Many of us woke up yesterday hoping we might be significantly richer.
One lucky British ticketholder scooped an incredible £184million EuroMillions jackpot on Tuesday - becoming the UK’s biggest ever National Lottery winner.
They have become richer than Ed Sheeran, whose net worth totals £160million, and Sir Tom Jones, who has a £165million fortune.
Andy Carter, Camelot’s lotto winners’ advisor, said: “Players are urged to check their tickets and give us a call if they think they are tonight’s lucky winner.”
Millions of Brits have won large sums on the lottery - with more than 6,000 becoming millionaires, according to Mirror Online.
While many have gone off to enjoy their fortune, others have ended up wishing they’d never bought a ticket in the first place.
Regret
Michael Carroll was still wearing an electronic tag and working as a binman when he claimed a £9.7million winning ticket in 2002, aged just 19.
But his struggles with addiction saw him squander his fortune on booze, brothers, sex parties and expensive cars, leaving him bankrupt by 2013.
But he is now reportedly living a quiet life and told The Sun: “The dealer who introduced me to crack has more of my Lotto money than I do. But I don’t regret any of it.”
Fortune blown
Callie Rogers became the youngest ever lottery winner when she scooped an incredible £1.8million in 2003.
But she blew through her fortune - spending £18,000 on plastic surgery, £250,000 on cocaine, another £300,000 on clothes and gave away £500,000 to friends and family.
She later told ITV’s ‘This Morning’ that she battled depression during the pressure of winning and tried to take her own life.
Now in her 30s, she said much happier with her life as a working mum-of-three.
She added: “Not knowing who liked me for me, and having all the stress of all the money, I just wanted to go back to having a normal life. I still struggle with trust issues.”
Devastation
Hospital porter John McGuinness won £10million in 1997. The kind-hearted family man gifted millions to his family, hundreds of thousands to his ex-wife and indulged his passion for fast cars.
But he ended up jobless and penniless thanks to his lifelong passion for Livingston FC. He invested €4.6million into the club, which then went into administration.
Because John had used his riches as a guarantee against the club’s loans, he was liable for all the debt.
Made life worse
Jane Park won an incredible £1million jackpot on the EuroMillions aged just 17, while working an £8 an hour job.
But she later threatened to sue, after claiming it had ruined her life. Speaking to the Sunday People, she said: “I have material things but apart from that my life is empty. What is my purpose in life?”
“I thought it would make [my life] ten times better but it’s made it ten times worse.
“I wish I had no money most days.
“I say to myself, ‘My life would be so much easier if I hadn’t won.’”
Breakup
It’s previously been feared that the jackpot curse could be real.
Couple Colin and Christine Weir scooped the biggest ever lottery win - £161m - in 2011.
But they split in 2019 after 38 years of marriage
By the time Mr Weir died aged 71, in December of that year, the father of two had managed to get through half of his share in just eight years.
He had shared it widely among family and friends, including generous donations to his beloved Patrick Thistle FC, charities, a political party, trust funds for the common good and property investments.
Fraudulent ticket
Mark Goodram and Jon Watson used stolen debit card details to buy a lottery scratchcard that won £4million.
The pair from Bolton, Greater Manchester were jailed - but not before they went on a four-day bender after scooping the prize.
Suspicious Camelot officials refused to pay out after Goodram revealed he didn’t have a bank account for the cash to be paid into.
The pair denied fraud but then pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 18-months at Bolton Crown Court in December.
Lotto rapist
Iorworth Hoare won a whopping £7.2 million on the National Lottery in 2004 - while in prison after being convicted of attempted rape.
He brought the ticket at an Asda in Middlesbrough in 2004 while on weekend leave from Leyhill open prison, a year before he was freed.
He has spent 30 years in jail since 1973 for one rape, three attempted rapes and two indecent assaults.
His victim successfully campaigned for the law to be changed so she could sue Hoare for damages.
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