A hard-working couple from County Fermanagh are celebrating an extraordinary turn of fortune after winning a life-changing £3,800,000 Lotto Jackpot just days before Christmas, on Saturday 16 December, 2023.
Ticket-holder Jonny Johnston, 45, was delivering festive goodies for his employer, Tesco, just before he discovered his incredible stroke of luck. On completing his rounds on Saturday, he enjoyed a Christmas night out with work colleagues before spotting a familiar message from The National Lottery on his email announcing there was ‘good news about his ticket’.
Suspecting he had won a Lucky Dip, he went to bed not giving it another thought. It wasn’t until Sunday morning that Jonny and his partner, Christina, were prompted to check the National Lottery app once more and they realised the news was a little more exciting than he first thought!
Jonny said, “I was sitting on the edge of the bed on Sunday morning trying to make sense of what I was seeing. I just kept staring at the numbers on my account. I thought maybe I had won £38,000 but then there were too many zeros. I passed the phone to Christina for her to check and she was in disbelief too. We both began to think that it was a trick, a scam even! We decided we had better call Camelot and double-check.”
Only once The National Lottery team confirmed the incredible £3.8M Lotto jackpot win did the news begin to sink in. Jonny and partner of 25 years, Christina Williams (46), then broke the news to their three adult children.
“The kids were silent at first, looking at both of us in disbelief. And then the screaming and shouting started and everyone was jumping around the kitchen, cheering! Seeing as it was still early, we popped the kettle on and toasted the amazing news with a cup of coffee!”
After learning of his amazing win, Jonny still had another shift to work at Tesco before Christmas and was determined not to leave his colleagues in the lurch. He completed a ‘click and collect’ shift at the local store on Saturday 23 December, handing over bags of Christmas turkeys and all the trimmings to unsuspecting customers who had no idea the man helping them load their car up was in fact a millionaire!
News of the lucky Lotto windfall has spread fast among the local community, as well as Jonny’s colleagues at Tesco, who have expressed their joy and support for their co-worker, who has been delivering groceries to residents for over three years.
Jonny and Christina plan to use this newfound wealth to provide financial security for their family, as well as to indulge in some well-deserved leisure time together. The couple, who have three children – two sons aged 23 and 19, and a daughter aged 20 – have never been abroad together and Jonny has never owned a passport.
Jonny said, “I would love for us all to go to The Caribbean, maybe on a cruise as it sounds and looks incredible. We have never had a family holiday together. I just need to apply for my passport first!”
Other purchases may include a vintage car for Jonny and even a tractor for one of their farm-working children but the family admit it is early days and they are still working out their wishlists! The family did admit the win came just in time to give their Christmas pressies a boost and the family gifts under the tree this year included designer handbags and fancy £450 leather boots.
In response to the life-changing win, Jonny shared, “I’m still in disbelief. This is a dream come true for me and my family. I’ve always worked hard, and this win will allow us to do things we could only ever have dreamt of before. I am incredibly grateful and still trying to wrap my head around it all.”
Having played Lotto for more than 20 years, Jonny would normally select his usual numbers. However, the week before he had matched two numbers and won an additional Lucky Dip for Saturday’s Lotto draw and it was the free Lucky Dip line which proved to be the winner!
Jonny played Lotto on the National Lottery app. His winning numbers on Saturday 16 December were: 4, 12, 23, 30, 50 and 56.
By playing any National Lottery game, players generate £30M each week for National Lottery-funded projects. This money helps fund projects across the nation, with over 685,000 grants – supporting projects both big and small – having been made across the UK to date and over £48BN having been raised for Good Causes.
Players can buy and check their tickets online by downloading the National Lottery app or at national-lottery.co.uk. Players can also buy and check tickets in retail. Playing online via the app or website means that your ticket is checked, and you get an email notification if you win a prize. You can also scan your retail tickets on the National Lottery app to check if you’re a winner.
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