Renée Zellweger: She owes her new love to a “coincidence”

Oscar winner Renée Zellweger (52) has been happily awarded for a few months. In an interview with “Harper’s Bazaar”, the actress now speaks for the first time about how she and British TV presenter Ant Anstead (42) became a couple. The first meeting was therefore a “happy coincidence”.

A reality show led Renée Zellweger to happiness

After the death of her longtime manager and PR consultant Nanci Ryder (1952-2020), the 52-year-old was in the midst of mourning when she saw the reality show “Celebrity IOU” on television. On the show, celebrities return the favor to important people in their lives by making them happy. In the episode that Zellweger saw on TV, Brad Pitt (58) surprised an employee with a new garage.

Zellweger decided to take part in the show as well. She wanted to thank Ryder’s two nurses, who died of ALS in 2020. Because the twin brothers are big car freaks, the ‘Celebrity IOU’ producers hired auto mechanic Ant Anstead, who has long been a hit with his own show in the UK. During the shooting, there were finally sparks between the American and the British.

In June 2021, the relationship between the two became public. Renée Zellweger believes her meeting with Anstead was the work of Nanci Ryder, a sort of “final act.” “We joke about it,” says Zellweger. “She always does her best. It made me smile, that happy coincidence.”

Ant Anstead separated from his second wife Christina Haack (38) in September 2020, with whom he has a two-year-old son. The divorce followed in June 2021. Renée Zellweger was last in a relationship with musician Doyle Bramhall II (53) from 2012 to 2019.