Ant Anstead to Spend Holidays With Older Kids in U.K. After Split from Christina: 'I'm Lucky'

Michael Kovac/Getty

Ant Anstead will be going back home to the U.K. for the holidays — and he’s feeling grateful for the chance to see his older children.

The Wheelers Dealers star, 41, who split from his wife, HGTV star Christina Anstead, in September, opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about his holiday plans. The English TV presenter will be spending Christmas and New Years with his two kids from his previous marriage — daughter Amelie, 17, and son Archie, 14 — as well as some of his other family members back in the U.K.

Ant and Christina also share a son, Hudson, 1, who will be spending the holidays with his mom.

Amelie and Archie have continued to live in England with their mom, Ant’s first wife, Louise Herbert, since Ant moved to California in 2017. The kids frequently made trips to the U.S. to visit him before coronavirus-related travel restrictions kicked in last spring.

“Unfortunately, Amelie and Archie don't have any residential status, so they're not actually allowed to enter the U.S.,” Ant explains, saying that he video chats them every day, but it’s “incredibly frustrating” that he can't see them in person.

Ant Anstead/Instagram

RELATED: Stepsisters for Life! Ant Anstead's Daughter Still FaceTimes Ex Christina's: 'Makes My Heart Glow'

“So, I have booked to go back to the U.K. for Christmas. I'm going to get onto a plane, and I'm going to go and see Ams, Arch, and my folks, and my brothers,” he continues. “It's going to be quite cool.”

He shares that pre-COVID, he would typically try to surprise his kids with his visits, as a way to make them extra-special.

Ant Anstead/Instagram

“My ex Louise and I, we have a great relationship, we're still very, very close friends. I always team up with her, and then we always surprise the kids,” he says with a laugh. But this year, due to the pandemic, he says he had to let them know in advance due to quarantine and other factors.

Ant last paid his older children a visit in the summer in order to celebrate Archie's 14th birthday and Amelie's high school graduation. He shared a series of family photos on social media at the time, writing that "every single" second of his required two-week quarantine was worth it.

RELATED VIDEO: Ant Anstead Says He's Lost 23 Lbs. amid Split from Christina: 'I Will Get It Back On'

Ant Anstead Says He's Lost 23 Lbs. amid Split from Christina: 'I Will Get It Back On'

Christina Anstead announced her split from the Wheelers Dealers host in September

And while he won’t be able to spend Christmas Day with Hudson, he will certainly be making sure the holiday is special for his youngest prior to the 25th.

“I'm going to spend some time with Hudson leading up to Christmas,” the father of three shares. “I am incredibly lucky,” he says, to be able to celebrate part of the season with each of his children.

The car expert spent Thanksgiving Day with Hudson, celebrating outdoors with some friends, enjoying the traditional dinner before heading out on a boat ride. "To all my American friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving!" he wrote on Instagram at the time. "I have so very much to be grateful for x.”

Ant and Christina were married for less than two years when the Christina on the Coast star announced their split via an Instagram post on September 18, shocking fans.

"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," Christina wrote. "We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future."

They married at their home in Newport Beach, California, in December 2018 and welcomed Hudson in September 2019. PEOPLE reported that she officially filed for divorce in early November joint physical and legal custody of Hudson a few weeks later. Neither star is requesting spousal support.

Ant Anstead Instagram Christina and Ant Anstead with their children

RELATED: Ant Anstead Shares Vintage Photo of Himself as a Young Dad — and Fans Think His Baby Looks Familiar

Christina also shares daughter Taylor, 10, and son Brayden, 5, with her first husband and Flip or Flop costar Tarek El Moussa, whom she split from publicly in December 2016 after seven years of marriage, finalizing their divorce in January 2018. El Moussa is now engaged to Selling Sunset star Heather Rae Young. The "blended family" has been co-parenting since.