the Temple house renovations at that time, but he seems to be making up for it now.
All in all, it's evident that both Archie and Amelie have grown up into interesting young adults with plenty of skills and passions of their own. Sure, their dad may be famous for his automobile expertise and high-profile romances, but his kids from his first marriage could one day steal that spotlight.