Inside Ant Anstead's Romance With Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger set out to do some good for two special people when she appeared on "Celebrity IOU Joyride" in 2021. The "Bridget Jones's Diary" star wanted to thank twins Jerald and Jerome for caring for her late friend and publicist Nanci Ryder following her ALS diagnosis, so she decided to gift them a new-and-improved Oldsmobile 442 and Ford Bronco. In the process, though, Zellweger ended up irrevocably changing her life for the better as she fell in love with the reality show's host, Ant Anstead. 

An insider confirmed their unlikely relationship with People in June 2021, remarking, "Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right." They continued, "Renée is creative, and often goes for guys who think out of the box. She's smart, thoughtful and always looking to expand horizons and nurture those around her." The celebrity couple made their first official public appearance at the Radford Motors gala in August. The following month, they proudly made their relationship Instagram official. 

Zellweger and Anstead's romance got even more serious from there on and out, as he later informed People that the two children Anstead shares with his first wife, Louise Storey, got to meet the Oscar winner at Christmas. The British TV personality was pleased to say that his teens adored Zellweger, and she had formed a particularly close friendship with his daughter. A few months prior, an insider told People that the actor was also "playful and sweet" with Anstead and his second ex-wife Christina Hall's son.

During an appearance on "Jeremy Vine" in October 2024, Ant Anstead confessed that Renée Zellweger's down-to-earth nature genuinely caused him to forget that he was even dating a celebrity. And based on the account an insider gave to Life & Style magazine, it seems like the "Jerry Maguire" star often forgets that fact, too. They asserted that Zellweger was hearing wedding bells but was vehemently against getting a prenuptial agreement because she believed it would start the happy couple's marital life off on the wrong foot. As the source reasoned, "They live together and have been through enough tests for her to know that Ant is the one, and nothing's going to get in their way."

However, her pals didn't see things the same way and believed the Oscar winner was being "foolish" by not securing her substantial net worth. There's a chance that Zellweger's inner circle may be extra concerned because Anstead has reportedly been dealing with money problems. On the outside, though, there haven't been any signs of trouble in paradise throughout their relationship as of yet. 

In July 2022, the TV personality took to his Instagram Stories to post the adorable drawing that his then 2-year-old son had made for Zellweger, whom he called "NayNay," per People. Meanwhile, in March 2023, a source disclosd to People that the couple were in it for the long haul, noting, "Ant is very happy with Renée. He really loves her." However, a proposal wasn't on the horizon because "Ant doesn't want to rush things."