Gary’s £5.2Million Lotto prize is a ‘truck load’ of cash
A lucky lorry driver from Essex is firmly in the ‘driver’s seat’ after winning an incredible £5.2Million jackpot prize on Lotto.
In the meantime, the couple have splashed out on a brand-new vacuum cleaner. Gary said, “We still shopped around for the best deal. We are not flash people. We are very down to earth and know the value of things.”
Gary’s winning journey began at 5.20am on a Thursday when he spotted an email from The National Lottery that said, ‘Good news about your ticket’. He was initially delighted to discover he had won £35. Then he realised there was an additional prize of more than £5.2Million!
He said, “It was difficult to make sense of it. The message said I had won £5,208,504 and I should call The National Lottery straight away. Anita thought it was five thousand pounds, but I said, ‘no love, it’s more than that’.”
Gary had to wait several hours for The National Lottery phone lines to open. He said, “I’ve always been a laid-back person, but that was the longest two and a half hours of my life waiting until the phone lines opened at 8am.”
Once the win was confirmed, Gary shared the amazing news with members of his family. His daughter was convinced he was teasing her.
Tying the knot in style is top of the couple’s wish list. They were looking forward to a civil ceremony later in the year, but thanks to the win they’re organising a bigger celebration in the summer.
A search for a new home is also underway. Gary and 55-year-old Anita are hoping to move away from the city and buy a place with a big garden and more bedrooms for family get-togethers.
They both have a passion for Formula 1 and Gary never misses a race on TV. He said, “We follow all the British drivers. Even if the race starts at 3am, I'm up and watching it.”
Gary admits it may take a little time to adapt to becoming a National Lottery millionaire. He said, “We have worked hard all our lives and never really had time for hobbies or pastimes. Any spare time has been spent supporting others as we were brought up to put others first.
“It will be amazing to have the time and money to treat ourselves a little and maybe try something new. Just this morning I thought ‘maybe I might try lawn bowls’!”
6th May 2025
The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,400 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.
Discover more