‘Hitched and scratched’: newlyweds Will and Emma win £100,000

The amazing prize is a late ‘wedding present’ for Will Mahon, 56, who got married to Emma, 50, in June this year. They celebrated their big win at the same luxury hotspot - Farnborough’s Aviator Hotel - where they stayed after tying the knot.

The hotel has a special place in their hearts. On the day they got hitched the receptionist took one look at their wedding attire and gave them a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite.

Will said, “It made our wedding day that extra bit more memorable. It made perfect sense to come back here and celebrate the fact that we can now splash out on a few more upgrades if we fancy it – thanks to this National Lottery Scratchcard win.”

Will, who loves to DJ in his spare time, admits his wife initially thought he was playing a prank on her when he told her they’d won £100,000.

He said, “I had left my van at my local pub on the Friday night after a late night of DJing, so on Saturday morning I was just waiting for the bus so that I could go and collect it. As I had a bit of time before it arrived, I decided to buy a few Scratchcards from the corner shop. I was excited enough after scratching the first one and winning £35, but it came as a complete surprise when I scratched away the £100,000 win on the next Scratchcard.”

Will added, “When I eventually got on the bus I was in a complete daze and felt like I was going to pass out. I knew that if I did pass out, I might very well lose the ticket, so I tried my best to keep my cool!”

When Emma phoned to talk about Christmas presents for their grandchildren, Will replied, “We can buy them whatever we like because I’ve just won £100,000.” Emma replied, “I don’t believe you!”

When he eventually made it to where his van was parked, Will showed the pub manager his Scratchcard to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. She confirmed that it looked like he had won, prompting everyone in the pub to cheer and scream with excitement.

Will and Emma had already booked a cruise around Spain and France for 2026. Thanks to their incredible win, they’re considering upgrading their cabin.

Since the win, Will has taken a week-long fishing trip with a school friend to relax and decide what else to do with the money. Plans include sharing some of the prize with their two adult children, who also didn’t believe their dad at first when he told them about the win.

Will added, “I think it has finally sunk in that the money is ours, and we’re so happy to be able to celebrate it with our family. We have had such an incredible year so far with the wedding and the room upgrade. Now we can make a few more upgrades in the future without hesitation.”

6th November 2024