After 13 seasons, Wheeler Dealers’ co-host Edd China is leaving the show and will be replaced by Ant Anstead.
Anstead, the former host of the Channel 4 series “For The Love Of Cars”, will join current co-host Mike Brewer, while also throwing his skills as a mechanic in the mix.
“First, the Discovery family wants to thank Edd China for the care, dedication and effort he’s given to the Velocity network, Discovery networks worldwide and Wheeler Dealers for more than a decade. While we’ll miss his signature orange gloves, we know that anything they touch will turn to automotive gold,” stated Velocity exec, Robert Scanlon.
“We’re committed to making Wheelers Dealers the best automotive series on TV, and feel Ant brings the in-depth knowledge our viewers crave and a unique style our viewers will love. He, Mike Brewer and the production team are laser focused on delivering the best car projects and best episodes possible.”
Anstead, while best known for being a car builder, is also a designer, artist, world record holder (for selling vehicles for the highest price in the world at auctions), as well as a semi-professional soccer player. He has also been building custom vehicles since he was a kid, so his passion for the industry is unquestionable.
“I grew up watching and learning from Edd and Mike, and in recent years have come to know both as close personal friends. It is with Edd’s blessing that I join the team for this new and exciting challenge. I hope he and viewers enjoy what I bring to the show and recognize that for me it’s always been about the love of cars,” said the new co-host.
Meanwhile, as reported by Jalopnik, Edd China posted a video on Youtube, explaining that he left the show after Velocity Channel decided to reduce the coverage of the workshop sequences.
Unfortunately, on Velocity’s first attempt at producing the show they found Wheeler Dealers ‘too difficult to make’, ‘at least in its current format’. In particular, the detailed and in depth coverage of my fixes in the workshop; what I consider to be the backbone and USP of the programme, are something Velocity feel should be reduced.
The workshop jobs are certainly the hardest part of the show to make and reducing their substance and role in the show will save the production considerable time, effort and therefore money.
However, this new direction is not something I am comfortable with as I feel the corners I was being asked to cut compromised the quality of my work and would erode my integrity as well as that of the show, so I have come to the conclusion that my only option is to let Velocity get on with it, without me.
As for the future, China said he is planning new projects, including being more involved on his YouTube channel:
“I am already working on some great new projects which will expand my world in new directions and, as I will have a bit of time on my hands, I’ll even start to put some things up on my youTube channel, so keep an eye out for that. Right now though, I just feel relieved and exhilarated with freedom and I can’t wait to get cracking on the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”
Season 14 of Wheeler Dealers will debut in the fourth quarter of 2017, on Velocity in the US and Discovery in the UK and other countries.