A British couple were today revealed as the winners of the biggest-ever EuroMillions jackpot - taking home a staggering £184million.
Joe and Jess Thwaite, 49 and 44, went public today in Cheltenham as they celebrated their huge win.
The lucky couple, from Gloucestershire, scooped £184,262,899.10 and are now the UK's richest-ever National Lottery winners.
Jess says the inspiration behind their win is her late father, who always played before he passed away.
Jess, who manages the business side of a hairdressing salon she runs with her sister, said: "My dad played the National Lottery all his life and constantly dreamed of winning.
"He'd always ask us what we'd do when we won, how we'd spend it, who we'd treat. It was a regular conversation and I feel like he was preparing us."
When Jess’ father passed away around seven years ago, Joe took on the mantle of playing The National Lottery.
"The win gives us time to dream which we haven't had before," Jess said.
"We’ve had one week to think about this and we now have time to share lots of experiences and go on adventures with our family and friends.”
The couple, who have been married for 11 years, have two primary school age children.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, also has two children at university from a previous marriage.
Joe said: "The family always ask me if I have a ticket for the big draws. While I don’t play every week, I do a Lucky Dip when there is a big jackpot. Although I don’t feel like I’ve had a lot of luck in the past."
Jess continued: "Plenty of times Joe has said to me that he’s not lucky enough and I should do it.
"I’m so glad he carried on, and while my dad had prepared me, I’m not sure anyone is really prepared for a win like this."
Gloucester Live reports that when Jess first told her sister she had a 'secret,' the response was 'are you pregnant?'
"It's better than being pregnant," Jess joked.
The couple had bought their EuroMillions lucky dip ticket on the National Lottery App and received an email the next morning saying there was good news regarding their ticket.
Joe said: "I looked it up and saw we’d won. I saw how much and I didn’t know what to do.
"I couldn’t go back to sleep, I didn’t want to wake Jess up so I just laid there for what seemed like forever. I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty!"
Eventually the alarm rang and as Jess struggled to turn it off Joe told her: "I’ve got a secret, I’ve got something to tell you."
Jess’ initial reaction when presented with the news was disbelief, thinking Joe had it wrong, the National Lottery app was wrong or that it was a joke.
Eventually she concluded that it wasn’t worth getting too excited about as it probably wasn’t true and got up to make a coffee and start their normal morning routine.
The couple called Camelot once The National Lottery Line opened at 8am and promptly had the life-changing win confirmed.
Despite being told they’d just become the UK’s biggest-ever winners, the pair still didn’t quite believe it and so carried on as normal doing the school run and settling down to work from home.
Jess, unable to keep the news in, arranged to meet her mum in the local car park before work. When she said that Joe had won The National Lottery her mum started screaming.
Jess recalled: "She knew exactly how much right down to the ten pence. She had meant to ring Joe the night before to check he had a ticket and had forgotten.
"I told her it might not still be real but she was having none of it. She said, ‘If Camelot have told you, then it’s real!’”.
The conversation soon became emotional as they both realised the impact the win could have for their entire family.
Joe and Jess now plan to support members of the family, and the sense of relief from knowing that everyone would be alright moved Jess and her mum to tears.
Jess said: "Just like many people and families across the country, the last few years have been hard.
"My sister and I have tried to look after the business and the 20 staff, but times are difficult in hairdressing.
"Joe has been working hard and we have always tried to put everything into doing the best we can for the children."
The couple have only recently moved into a new home, which has delivered on the dream they always had for their children.
Despite needing a lot of work, the new house gave the family space for friends and loved ones to visit, as well as space for their collection of animals.
With three dogs, five chickens, two geckos and three ponies, two of which are loaned, the couple wanted to give their children a country-type lifestyle.
Jess said, “I was lucky enough to ride growing up and it is something we have always wanted to give to our children.
''Like many parents, we stretch ourselves to give our kids everything we can.
''I always wanted them to be able to get up in their pyjamas, put wellies on and go out and feed the ponies and they can do that here.
''The fact the roof leaks and the house needs renovating was OK as it was the life we dreamed of for our family.”
Joe said, “I have been working hard and then doing DIY on the house and you realise that you are missing out on family time.
''This win gives us time. From 5am each day we are chasing our tails until we go to bed.
''Just like any family, the diary is always full and the job list is long.
''We don’t have money for family days out or holidays and we want to use our good fortune to spend more time together making memories and going on adventures.”
Their winning numbers on May 10 were 3, 25, 27, 28 and 29 - plus the Lucky Star numbers 4 and 9.
This is the second EuroMillions jackpot won in the UK this year with £109m being won in February.
The couple can now buy four Caribbean islands, with a few million quid to spare, or the equivalent of 11 six-bedroom luxury properties in London's affluent Hyde Park.
Some UK winners have turned their plans into a reality after scooping the top prize in previous draws.
Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, took home the 2011 jackpot worth £161,653,000.
In 2012, Adrian and Gillian Bayford hit the August jackpot bagging themselves £148,656,000.
The couple said they planned to splash out on luxury cars and holidays but sadly separated 15 months later.
Adrian had joked to Gillian that he had not bought a ticket before realising that he had won.
Frances and Patrick Connolly scooped £114,969,775 after hitting the jackpot on New Year's Day in 2019.
The pair, from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, won after buying a Lucky Dip ticket and celebrated their astonishing win with a hug and a cuppa.
Anonymous ticket holders won jackpots of around £121m and £123m in April 2018 and 2021 respectively.
The EuroMillions draw takes place every Tuesday and Friday.
