Ant Anstead Reveals Why Renee Zellweger Relationship Remained 'Private' for So Long

09/14/2021 10:13 am EDT

Ant Anstead and Oscar winner Renee Zellwegger have kept their relationship fairly private since the news broke in June –– but, the Wheeler Dealers host says there's a good reason behind their privacy. "Renee and my relationship is something that's really private," the father of three shared with PEOPLE earlier this week. "It's something I'm not really willing to talk too much about. It's really early in our relationship and I don't want to put any pressure on that."

The couple met on the set of his show Celebrity IOU: Joyride earlier this year and reportedly hit it off while working together. "Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right," an insider told the outlet at the time. "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 source added: "Both of them are private and dislike public scrutiny, so they have that in common. He's a creative guy with lots of interests, and she likes to write and produce, so they have things to talk about when together."

Anstead previously spoke out regarding the budding new relationship saying, "Everybody knows that Renée and I have become quite close because we kept it secret for a while and now, unfortunately, some pictures were taken and put out there," Anstead explained. "But it was a real pleasure to work with her. She's a super pro and she can weld."

The two made their first appearance as a couple at the Radford Motors gala event on Aug. 7. "They are getting pretty serious about each other," a source close to the couple shared with the outlet shortly after. "They're both busy with various projects and their careers, but they have a major attraction to each other." Even though Zellwegger doesn't have any children of her own, the source also adds that she has been getting along swimmingly with Anstead's youngest son Hudson, whom he shares with ex-wife Christina Haack. "They do beach outings, go for ice cream and other child-friendly activities," another source said. "They're spending most of their time together in Laguna Beach since Ant lives there, and they seem very happy." 

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.