Who Are The Biggest EuroMillions Winners from the UK?
Last Updated: Wednesday 11th November 2020, 12:55
As EuroMillions players look forward to the first Superdraw of the year this Friday night, there is a chance that someone in the UK could be about to get their hands on the extraordinary jackpot and become one of the country’s biggest winners.
The top prize for Friday’s draw will be worth €130 million (around £112 million), and we have a dedicated page that tells you everything you need to know about the nine-figure Superdraw jackpot. If there is a single winner from the UK, they will occupy fourth or possibly even third position in the list of the nation’s largest lottery prizes. Here is a rundown of some of the biggest UK winners.
The Weirs
The record for the largest jackpot ever won in the UK still belongs to Colin and Christine Weir, who landed £161.6 million on 12th July 2011. The Scottish couple, from Largs in Ayrshire, bought five Lucky Dips for the big draw and checked through their first four sets of numbers without any hint of success. The fifth line was a perfect match for the five main numbers and two Lucky Stars, though, instantly catapulting them to a level of wealth even beyond most of the rich and famous.
The Weirs’ story highlights how going public can have its benefits. They were able to make a success of their Weir Charitable Trust, which supported various communities and good causes within Scotland, while they also donated money to the Scottish National Party and helped their beloved football club Partick Thistle clear their debts.
The Bayfords
Adrian and Gillian Bayford from Suffolk claimed a £148.6 million EuroMillions jackpot on 10th August 2012. It was actually a larger Euro prize than the Weirs (€190 million to €185 million) but the exchange rate left them with a slightly smaller payout. The Bayfords quickly swapped their three-bedroom house for a Grade II-listed Georgian mansion worth more than £6 million. The new pad had seven bedrooms, four marbled bathrooms and was set in more than 100 acres of woods and farmland.
A passionate music fan, Adrian has also used his money to pursue his interests, opening up a business of his own which sells memorabilia and even saving the Cambridge Rock Festival when the local event was in danger of being left without a venue and a sponsor.
Biggest Anonymous Winner
The third-largest EuroMillions prize ever won in the UK was worth £113 million and was claimed anonymously by a player who matched all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars on Friday 10th October 2010. Depending on how the exchange rate fluctuates before Friday’s Superdraw, a UK winner in the next draw could nip ahead of them in the standings.
UK Superdraw Winners
A UK player snapped up a prize of £87.5 million in a EuroMillions Superdraw held on 30th June 2017. This is the only time that someone from the UK has won the top prize on the night of a Superdraw, but the jackpot can roll over and create even more excitement in subsequent draws. Dave and Angela Dawes won £101 million straight after a Superdraw in October 2011, while London’s Neil Trotter picked up £107 million on 7th March 2014 after a Superdraw jackpot rolled over twice. Find out more about previous EuroMillions Superdraws.
Recent UK Winners
One lucky UK player has already enjoyed EuroMillions success this year, having scooped half of the £155.5 million jackpot on Friday 23rd February. The ticket holder, who shared the prize with a participant from Spain, quickly came forward to make a claim for their £77.7 million and received the money anonymously.
A group of kitchen workers from Neath Port Talbot Hospital - known as the Catering Girls - also picked up £25.4 million last November, showing how effective it can be to play in a syndicate. By joining forces and entering multiple lines, the six colleagues became multi-millionaires and were able to quit their jobs straight away.
Don’t miss the Superdraw
If you want to take part in Friday’s Superdraw, you could take a leaf out of the Catering Girls’ book and join a syndicate, or alternatively, visit any authorised National Lottery retailer to purchase a ticket. With spring finally in the air and a huge jackpot on offer, it could well turn out to be the perfect weekend. Best of luck!