Ant Anstead is reflecting on how far his relationship with his ex-wife, Christina Haack, has come, more than four years after they split.
While appearing as a guest judge on the Feb. 19 episode of HGTV’s The Flip Off, the Born Mechanic host, 45, got candid with Haack (formerly Hall), 41, about their regrettable behavior towards one another following their split in 2020. He made his bold speech in front of the show’s two other stars and Christina’s opponents on the competition series: her first husband Tarek El Moussa, 43, and his wife Heather Rae El Moussa, 37.
After expressing how he’s grateful he and Christina are on better terms now, Anstead says he’s disappointed about how many “really difficult” years it took them to get there.
“Hudson is five now,” he begins, referring to the son he and Christina welcomed together in 2019. “As parents, it took us four and a half years to get to that point, which is really shameful.”
He adds, “The relationship that we have now is really, really important. And it’s been a transformation.”
Ant Anstead on ‘The Flip Off’.
hgtv
Anstead’s judgement of their past relationship stems from the heated period they went through after their nearly-two-year marriage came to an end. The pair, who wed in December 2018, announced their split in an Instagram post shared by Christina in September 2020 — just one year after they welcomed Hudson.
“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 captioned the post, which included a photo of the exes walking on the beach together. “We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future.”
Anstead later told PEOPLE exclusively that he was in “a very dark place” in the months after their split.
Christina Haack and Ant Anstead in May 2019.
Noel Vasquez/Getty
The former couple finalized their divorce in June 2021, which was around the same time Anstead started dating his current partner, Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger. The two had hit it off while working together on the set of his discovery+ series Celebrity IOU: Joyride earlier that year.
Meanwhile, Christina also moved on with her now-estranged third husband Josh Hall. The pair got engaged in September 2021 and secretly tied the knot in October 2021.
Christina Hall/Instagram; Ant Anstead/Instagram
Anstead and Christina’s breakup only became more bitter after their divorce was finalized.
Despite both parents being granted joint legal and physical custody of Hudson, Anstead later filed for full custody in April 2022, sparking the beginning of a tense legal battle between the exes.
In response to the filing, Christina told PEOPLE at the time: “What Ant is doing deeply saddens me. If this was really about Hudson, as he says, this should have been handled privately with a private judge or mediation, as myself and my attorney have suggested. I have had my share of ups and downs but I am a good mom and I love my children with all my heart and I will always protect them.”
While Anstead’s emergency request for full custody was denied by a judge, he later alleged in a September 2022 filing that Christina was “exploiting” their son by posting him on social media and having him participate in her Instagram ads.
Christina Haack and her son Hudson.
Christina Hall/Instagram
As a result, Christina announced that she would no longer be sharing photos of Hudson on Instagram.
“Hudson’s father has made attempts to turn my family, friends and fans against me through manipulation tactics and false information. This has had a great impact on me and my household,” she captioned an October 2022 Instagram post.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The custody arrangement was finally settled in December 2022, but the exes remained distant as they navigated peacefully co-parenting.
A year and a half later, their relationship changed significantly and quite suddenly.
Christina Haack and her ex Josh Hall.
Christina Hall/Instagram
After Christina split from her third husband, Josh, Anstead offered his support to her in a personal gesture that surprised the HGTV star.
Christina detailed the emotional moment during episode 4 of The Flip Off, recalling how Anstead gave her “a huge hug” and told her that he was “so sorry for everything” she was going through with her breakup.
Their televised reunion on Wednesday’s episode comes after fans watched the pair slowly mend their relationship by re-following each other on Instagram and engaging in several friendly exchanges on social media. This includes Christina showing her support with Anstead’s posts about Zellweger and even promoting his new show in the U.K., Born Mechanic.
Fans got their first glimpse of the exes interacting when they were spotted filming The Flip Off together in November 2024. A source told PEOPLE at the time: “Ant is going to appear on the show, but he won’t be Christina’s partner.”
Christina Haack and Ant Anstead on ‘The Flip Off’.
Warner Bros. (2)
Anstead’s unexpected appearance on the show came after Christina joked about him possibly replacing Josh on the series following their July 2024 split.
Later in the episode, Anstead proves he will always have his ex’s back by (spoiler) picking her as the winner of this week’s guest bedroom design challenge, and even offering his advice on how she can beat her competition.
“Ultimately, I have to stand by the mother of my kid,” he says. “It puts Christina and me on the same team forever. Because of that, this judge is swayed, she’s on my team and (Tarek and Heather) lose.”
Around the same time The Flip Off was being filmed, Christina entered into a new relationship and began dating businessman Christopher Larocca. PEOPLE confirmed their romance in December 2024 and the pair went Instagram official in February.
The Flip Off airs Wednesday’s at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings