Edd China Is Leaving Wheeler Dealers, Says New Producers Want To Dumb It Down
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
Discovery is on a roll. Altering Wheeler Dealers to a point that would ruin it. And SourceFed and all accompanying channels were shut down with just a week’s notice, leaving 50+ people without a job.
2017 has a very bad start
Why change anything the reason for watching the show is because the way mike n edd do the programme if its getting changed you will lose so many watchers because it will not be worth watching and will end up getting scrapped soz for the uninitentional punn if edd goes i will it will resort to a decent program reverting to being rubbish dont lose the talents that made the show do you realy want another mistake sameway bbc did with top gear stop ruining good tv for rubbish ust the sake money
Feeling bad
Ed China made this show, he was 75% of the reason it was so successful for so long. Mike Brewer should have stepped down also, by staying a team it would have forced the issue. Either keep the show as is or loose them both. Or just like the once popular BBC Top Gear, they could have continued their success in another format.
I never missed an episode of their show until now, I will no longer support a firm whose only reason to make the change was for a “few dollars more”!! They do not care what is best for the show and its followers, but only pleasing the corporate bean counters. The new Wheeler Dealers will share the same fate as the “Dual Survival” show. Once great chemistry is gone, its gone!! Say Goodnight Gracie!!
I have only been watching the show for about four or five years. But from the first show I saw was hooked, and couldn’t get enough of it! Didn’t realize how long the show had been on already, and loved seeing all the old ones in the beginning. I live in California, not far from where they did the shows in America, but liked the show much better being done in England. Much more interesting seeing cars you don’t see much here, and seeing England and the people. Yeah they’ve done it again, and gone and ruined a good thing! Got most of the shows recorded, so got that much! I would suggest if the show is too costly to produce as they say, then get rid of all the overpaid, over rated lunk heads that screw up good things like Wheeler Dealers! I heard in the beginning, the show started with only a few people to produce the show. Now they have forty five or more to do the show! Gee wonder why it got so costly? Mike and Ed were a good combination, and had a great show, going to miss that greatly! Was my favorite car show, thanks for nothin Velocity!!!!!
wouldn’t be wheeler dealers without edd..love watching him do up these cars a real professional. love what he dose to these cars.. keep on and pay him more to stay..
Will be deeply missed. He shows how things work, why they work, and how they can be fixed when they don’t. Inspiring. But I don’t imagine he’ll be left to twiddle his thumbs for long. A true guru.
Edd China was the reason I watched the show not only is he a good mechanic but a great teacher. Hope you get your own show till then i’ll wait, no longer a fan of wheeler dealer!
Hi there. I know for fact that I’ll not be watching the show anymore. Because Ed is a great part of the show and really the most important one on the show. So so long Wheeler Dealer you’ve lost a fan for good!!!!! And I hope many more follow my path😬😬😬😬😭😭😭😭
I think Mike Brewer is the only reason this show is a huge success. He is enthusiastic, really good at picking the right classic car and it is he who runs the show. The part when he seeks the right car, looks in ad´s, makes phone calls, test drives (always in a good mode), makes the deal and then try to convince Edd that it is going to be a good profit is the best in the show. Afterwards he always is the cheerful lad who says “You did it again…”, “Wonderful..” and so on
Edd China is interesting to watch but mostly reminds of a boring high school teacher who lectures day in and out. It´s better when Mike sums it up and sells the car. If the program only should be Edd repairing cars I would fall asleep after 5 minutes and all the programs should be the same (one pea of…).
I think it is easy to replace Edd, there are a lot of good mechanics, but cheerful and enthusiastic show-hosts with the love and know-how of classic cars is hard to find.
To be fair Edd has the part in the show to be the “boring, negative, realistic type” and Mike is the “happy, positive type” that thinks everything is going to work, like yin and yang.
I can´t understand why people think that Edd´s working cost should be in the calculation. The whole idea is to show that you can restore cars on your own and make a small profit on it, a lot like Property ladder with Sarah Beeny.
I think the real reason Edd choses to quit are that he wants to be in the UK. The program manager’s want´s to do more shows in one season and if Edd is going to do all mechanics it takes to much time. He already has some assistance and he would have to have more to be able to flip the cars around faster and therefore they don´t want to film this in detail. That’s ok by me, I want to see more about Mike dealing cars and being enthusiastic about old classic and forgotten car models.
If I want to see instruction videos with Edd I can see his new brake videos on YouTube. This is a lot like when the beard left Fast n Loud, it is still Richard searching for barn finds that is the interesting part. The restoration is fun, but I don´t need to see every detail.
My favorite episodes are the E-type and the Volvo PV.
Ta da!
/Mikael in Sweden
Having watched the Edd and After Edd episodes, it is clearly MUCH cheaper production. Ant is an engaging guy but showing how to change a gearbox filmed from the outside of the car and on the bench doesn’t do it for me.