Ant and Dec’s emotional words help rescue Newcastle United deal – ‘Nearly move on

Amanda Staveley has revealed the surprising role Geordie icons Ant and Dec played in rescuing Newcastle United’s £305 million takeover deal during its darkest hour.

The financier confessed the PIF-led consortium came perilously close to abandoning their bid in July 2020 after months of frustrating delays during the Premier League’s owners’ test, admitting: “We were about to give up. It had been dragging on for years and I thought we were never going to get a deal.”

The breakthrough moment came during an unexpected visit from the beloved television presenters to Staveley’s home.

As the deal teetered on collapse amid concerns over the PIF’s links to the Saudi state and piracy issues, the duo’s parting words – “Keep going, you will get there” – provided the crucial motivation to persevere.

Their encouragement proved prophetic when the takeover finally received approval in October 2021, ending Mike Ashley’s controversial 14-year ownership.

Staveley emotionally acknowledged their influence during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley last March, where she shared a private box with Ant and Dec as the Magpies ended their 70-year trophy drought against Liverpool.

“I remember saying to Dec, ‘If you hadn’t said don’t give up, I don’t know if we would have got there’,” she revealed in an interview with North East Times magazine.

This remarkable footnote in Newcastle’s recent history underscores how the takeover’s success hinged on unexpected moments of perseverance.

The consortium’s initial withdrawal letter in 2020 cited “global uncertainty” and the “prolonged process,” yet key figures like Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi maintained quiet determination.

Their eventual success has transformed the club’s fortunes, delivering Champions League football and silverware while reconnecting the team with its passionate fanbase.

The television personalities’ intervention represents more than just a feel-good story – it symbolizes how Newcastle’s revival has been fueled by authentic connections to the region’s culture and community.

As Staveley, Ghodoussi and their young son Alexander celebrated at Wembley alongside the Geordie duo, it marked the full-circle moment of a takeover journey that nearly didn’t happen, saved in part by two of Tyneside’s most famous sons believing when others might have walked away.