I won £1million National Lottery jackpot but brushed it off as ‘just a bit of pocket change’ after making silly mistake
A MUM who won £1million in a National Lottery jackpot has brushed the win off as "just a bit of pocket change" after making a silly mistake.
Toni Henderson, 32, said that she initially thought she won only a tiny fraction of the cash after not checking her ticket properly.
The County Durham woman said: "On the odd Saturday I might buy some Lucky Dips on Lotto, which is exactly what I did that afternoon. I didn’t do anything with them until I woke up at eight the next morning and thought I would have a look."
“I checked one of the lines and realised I had some of the numbers. I originally thought I had matched five numbers, which was £1,700 and I was buzzing that I’d won that - it was extra money I didn’t have.
"But when I logged into my online account it came along the top that I had won £1m. I sat there counting the zeros, shaking in bed, whilst my son was still asleep."
Toni said that she then woke her son up and they went to her mother's house.
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"She was visibly concerned when we turned up out of the blue and kept asking what was wrong. I remember saying something like, ‘I think you need to sit down’ before telling her that I’d won £1M on The National Lottery - she couldn’t believe it.
"She was in the middle of starting the Sunday lunch and just stood there shaking. I was on autopilot for the rest of the day and didn’t sleep a wink that night.”
Despite the massive win, the payments assistant is still counting her pennies.
She said: “I did take my son shopping and we bought some toys but even then I told him certain things were too expensive.
"I have always had to be cautious with money so it doesn’t feel right to spend lots on things I wouldn’t have bought before. I am not a materialistic person, even now I find a pair of trainers over £100 far too expensive!”
Toni said she had been living payday to payday and with her rent having just gone up, she was struggling to pay the bills.
"The win will help me massively - I have so much freedom now and I feel a lot more independent. It gives my son the start he deserves and I want the money to last for our future.
“To be honest, I feel a bit guilty for spending it as I haven’t earned it. I am so unbelievably grateful but it’s going to take a lot of time to sink in.”
The following morning Toni was able to confirm the win with The National Lottery, but that didn’t make it feel any more real.
“There are no words to express how you feel. I had this excited butterfly feeling having the win officially confirmed and then seeing all of the zeros in my bank account. You sit and think about what you’d do all the time if you won, but then, when it happens, you don’t know what to do."
Toni will keep working and wants her son to understand the important of hard work.
She said: “I texted my manager and said, ‘something bizarre has happened at the weekend, can you give me a ring?’. When I told him I’d won £1M on The National Lottery at the weekend he could not believe it. I asked to have a few days off to try and get my head around it all.
“I want to keep working - it gives my son a good upbringing and he can learn the value of working hard. My mum has always worked and I want him to have a good mindset and learn that for the nice things in life, you have to earn them. I want to be a good role model for him. I have worked since the age of 17 - I would be bored and lost if I didn’t work.”
She's now thinking about buying a house, helping out friends and family, and a buying new motor - a Kia Sportage.
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Toni said: “I am also going to take my son to Disney World Florida. You only live once and he has never been abroad. That is a one-off trip that I wouldn’t have been able to do before the win.
“I get a lot of comfort out of helping others – that’s what I get a buzz out of.”
UK's biggest lottery winners
By Ethan Singh
- Anonymous winner - £195,707,000
A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite - £184,262,899.10
Britain's previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.
The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children's ponies.
Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.
As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.
- Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000
Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.
They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.
But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.
He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.
He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.
- Adrian and Gillian Brayford - £148,600,000
Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.
But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.
The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.
After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.
She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.
It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly - £114,969,775
Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.
They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.
She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
- Richard and Debbie Nuttall - £61,000,000
The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.
Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.
Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.
Other eye-watering anonymous winners:
- 2019 - £123million
Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.
- 2021 - £122million
Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.
The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.
- 2018 - £121million
Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.
