Ant Anstead is opening up for the first time about his romance with Renée Zellweger. He calls her “lovely” in a new interview, where he gushes over his three-month romance with the two-time Oscar winner.

The couple met on Ant’s new Discovery+ show Celebrity IOU: Joyride, and he’s on the promotional trail. “Renée’s really lovely … It’s really nice … It’s kind of amazing,” Ant, 42, told Extra about his relationship with the acting powerhouse.

The couple have been photographed having morning coffee on the balcony of his Laguna Beach home, packing on PDA in a Home Depot parking lot and passionately making out on the beach near his house.

Ant’s own mother was surprised to see photos of the pair kissing and holding hands like teenagers. “I thought we had done really well to keep it secret and keep it under the radar … I know some of the pictures you’re talking about… There is a picture of us … and my mom texted us and she said, ‘What are you, 15?!'” Ant revealed when asked about paparazzi photos that have documented the couple’s blooming romance.

The Wheeler Dealers host gushed about how someone as famous as Renée, 52, has been able to dodge the Hollywood spotlight. He told USA Today, “There’s a ton of amazing things about Renée, and her private persona is actually really inspiring. For somebody so high profile, she is incredibly private. And I respect that.”

Ant is thrilled that he and Renée met in such an organic way, as she shot an episode of his show where the two completely hit it off. “Ultimately, from my perspective, the irony of the show being called IOU, it’s like, ‘Thanks, Discovery.’ It’s actually I that owe you. And I can recommend Discovery+ dating service to anybody,” he joked to the publication.

The handsome Brit was formerly married to HGTV star Christina Haack. The pair wed in December 2018, shortly after her divorce from her Flip or Flop cohost Tarek El Moussa. They welcomed their first and only child, son Hudson, in September 2019.

Just 21 months into their marriage, Christina announced they were splitting. “Ant and I have made the difficult decision to separate. We are grateful for each other and as always, our children will remain our priority. We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future,” she wrote on a September 18, 2020, Instagram post.

Ant was totally heartbroken by her decision and made it clear that he wanted the marriage to work. “Anyone who really knows me knows that I don’t like to share private matters publicly. I have remained silent while holding on to hope. I never gave up on us. I pray Christina’s decision brings her happiness,” he wrote next to an Instagram photo of him and Christina smiling in happier times eight days after her announcement.

He later went on to reveal that he went into a “dark place” following Christina pulling the plug on their marriage and ended up losing 23 pounds. But just as their divorce was being finalized in June 2021, Ant met Renée and totally has his mojo back!