The Truth About Christina Anstead's Second Ex-Husband
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Fans of Christina Haack (once known as Christina Anstead) likely best know the television personality for appearing alongside her now ex-husband, Tarek El Moussa, on "Flip or Flop." The two have been flipping houses (and garnering plenty of loyal fans) since the show first aired on HGTV in 2013 — and the series' ratings have skyrocketed season after season, eventually making it the highly rated show on HGTV that it is today (via Multichannel News).
When this dynamic duo filed for divorce after seven years of marriage in 2017, it was a shock for fans of the show everywhere. And when Christina married a new man the following year, it had her house-flipping fans wondering who the mystery man was.
Luckily, her second husband was used to all the attention. Ant Anstead has lived a life on television too, hosting shows like "Wheeler Dealers" and "For the Love of Cars." But what else is there to know about Christina Haack's second ex-husband? Here's a look Christina Hacck's former relationship and the truth about her ex-husband, Ant Anstead.
Christina Haack's ex-husband Ant Anstead is known for hosting the TV show Wheeler Dealers
Christina Haack's second ex-husband, Ant Anstead, has always been a car guy — so when he was asked to join the television show "Wheeler Dealers" on Discovery in 2017, he jumped at the opportunity. Of course, it helped that the full-time mechanic was already a big fan of the classic car restoration series.
Up until then, Anstead wasn't very well-known outside of the U.K. However, being on the television show was never about the fame for him. "The cars are the stars. And the fact is that we just have the privilege to be the pair that talks about cars," he told Classic Proof.
Unfortunately, when Anstead took over as co-host during Season 14, there was some pushback from fans who had been with the show since the beginning. It was a disappointing start, to say the least, but Anstead pushed past it. "For us, it isn't about the change of hosts, it's all about the cars," he said in an interview with Classic Proof.
Christina Haack's ex-husband Ant Anstead is British
When Christina Haack's ex-husband Ant Anstead decided to join the television series "Wheeler Dealers," it meant moving to America to be a part of the production.
While his ex-wife Haack grew up in California, Anstead had lived his whole life in the U.K. However, this British bloke seems to have easily adjusted to the sunny California coast. "Personally, I've really settled in," he admitted to DriveTribe. Anstead continued, saying, "I love living in Newport Beach. I love, I love being in this part of the world."
The decision for Anstead to leave his friends and family on the other side of the world was not an easy one for him to make — but had he not made that decision, he wouldn't be anywhere near where he ended up today. The west coast is where he met Haack, with whom he once shared a home with that was just minutes from the beach. Of course, it had to be one that had an enormous garage for all of his cars.
Ant Anstead used to be a policeman
Christina Haack's ex had a plan when he graduated high school.
According to his official website, Ant Anstead immediately joined the police force as one of the U.K.'s youngest officers after high school. Automobiles never seemed to be too far away, though. He still built cars in his spare time and has even admitted to being a part of some pretty crazy car chases while on the job (via Drive Tribe). After six years, he ended up leaving this dangerous life to build cars full time. "The best move I've ever made was making the decision to wake up one morning and decide this is what I love and this is what I want to do forever," he told Lotus.
When television eventually came calling, Anstead's previous experience as a policeman surprisingly helped make it a much easier transition. "When you're standing in-front of someone armed — that's real fear. It kind of makes standing on stage or in front of a camera easy," he explained to Influx Magazine.
Christina Haack's ex has written a few books
Christina Haack's ex-husband is a man of many talents. In addition to being a car guru, Ant Anstead is also a published author!
As noted on his Twitter account, Anstead was in the process of "polishing off" his third book in April 2020, though he already had two completed books on the shelves. Apparently, one of those books has a particularly special link to his past. Writing "Cops and Robbers: The Story Behind the British Police Car" gave Anstead the opportunity to combine his passion for cars with his previous occupation as a policeman. Plus, it gave him even more of a reason to spend extra time around automobiles. Ahead of releasing the book, Anstead announced, "It's going to be an epic book and researching it meant that I got to hang out with old police cars, which was very cool."
Anstead spent months researching and sourcing old photographs for this historical handbook, and he even enlisted the help from regulars of the Police Car U.K. club meeting held at the British Motor Museum back in his home country of England. Those people definitely know their stuff, after all!
Ant Anstead has been building cars since before he could even drive
Ant Anstead has always had a need for speed.
While most people aren't constantly thinking about cars before they're even able to legally drive them, Anstead has been a lover of all things cars since he was just a kid. He began building practically anything with a motor when he was only around 12 years old, purchasing old lawn mower parts to build go-carts that we was able to drive before receiving his license (via Classic Proof). Only a year later, he began building his first of what would be many, many cars.
Needless to say, the day Anstead was actually able to get his driver's license was an exciting one that he had been waiting for years. Growing up in the U.K., he was forced to wait a whole year longer than American teens do. "In England you have to be 17 years old to get a driving license," Anstead told MotorTrend. He continued, explaining, "So when I was literally 17 and an hour, I was driving, because I was a car guy, I always wanted to drive."
Christina Anstead's second ex-husband had no plans to ever be on television
Christina Anstead's ex-husband Ant Anstead had no aspirations to ever be on television.
While Anstead wasn't against the idea of being a TV personality, the idea just wasn't something that ever really crossed his mind. Instead, he focused on his work as a mechanic, building cars in his garage full-time and slowly building up a living. In fact, that's what he was doing in 2013 when England's popular Channel 4 called and asked if he would be a part of their new car show, "For the Love of Cars." Two years later, the U.S.-based "Wheeler Dealers" gave him a call to ask if he'd join their program, as well.
"I'd never done TV before," Anstead admitted to Motoring Middle East, explaining that he has never been one to say no to a new opportunity. Added Anstead, "I just knew in my heart, 'Sure I want to do this. It's something that I really love.'"
Christina Haack's ex Ant Anstead has two kids from his previous marriage
When Christina Haack met her now ex-husband Ant Anstead, the two already had a lot in common — but a big similarity was that they each had two children before welcoming their son Hudson in 2019.
Before meeting and marrying the "Christina on the Coast" star, Anstead was married to his wife, Louise — who he separated from in July 2017 (via Twitter). The two children Anstead shares with his ex-wife, Amelie and Archie, are his everything — but with his ex-wife being back in the U.K., the two teens travel back and forth between their mother's house and Anstead's place in Newport Beach, California (via People). Needless to say, those kids are racking up many frequent flier miles.
Before his split from Haack, Anstead made it clear that he was adamant about keeping his kids comfortable in their blended family — and that included Haack's kids, too. "If you ever make a decision that doesn't put the kids first, it is the wrong decision," he told People.
Ant Anstead holds a world record
Ant Anstead lives and breathes cars — so, after over 20 years of building them, it shouldn't be a shocker that he holds a world record in the automotive industry. In fact, Anstead built an Aston Martin that was sold at an auction for the most amount of money in history. "People lust after these cars more than ever before and there are individuals willing to pay more money than ever to have one," he explained to This Is Money.
Throughout his car career, Anstead has spoken to many automobile enthusiasts who surprisingly own hundreds of cars — practically a different one to drive on every day of the year. "People collect these cars in the same way as people collect stamps," Anstead told This is Money. He continued, revealing, "That will always shock me."
Before his big sale, Anstead revealed that he had taken two of the same vehicle to a local scrapyard, not realizing that he was missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars. Instead of a hunk of junk, he could have been sitting on a hunk of cash!
He used to be a semi-professional football player
When Ant Anstead isn't busy kicking around car parts, he's kicking around a soccer ball — or football, as they like to call it in England.
In fact, Anstead was actually a semi-professional player back in the U.K. According to This Is Money, he actually played over 700 games as both a goalie and a striker. Now, that's impressive!
Soccer wasn't something Anstead gave up after he moved to the California coast either. Unfortunately, however, he received an arm injury that left him in a sling in 2019 — an injury that happened to come in the middle of shooting a season of "Wheeler Dealers." As the show's main car mechanic, Anstead had to enlist some help in order for him to get the job done with only one functioning arm.
Ant Anstead owns his own car company
Long before Ant Anstead met Christina Haack, he had built himself a U.K.-based business called Dowsetts Classic Cars in which he built and restored cars.
Like many great businesses, Anstead's car restoration service started off as a small little workshop at his home, with the professional mechanic building one car at a time by himself. After cashing out from the cars he built and sold, he was able to build up his business, as well (via Lotus). It has since turned into a customized car experience for each client that Anstead and his team work with. "We even ensure the seating position, steering wheel and pedals suit the customer's exact size and frame," he explained to Influx. Hey, that seems like a pretty sweet deal.
The cars, as his company's name implies, are indeed classics — but most of them are completely made from scratch from the foundation up. "Although they look old, they're brand new," Anstead explained. Shiny and new! What's not to love?
Christina Anstead's ex-husband Ant Anstead is into crafting
Christina Haack's second ex-husband Ant Anstead is full of surprises!
Crafting doesn't quite seem like something a mechanic-by-trade would be into, but it appears these two hobbies have a lot more in common than one might think. According to Anstead, it's all about putting your personality into it. "It's that hands on, creative spark that set me on the path to be a car builder," Anstead explained to Homemaker Magazine. He continued, saying, "But building cars hasn't stopped me making other stuff!"
After shooting an episode of Anstead's very first television show in the U.K. — "For the Love of Cars" – Anstead took an old, beat-up canvas hood that he had removed from a Land Rover. Knowing it still had to be useful for something, he decided to make himself a bag out of it. "Every time I use the bag, it reminds me of the restoration and the people I met when rebuilding that car," he said. Added Anstead, "I loved that car."
Ant Anstead is passionate about his charity work
Ant Anstead knows the importance of giving back.
In 2012, Anstead became an ambassador for Harrison's Fund — a charity committed to awareness and research of Duchenne muscular dystrophy — a progressive genetic disorder in children which typically affects boys. "Knowing I am supporting something which could eventually mean a new lifeline for thousands of young boys each year is something I am proud to lend my voice too, Anstead said of the organization.
Cars helped fuel the cause — pun intended. In 2017, Anstead auctioned off a car he built from scratch for the charity at a motor show in the U.K. "Being able to combine two things I am passionate about is a no brainer for me! I get to build a car and at the same time help Harrison's Fund," he announced. His "Wheeler Dealers" co-host Mike Brewer joined him by restoring his own car for a charity of his choice, and it turned into a bit of a competition to see who could raise the most money. "Battle off against Mike Brewer!" Anstead said. Added the TV host, "Wait, that's three things I love!"
Christina Anstead's ex-husband loves fast food
Christina Haack's ex-husband Ant Anstead loves greasy food. Stars — they're just like us!
After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Haack decided she needed to change her life — so she changed what she eats in a day. Upon witnessing the incredible changes she saw from simply eating right and exercising, she wanted to share her story, along with tips and tricks, with others. In April 2020, she partnered with a celebrity nutritionist and released a book called "The Wellness Remodel: A Guide to Rebooting How You Eat, Move, and Feed Your Soul."
Of course, her then-husband was immensely proud of her, gushing about her on Instagram — with a Big Mac in hand. In July 2020, he hilariously captured his time home cooking for her kids while she was away at work, serving a "French recipe" called "Le Big Mac" and serving them a side dish of French fries and Coke in champagne glasses to wash it all down with. Judging by her comment to his Instagram post, it seems she doesn't usually allow her kids to have soda. Whoops!
Ant Anstead supported Christina Haack working on a TV show with her ex
Ant Anstead seemed to be a perfectly supportive husband.
As fans of the HGTV star know, Christina Haack shares two kids with her first ex-husband Tarek El Moussa — so they understandably have to make their co-parenting relationship work. However, even after their divorce, the two also made the decision to continue working together as co-stars on their HGTV house-flipping series, "Flip or Flop." Unfortunately, the first season they shot together post-separation caused Haack to admit in a press release, "Since we have to see each other every day it's beyond awkward" (via Country Living). Yikes.
What had to be even more awkward was how her then-new husband felt about her working with her ex. However, Anstead was the supportive hubs everybody dreams of having. "She (and Tarek) have tackled this series with an amazing attitude and professionalism," he posted on Instagram as he gushed over Haack. Anstead continued, saying, "I'm so incredibly proud of her for rolling up her sleeves and cracking on!"
Ant Anstead was devastated by his divorce from Christina Haack
When Christina Haack first announced her split from Ant Anstead in 2020, fans weren't the only ones who were completely devastated by their divorce. "It really hit me hard," Anstead later admitted to People. In Instagram photos, followers even began noticing that he had lost a lot of weight. The stress of his divorce took him down 23 pounds (via People), and mentally, he found himself in a "very dark place." By 2020, "I reached this turning point," he said. "I had the choice to dwell on it, or move on and work on myself." He knew he needed to make a change in order to make himself better.
Anstead opted to sign himself up for a five-week "breakup recovery" course that completely turned his life around. "Not only have I improved my mental health, I've actually made a real conscious decision to go and improve my physical health, as well," he said. Today, he successfully co-parents son Hudson with Haack.
Ant Anstead still lives in California after splitting with Christina Haack
Many of Ant Anstead's fans have seen the house he bought in the states with Christina Haack on "Christina on the Coast." Yet, when the two decided to split, Anstead put only his clothes in a suitcase and set out to find somewhere to live. While Anstead could have headed back to his home in the U.K., he decided that the California coast was where he needed to stay. "I call California home," he told his fans on Instagram, so he rented out a small apartment with son Hudson while they searched for a place that they could call home.
The house hunt took a lot longer than he expected, and the small space wasn't exactly what Anstead had hoped for. He didn't even have a bathtub to wash his small son in. However, the entire living situation ended up being a big life lesson. "I've realized how little I need, and what's important," he explained to People. "I don't need anything but Hudson and my health."
In June 2021, Anstead officially purchased a fixer-upper that he appropriately refers to as "Temple." However, it seems he'll always secretly miss that little apartment. "I'm Gonna look back at this chapter with some amazing loving memories as I am reminded of the difference between a 'house,' and a 'home,'" he wrote on Instagram.
Ant Anstead partnered with the Property Brothers
Though Ant Anstead has officially split from Christina Haack, he's still been busy hanging out with other HGTV stars. In May 2021, it was announced that he would be partnering with the Property Brothers for two brand new shows. And he'll be working on what he knows best — cars.
The Scott brothers have brought Anstead along for their "Celebrity IOU" spin-off series called "Celebrity IOU Joyride." Instead of watching the brothers renovate homes for celebrities, fans can now catch Anstead creating personalized cars in the Scotts brothers-produced show. And it'd seem that the twins are impressed by Anstead's abilities, as Drew Scott decided he even wanted a customized car of his own. In the special "Drew's Dream Car with Ant Anstead," the Scott brother will get just that — the automobile he's always imagined having. The two-hour special "gets deep into Drews warped/creative automotive head," Anstead joked on Instagram.
This automotive enthusiast has certainly stayed busy, and it seems as though these series won't be the last time we see this trio together. "I will now only use the Property Brothers for all future public announcements," Anstead wrote on Instagram. We can't wait!