Winner stories
Two Hertfordshire Lotto winners share nearly £20m, and one is keeping his job
Two Lotto jackpots in four days went to players a few miles apart in Hertfordshire. One used the same numbers since 1994. The other bought his ticket online and plans to keep working.
Published 28 October 2026
The short answer
Two Lotto jackpot winners from Hertfordshire have shared their plans with Allwyn, which runs The National Lottery. A woman from Hemel Hempstead won £7,807,591 on Wednesday 9 September 2026. A man from near Bovingdon won £12,000,000 on Saturday 12 September 2026.
Between them that’s nearly £20 million, won four days apart. Both have chosen not to be named.
The Hemel Hempstead winner: £7.8m with numbers she’d played since 1994
She matched all six numbers in Round 1 of the draw on Wednesday 9 September. The numbers were 2, 6, 28, 30, 42 and 49, and she was the only jackpot winner that night.
She bought her ticket in a shop, using numbers that mean something to her. She’d played them every week since The National Lottery started in 1994. She plans to buy a new home for her family and help the people close to her.
The Bovingdon winner: £12m with a ticket bought online
Three days later, a man from near Bovingdon matched all six numbers in Round 2 of the draw on Saturday 12 September. The numbers were 10, 12, 29, 31, 36 and 54. His ticket was the only one to win the £12 million jackpot.
He’s in his 40s, works in sales and marketing, and regularly played Lotto, EuroMillions and Thunderball. He told Allwyn he’s "still going to go to work, but because I want to".
- His first big buy is a tumble dryer.
- He’s planning an extension to his home.
- He wants to take his children on trips and help his family.
Do winners usually keep working?
Some winners carry on working and some don’t. There’s no right answer. The usual advice is to slow down, get proper advice and decide later. Our guide on what happens when you win the lottery goes through the first few weeks, and how to spend lottery winnings covers the money side.
If you want the fun side, here are our best ideas to spend your lottery winnings on.
Can you stay anonymous?
Yes. Both of these winners kept their names private but still shared their plans. Publicity is always your choice. Our guide on staying anonymous after a win explains how it works.
A busy autumn for Lotto jackpots
These two wins came in the run-up to a busy few weeks. The £5.8m Lewisham jackpot from 26 September was claimed a month later, and another ticket won the £4.3m jackpot on 21 October. A £12m jackpot from June is still unclaimed.
The odds of winning the jackpot are still 1 in 45,057,474 per round, so play for fun. Our guide on how many people win the Lotto jackpot shows how often it goes, and every result is on our Lotto results page.
Questions people ask
Who won the Lotto jackpot in Hemel Hempstead?
A woman from Hemel Hempstead who chose not to be named. She won £7,807,591 on Wednesday 9 September 2026 with numbers she’d played every week since 1994.
Who won the £12m Lotto jackpot on 12 September 2026?
A man in his 40s from near Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. He bought his ticket online and matched all six numbers in Round 2.
What were the winning numbers?
9 September, Round 1: 2, 6, 28, 30, 42, 49. 12 September, Round 2: 10, 12, 29, 31, 36, 54.
Do lottery winners have to go public?
No. Publicity is always your choice. Both Hertfordshire winners stayed anonymous.