Car-ching! Couple confirm £61MMillion jackpot win in a hire car

On the face of it, it sounds like a wonderful dream. But when Richard and Debbie Nuttall tried to call The National Lottery to confirm they had one of the two winning tickets that shared the £123MMillion EuroMillions jackpot in the draw on 30th January 2024, they found the phone signal at their hotel on Fuerteventura kept dropping out. Desperate to make sure they really had won the massive prize, the couple from Colne in Lancashire jumped into their hire car and drove around the island in search of a stronger signal.

Richard said, “Me and Debs had pulled over and were jumping up and down in our seats, punching the air and thumping the dashboard – the car must have been rocking. It was like the scene from Only Fools and Horses when Del Boy and Rodney finally become millionaires outside Sotheby’s!”

The incredible story began on the second day of a week-long holiday the couple, who are both 54, had booked to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Richard checked his emails and noticed an email from The National Lottery saying there was ‘exciting news about your ticket’. He checked his account and found out he’d won… £2.60.

Later that day he spotted another email from The National Lottery telling him to check his account. He said, “I thought it was odd and there must be a glitch in the system to get a duplicate email, but I logged in again just to check the account notification. We were totally stunned – the message said we had won £61MMillion!”

Richard continues, “We just couldn’t make sense of it. I know it sounds crazy but I couldn't think straight! I tried calling the National Lottery number but my mobile phone signal was poor and the call just kept dropping.”

Seeking a better signal, the couple jumped into their hire car and hit the road. Richard said, ”We must have looked a right sight. I was driving and Deb was holding the phone as high as she could, checking the number of bars. She shouted ‘stop here, stop here!’ and I pulled over on to a verge.”

There were still a few ‘bumps in the road’ before the excited couple could confirm they were multi-millionaires. After getting through to a National Lottery adviser, they were in the middle of answering some security questions when Richard heard a tap on the car window. A bus driver wanted to park his vehicle on the verge!

Richard said, “We were politely trying to tell him to go away, pointing at the mobile phone to indicate we were busy, but he kept on tapping. By this point, my stress levels were through the roof!”

After moving his car – and praying he didn’t lose the phone signal in the process – Richard continued his conversation with the National Lottery advisor. He said, “The lady checked with her manager and came back to say – I’ll never forget these words – ‘So, I need to get this right … I can confirm you are the winners of the £61,708,321 Euromillions jackpot prize!”

From that point onwards, the couple found it hard to concentrate on their holiday. When they got back to their hotel they decided to fly back to the UK the next day.

Now that the National Lottery security checks and validation process are complete the couple are looking forward to life as multi-millionaires. They’re determined to share their good fortune with family and close friends. Requests from their three adult daughters include an investment property, a ski lodge and a field to be used as a doggy day care centre.

Richard and Debbie also plan to look for a new home in their beloved Lancashire where they can host big family Christmas parties as well as a holiday home in Portugal. In the meantime, Richard is planning to play more golf in the UK and abroad and hopes to set up a ‘Golf Swing Room’ at the new house. He’s also bought a brand new BMW X5, which has plenty of room for his golf clubs.

Debbie has her eye on a bigger garden, a greenhouse and extra land for Monty, the family dog, to run around in.

Richard said, “This win will change the lives of those closest to us, and hopefully the next generation after that too.”

The couple’s thoughts have also turned to BK’S HEROES, a charity particularly close to their hearts. It was set up in memory of their nephew, Ben King, who was just 27 when he died of a rare condition called Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome (TINU). The whole family support the charity which aims to raise awareness of brain cancer and kidney disease as well as raising funds for research into prevention and treatment of these illnesses.

Richard said, “This charity means so much to our family and we are all involved. It was originally set up to raise funds for the ward where Ben was so brilliantly cared for but we have gone on to raise much more. Ben was such an inspiration to all of us. He was incredibly brave and positive throughout his treatment and it was his wish for this charity to be set up to do what it can to help lives in the future.”

22nd February 2024