What happened to the lottery's previous big winners?

A lucky builder and his shop worker wife have scooped a £105 million jackpot after picking the right numbers in the EuroMillions.

Joint winners Steve and Lenka Thomson, from Selsey in West Sussex, revealed their initial spending plans along with their identities at a press conference earlier on Tuesday.

National Lottery operator Camelot said the "hard-working" couple will use the win to transform the lives of their whole family, who currently live in a “shoebox” three-bedroom house.

It’s the second time in two months a mega jackpot has been won in the EuroMillions in the UK, with a £170 million pay-out making one ticket holder the biggest ever UK winner in October.

The previous biggest UK winners were Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in North Ayrshire, who won £161 million in July 2011.

But what has happened to previous big lottery winners and where are they now?

‘Don’t bother Dave, I won the lot’

Ray Wragg, 81, from Sheffield, quit his job the morning after he won £7,649,520 on January 22, 2000.

Breaking the news to his boss, Mr Wragg said: “When I told him I’d had a win, he said: ‘That reminds me, I need to check my ticket.’ I said ‘don’t bother Dave – I won the lot’.”

Mr Wragg, whose wife Barbara died last year, said they left the country for the first time when they went on a cruise after the win – making a change from 31 consecutive years holidaying in Torquay.

They also purchased a Range Rover and filled it with Easter eggs for a local school in Sheffield.

Went to Tesco for dog biscuits

As Mr Wragg’s win showed, a lottery win can change a life forever beyond just upgrading holiday plans.

But before any Champagne was popped, the first thing Tracy Field did was walk down to Tesco – in her pyjamas.

The 51-year-old, who lives in a four-bed house in Benfleet, Essex said she was a “struggling” single mother who had been diagnosed with cancer before her £2,561,513 win on July 30, 2008.

She was working three jobs at the time, servicing vending machines, cleaning and delivering catalogues.

On the night she won, the mother-of-two said she went to Tesco at midnight and bought a box of Bonio dog biscuits, because she “couldn’t think of what else to buy”.

She later used her winnings to buy a £430,000 home and properties for her two children.

Life-changing and possibly life-saving

Almost exactly a year later, Brian Caswell, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, won £24,951,269 on the EuroMillions on June 12, 2009.

The 84-year-old said the money paid for an emergency operation.

He said: “I needed an emergency quadruple bypass and instead of waiting our daughter researched the top surgeon and I paid to go private – so the lottery has kept me healthy as well as happy.”

With his wife Joan, 82, he moved from their home of 48 years to a five-bedroom detached house following the win.

Mr Caswell also bought a house for each of their adult daughters.

Becoming a champion

Susan Herdman won back-to-back national championships in autograss racing.

The 51-year-old, from Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, said she could barely afford her heating bills before she won £1,182,714 on January 16, 2010.

Ms Herdman, a single mother to her son Jake at the time, said she carried on working at the hair salon she owned for nine months after the win.

“I picked up a magazine in the salon and read a story about a woman who’d had a perfect life and suddenly died,” she said.

“It was a light bulb moment.

"I sold my salon two days later and never looked back.”

She said she turned her focus to autograss racing, eventually winning a national championship in 2016 and 2017.

She now lives with her partner Andrew.

Gaining pounds but losing weight

Another who struggled to make ends meet was Bev Middleton, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, who said she was in debt, living on a council estate and “struggling” to raise her four children.

Then she won £14,509,500 on February 17, 2017.

With two autistic children, the 40-year-old, who was on benefits, said she purchased a house “five minutes up the road” so her children could be closer to the school they attend.

“I rang to cancel my benefits and the lady nearly dropped the phone when I said I’d won the lottery,” she said.

“One of the best things I’ve been able to do is send my son, who struggles socially, to private school.”

She said since starting at the school her son, Kian, is no longer bullied and is on the rugby team.

Ms Middleton, who now lives with her fiancé Colin Brandon and her children, said she also paid £7,000 for a gastric sleeve last year that helped her go from 17 stone in weight to 11 stone.

A double celebration

For Natalie Metcalf, winning the lottery wasn’t even the best day of her week.

The 38-year-old, from Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, was eight months’ pregnant when she won £1 million on the EuroMillions on February 1, 2019.

She went into labour the next day – one month earlier than expected – while viewing a house.

The 38-year-old, who lives with her fiancé Andy Symes, 41, said: “I’m convinced it was the shock.”

She said they named their daughter Poppy Marie Lottie, who was born on February 5, in honour of the win.

They have now purchased a new home and will be getting married next year.