From forgotten tickets to last-minute purchases, several lucky winners across the North East and North Yorkshire have struck it rich on the EuroMillions and National Lottery.
Redcar NHS worker Andy Hornsby welcomed 2025 as a millionaire after scooping a £1 million EuroMillions prize just ten minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
While checking them moments before midnight, he and his stepdaughter discovered the win, prompting cheers that his partner initially mistook for a New Year toast.
Despite his windfall, Andy, a specialist medical delivery driver, intends to stay in the NHS role he loves.
Over in Middlesbrough, shopkeeper Amy Fowler, who owns Arncliffe Stores on West Lane, bagged a £10,000 prize through a National Lottery retailer incentive scheme.
The draw, run by operator Allwyn, rewards stores for maintaining high in-store standards.
Amy said the prize would go towards paying off her mortgage, adding, “It was an amazing feeling — a real boost for all the hard work we do.”
Exhausted from a night shift as a carer, Sheena only stopped at Tesco because one of her sons needed something.
That impromptu trip ended with a ticket that matched five main numbers and one Lucky Star.
The mum-of-two, who lives in rented accommodation, now plans to buy a caravan for family adventures and is saving for a deposit on a home.
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“This win has created so many opportunities for us as a family,” she said.
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
All three winners say they plan to continue working and supporting their communities, proving that sometimes, luck doesn’t change who you are, but it can help change your life.
