I found spare £5 in my lotto account & thought ‘there’s no point’ wasting it – I turned it into £1MILLION in seconds
A LUCKY woman who took a punt on a spare fiver was stunned when she landed a £1million windfall.
Marlyn Anderson, 70, and husband Ian, 77, turned their left-over change into an eye-watering jackpot after buying a Lucky Dip ticket in the EuroMillions draw.
The couple, from Stirling, Scotland, couldn't believe a spur of the moment play saw them scoop the life-changing sum.
Marlyn thought she had won £1,000 when she first checked her email.
She said: "I just thought there is no point £4.90 just sitting in my account, I will buy a Lucky Dip ticket for the next draw.
"I initially thought we had won £1,000 and I was absolutely delighted.
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“I then started to count the zeros – and couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing – so I counted them again!
"I just kept thinking it couldn’t be true and it must be a scam! I was desperately watching the clock tick to 8am when I could call The number to confirm if what I was seeing really was true!
“I couldn’t believe it when the person on the other end of the phone told me it was!"
The pair, who have been married for 32 years, say the news hasn't fully sunk in yet.
"It still all seems very surreal! There is no other word to describe what we are going through right now!," added Marlyn.
The devoted wife takes care of Ian, who is now terminally ill with pleural plaques and pulmonary fibrosis.
“Buying a bungalow – and I think I have seen one already – will allow Ian to have his own bedroom and for us to have a sitting room too, all on one level."
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She said: "This will be so special as it is something we haven’t been able to do for such a long time.
"He will be able to live the rest of his life in comfort.”
UK's biggest lottery winners
By Ethan Singh
- Anonymous winner - £195,707,000
A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite - £184,262,899.10
Britain's previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.
The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children's ponies.
Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.
As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.
- Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000
Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.
They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.
But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.
He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.
He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.
- Adrian and Gillian Brayford - £148,600,000
Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.
But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.
The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.
After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.
She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.
It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly - £114,969,775
Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.
They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.
She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
- Richard and Debbie Nuttall - £61,000,000
The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.
Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.
Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.
Other eye-watering anonymous winners:
- 2019 - £123million
Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.
- 2021 - £122million
Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.
The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.
- 2018 - £121million
Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.