Friday’s winner was the only player across Europe to correctly match main numbers 1, 21, 26, 40 and 50 with Lucky Stars 2 and 4, becoming the third-largest EuroMillions winner of 2016 so far. The UK now ranks alongside Portugal in third place in the list of participating countries that have created the most jackpot winners since the game started in 2004. The two nations are tied on 59 wins each, trailing Spain on 77 and France on 79 top prize tier successes since 2004.
Although the majority of UK lottery jackpot winners choose to stay private, four of the country’s five biggest ever winners opted to make their names public, with the difficulties of keeping such a large win secret cited by some as the reason behind the decision. On netting £161.6 million on EuroMillions in July 2012, Chris Weir said she and her husband Colin took the publicity because “we would have had to have constructed lies for our nearest and dearest. We don’t want to live like that.” Neil Trotter of Surrey, who claimed £107.9 million in the game in March 2014, was quoted as saying, “I didn't want to disappear and hide, I didn't think that would be possible. I didn't want to be deceitful to all my friends."
Rumours have persisted that UK jackpot winners miss out on support from the National Lottery if they shy away from the limelight, or that players only receive the full prize amount if they attend a press conference, but both assertions are denied vehemently by lottery bosses.
Keep checking the WorldLottery.net news pages for information on the latest EuroMillions winner if and when it becomes available.
