Edd China Is Leaving Wheeler Dealers, Says New Producers Want To Dumb It Down

After 13 years as one of our favourite TV mechanics, Edd China has put his foot down over a decision by new producers to make his workshop sequences shorter and simpler

Matt Kimberley

22 Mar 2017

Edd China, the mechanical genius Wheeler Dealers‘ beloved mechanic, is leaving the show after 13 years because its new producers apparently want to dumb it down. Replacing him alongside Mike Brewer will be Ant Anstead, who we also like, and who could be a better fit for the changing format.

Lovable mechanic Edd’s workshop sequences are famous for their detail, technical accuracy and genuinely enjoyable watchability, but because they’re time-consuming and therefore expensive to film, the new production company, Velocity, wants to cut them down and simplify them.

Edd released a statement via YouTube in the clip at the top. He claims the producers found it ‘too difficult to make’ in its current format, but isn’t willing to stand for the dumbing-down that Velocity wants to introduce.

As part of his decision to quit, he said:

“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.”

We have huge respect for Edd’s decision, and we know many of you will as well. He has too much respect for his own work to let this slide, and we don’t blame him one bit. We’re looking forward to whatever he does next.

Comments

Watching Edd do his work and show us how it works and how to do it was the best part of the show. I never liked Mike and his annoying voice and terrible designs for the cars especially when he designed the RX-7 and ruined it with that ricey snake skin pattern and ruined those genuine BBS rims

when you want to copy keisuke’s FD (2nd-4th stage) but you give up and put golf wheels on it

Edd, his work and the cars were the only interesting part of the show. More Mike will be unbearable.

Reduce the quality of the show to be more quantity . . What is the int of the show to let us see how they got a cheaper vehicle and fix it up to get more for it? Some stuff makes me think it was still a lil fake with some of the stuff done to cars like it was a specific type build . . It still bugs me that rhere are so many other shows who lost their focus of where they started

I have been fixing cars for over 40 years changing my first cylinder head at 15 years of age. But I still got something from the show. I particularly remember Ed taking the Maserati throttle body to the old boy who got his drill out and fixed it (off screen). A dumbed down WD will be of zero interest to me. TV is already inundated with that type of car show.

That sucks. I’ve used many of Ed’s fixes and for me this is the part that makes the show enjoyable.

Edd is correct. The show is not his main source of income and he needs to think about the integrity of his image as it relates to his business. One of my all-time favorite shows will officially Jump-the-Shark with the new format.

No show lasts forever. Good luck Edd and Mike.