Ant Anstead Addresses His Romance with Renee Zellweger, Reveals They 'Kept It Secret for a While'

Ant Anstead is acknowledging his relationship with Renee Zellweger for the first time publicly — but he's remaining tight-lipped about the details of their romance.

The reality TV host joined his Celebrity IOU: Joyride co-host, Cristy Lee, on a visit to E!'s Daily Pop on Wednesday, where he was asked about the Oscar-winning actress. The duo met while filming Zellweger's episode of the Discovery+ series.

After being asked for details about the relationship, Anstead avoided going into detail but did confirm their relationship is not new.

"Look … everybody knows that Renee and I have become quite close, because we kept it secret for a while, and unfortunately some pictures were taken and put out there," he said.

Discovery+ Renee Zellweger, Ant Anstead and Cristy Lee on Celebrity IOU: Joyride

Bringing it back to Celebrity IOU: Joyride, he added that it was "a real pleasure" to work with the Bridget Jones's Diary star — he even revealed that Zellweger knows her way around a car.

"She's super pro, and she can weld," he shared.

RELATED: Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead Are 'Getting Serious,' Says Source: 'They Have a Major Attraction'

Anstead, 42, and Zellweger, 52, attended their first public event as a couple last week when they stopped by the Radford Motors gala at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana, California. Anstead helped revive the British brand, which was hosting the gala to unveil its new Lotus Type 62-2 coach-built sports car.

Vera Anderson/Wireimage; Michael Kovac/getty Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead

Anstead discussed the event on Instagram, but it was Real Housewives of Orange County alum Lydia McLaughlin who shared a picture of the couple from the evening, smiling next to herself and husband Doug.

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An entertainment source told PEOPLE in June that Anstead and Zellweger first bonded over shared interests.

"Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right," the insider said 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."

"Both of them are private and dislike public scrutiny, so they have that in common," the source added. "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."

RELATED: Renée Zellweger Supports Ant Anstead During 'Supercar' Gala for First Public Event as a Couple

In June, Anstead finalized his divorce from HGTV star Christina Haack, with whom he shares son Hudson, 2 next month. He's also dad to son Archie, 14, and daughter Amelie, 17.

A source told PEOPLE last week that Anstead and Zellweger "are getting pretty serious about each other."

"They're both busy with various projects and their careers, but they have a major attraction to each other," the source said. Another source added that the pair "do beach outings, go for ice cream and other child-friendly activities."

"They're spending most of their time together in Laguna Beach since Ant lives there, and they seem very happy," the second source said.