Barry Nightingale is the straight-talking Northerner with a reputation for getting deals done.

During a stellar career he’s worked with some of the best known names in business – including webuyanycar founders Noel and Darren McKee; BetFred’s billionaire founder Fred Done; and easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. 

Nightingale has specialised in financing and has a track record of being involved in some of the country’s biggest deals.

In 2011 he was the flat cap-wearing FD of BetFred when he oversaw the £265m deal to buy the Tote, which saw him crowned Dealmaker of the Year.

In this episode of The Dealmaker Uncut Podcast, Nightingale discusses the Tote deal and some of the other highest profile deals of his career.

Nightingale explains why cashflow is king in business and recalls why a tray of cream cakes were crucial in one deal he oversaw. 

Clare Roberts OBE is the founder and CEO of Kids Planet. She launched the business with her father in 2008 at two new locations in Warrington and Widnes after becoming disappointed at the quality of childcare available.

Today, Kids Planet is the UK’s third largest nursery group with 220+ nurseries and looks after more than 25,000 children. Roberts talks about her approach to acquisition and her two fundraising rounds with BGF and Fremman Capital, who acquired a majority stake in 2021.

In a far-ranging interview, the award-winning entrepreneur shares her insights about running a rapidly scaling family business.

In the second half of the show, Jonathan Boyers answers your questions.

As the CEO of Travel Counsellors, Steve Byrne is one of the UK’s most popular and highly-regarded business leaders.

Under his leadership, Travel Counsellors has just hit the milestone of £1bn in sales for the first time – and plans to hit £2bn in five years.

In a far-reaching interview, Byrne discusses leading an MBO; securing a secondary buyout; his approach to acquisition; and how he navigated the company through the challenge of Covid.

He also talks about his decision never to use the word ‘survival’ during the pandemic and why ‘caring and kindness’ is crucial in today’s business world.

In a deeply moving interview Byrne also talks about something his late father taught him and why he continues to draw inspiration from Rob Burrow’s approach to his illness.

In the second half of the show, Jonathan answers your questions around private equity.