A couple who will receive £10,000 a month for 30 years after winning on the National Lottery are using their money in an unusual way - by pursuing their passion for ghost-hunting. Laura Hoyle, 40, and Kirk Stevens, 38, won in the Set For Life competition, matching all five main numbers plus the Life Ball to scoop the life-changing prize.
The sum amounts to £3.6 million over the course of the full three decades, or £120,000 a year. Initially the pair were completely unaware they had won the amount for almost two weeks and carried on playing the game believing they had won just £5.
It was only when Laura got a message from Camelot and logged into her account that she realised they had landed the jackpot. A year on from their win in a draw on March 1, 2021, footage has been released of the moment the couple, from Hucknall in Nottinghamshire, heard confirmation they had just become millionaires.
NottinghamshireLive reports that, during a phone call to Camelot, which runs the lottery, Laura can be heard saying: "I'm just checking that's right before I, um, quit my job."
By the end of the evening, after Camelot confirmed they had won, the couple had finished off four bottles of Prosecco, they said. They began playing in 2019 and won with the numbers 9, 14, 19, 35, 37 and 6, which was the Life Ball.
Laura says she has given up work while manufacturing engineer Kirk has paid for his Masters degree. They have also just bought a house and a Porsche Cayenne - while the winnings have also enabled them to continue their passion for ghost hunting.
They have used some of their cash to visit the National Justice Museum in Nottingham out of hours to conduct some paranormal investigations. “It still hasn’t really sunk in," Laura said.
"I say that, yet I immediately quit my job and I’m doing stuff I normally wouldn’t have been able to do. I guess it’s all still surreal.
"I am so chilled about everything now, very relaxed and that is what the win has done for me. We are moving into a new house this month and it’s so stress free because I don't work now.
"We’ve been fortunate during Covid to go away, and once Kirk has finished his Masters degree in the Summer we are off to Disneyland Paris and lots of other exciting places. Kirk and I are participating in lots more paranormal activities and I’m editing the videos we take which I absolutely love doing.
"I’m getting better and better at editing and the other month one of our videos was voted by a top ghost hunting YouTuber, one of his videos of the week. It’s as if I’m getting paid to video edit, for the next 30 years."
Kirk added: "I’m in my last year of my Masters degree in mechanical engineering. It’s been really hard at times to distance learn during Covid and it’s an expensive qualification and before the win I did, at times, question the investment.
"As Laura said, the win has enabled us to relax about bills. I have used the winnings to pay for the course. I want to continue working and progress which was the reason for the Masters."
Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery, said: “I’ve seen every type of emotion when delivering the big news. Tears, laughter, screaming, absolute silence and total disbelief - just like Laura’s reaction."
