From holiday flings to bitter divorces & even death – the crippling lotto curse that tears lucky winners’ romances apart
THEY say money can do more harm than good - and that seems to be the case when couples hit the jackpot winning the lottery.
While many hope for an easy life after winning millions - it seems the lotto curse often strikes, leaving many relationships in disarray.
BUILDING CASTLES - Gareth & Catherine Bull
Gareth and Catherine Bull, parents of two teens, won a life-changing £41million but just four years on the couple who branded themselves 'the most boring millionaires' called it quits on their marriage.
While Catherine claimed all she wanted was new carpets and to have her hair done twice a year - it seemed Gareth had other plans for the money.
The builder is said to have splurged on a Manchester United hospitality box with his earnings - and also paid for a lads' holiday to Tenerife in 2016.
It seemed this was when the marriage broke down as reports claim he was still married to Catherine when he had a holiday fling with bar owner Donna Desporte.
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The whirlwind relationship again went up in flames nine months later which Donna says all started with how he wooed her using the chat up line: "Google me."
Gareth, from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, has since won a High Court case barring Donna from publishing passages about the multimillionaire in her book 'Google Me. No Lies," but Donna claims she has a right to speak up after being branded a gold digger.
The builder also built a two-acre site with a three-bedroom bungalow in Nottinghamshire in December 2018.
He added a new 6,000sq ft house featuring a swimming pool, a built-in sound system, bars and two hot tubs.
It also has an artificial lake filled with rehomed fish and an accompanying lodge.
He has described the finished property as "extra special" because he did much of the work himself during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
"While one may wish to cash in on personal fame however possible, court protection of privacy is reasonable here to discourage opportunism from past relationships," she adds.
She explained that the whirlwind around the big win cost the couple their marriage and she wishes she had never gone public about their winnings as it put too much pressure on the couple.
It will change their lives and not always for the best.
Gillian Bayford
Not only did the money drive a wedge between the them - it also meant the couple had outside pressure from family to share the winnings.
Gillian revealed she stopped talking to some family members who became entitled to their winnings after going public with their lucky jackpot.
After another couple, Joe and Jess Thwaite, won a record £184million jackpot, Gillian spoke to The Sun and warned: “I hope it brings them happiness and they enjoy it.
“But I’d say watch out for everything that goes with it. In hindsight I wish I’d never gone public. It will change their lives and not always for the best. They will find out who their friends are. It’s an eye-opener.”
"Public scrutiny of a lottery victory can intensify normal stresses on any marriage, yet targeting each other with accusations helps no one heal from its end," says the psychologist.
After their split, Gillian moved back to Scotland - and the pair seemed to have ended on amicable terms - or at least enough to split the winnings equally - unlike many.
Adrian has now moved on with a new lover, ambulance worker Tracey Biles.
WINNER TAKES IT ALL - Michael Cartlidge & Charlotte Cox
Michael Cartlidge and now-former lover Charlotte Cox butted heads over who should get the winnings almost immediately after realising they won.
The couple who picked up the winning scratchcard at a Nisa Local in Lincolnshire and soon attacked each other over the £1million.
Charlotte paid for the scratchcard in but Michael said it was his idea in the first place.
He was left furious after being dumped just a few weeks later, and vowed to take legal action to grab half of the winnings.
Lottery chiefs Camelot launched an investigation — including viewing CCTV footage from the shop — and had indicated to Michael that the £1million would be split.
But it is understood new Lottery owners Allwyn have now ruled Charlotte is the rightful claimant.
The pair were together for just three months when they won and Michael claims he will still put up a fight for the money.
He adds that the two celebrate by getting fish and chips by the beach and discussing their plans for the money.
However, Michael says things got fishy when he was at her house and a friend asked him to leave.
So he did — and took the winning card with him.
Michael said: “On the Monday morning she [Charlotte] left the house and never came back.
It is all rubbish, I want nothing to do with it.
Charlotte Cox
“I got a call from my mate saying she’d been in touch and wanted me to leave the house," he explained. "Things started to get fishy from that point. I knew she was up to something. I thought, ‘Oh here we go’. She had left the scratchcard at home so I took it and went to stay at my mum’s.
“She then got back home and realised that I had the ticket and Camelot needed that.
“By this point the people that were dealing with our win at Camelot realised there was a problem. I was in touch with the two women dealing with our win and I gave them the card.”
However, Charlotte told The Sun: “I bought the ticket. He didn’t transfer me the money.
“It is all rubbish, I want nothing to do with it.”
"Legal disputes over lottery winnings often reflect deeper relationship difficulties, and this heated disagreement indicates a lack of trust between the former partners that will likely complicate cooperating respectfully post-breakup," adds Alyssa.
NEW MONEY NEW ME - Gerry & Lisa Cannings
Gerry and Lisa Cannings hit the jackpot when they won £32million eight years ago, but neither let the money change who they were.
While the couple both stopped working as teachers after their win they said they would still be "Mr and Mrs boring and normal” - it seems the curse got them as well.
Speaking at the time of his life-changing win, Gerry, who lived in a £220,000 house, said: “We’re normal, we just do normal things and we want to carry on doing normal things.”
“We don’t really worry about things or make a drama. You could say we’re a bit boring like that.”
He said there would be no lavish change in their lifestyle and their son, then aged 11, Sam would have to wait until his birthday four months later to get the Xbox he had always wanted.
The pair parted ways in 2020 with both finding new lovers and separate mansions just eight miles apart from each other.
While it seems the lotto curse struck the pair - sources close to the former couple say it was an amicable split.
They said: "Everyone has tried to make out there was this dramatic split with affairs and things – but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is Gerry and Lisa split and have both happily found new people to move on."
Psychologist Alyssa says: "It's understandable that living circumstances could differ so greatly when navigating life after such a profound financial change."
LIVING THE HIGH LIFE - Colin & Christine Weir
After becoming the biggest lottery winners, tragedy struck for Colin and Christine Weir who came into £161million in 2011.
Colin, who passed away in 2019 was left with just £40million by the time he passed - with some saying he was spending £100,000 a week at one point.
It's thought that Colin spend millions living a life of luxury - forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
The dad-of-two also had a £10,000 stake in Irn-Bru and more than £20,000 invested in Greggs.
He is reportedly said to have owned a vintage Bentley Arnage, a three-year-old Jaguar F-Pace SUV, a four-year-old Mercedes-Benz E Class Estate and a 2019 Mercedes-Benz V Class people carrier.
He also owned three racing thoroughbreds – the geldings Knighted and Felony and an Irish mare called If You Say Run.
But that's not all, the selfless couple made sure to help their family members and people from their local community.
The couple spent £5million buying houses for close friends and setting up bursaries for talented youngsters in the first year after they got their winnings.
Instead of selling their old £220,000 house, they gave it to a young mother who lived next door with her parents.
Unfortunately, the couple decided to divorce after 38 years of marriage shortly before his death from sepsis and 'acute kidney injury' in December 2019.
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Claims were made that the couple simply 'drifted apart' when Mr Weir, 71, went to Partick Thistle football games while his wife, 62, attended charity events.
Alyssa notes: "The priorities couples once shared may drift apart as financial stress is removed. They may find themselves with different goals or less common ground tying them together as a unit."