Hereford factory worker thought he’d won £71,000 on EuroMillions. Then he put his glasses on

Ade Goodchild didn’t believe it the first time he looked. Or the second.

The 58-year-old from Hereford had worked at the same metal factory for more than two decades. On Friday 15 March 2019 he bought a EuroMillions ticket at the Co-op on Ledbury Road, like plenty of people do every week.

The winning numbers that night were 3, 15, 24, 42 and 46, with Lucky Stars 9 and 12.

“I thought I’d won a fiver”

Ade checked his ticket on the Saturday morning. It played the winning sound, and he assumed he’d won a fiver. Then he looked again and thought it said £71,000.

That would have been a great morning on its own. But something made him fetch his glasses.

With them on, he could see every one of his numbers was circled. He read the prize again. It wasn’t £71,000. It was £71 million, and nobody else had matched all seven numbers.

His exact prize was £71,057,439. At the time, that made him the 15th biggest lottery winner in UK history.

Straight to the sock drawer

The first people he rang were his mum and dad, who were in complete shock. The ticket went into his sock drawer, and it stayed there until he claimed it.

The National Lottery named him as the winner at a press conference at The Abbey Hotel in Malvern on Wednesday 20 March.

“It bloody well will”

Plenty of big winners say the money won’t change them. Ade wasn’t having any of that.

“I’m not one of these winners who is going to say this win won’t change me. It bloody well will.”

He handed in his notice straight away. No more shift work.

Pool, jacuzzi and a personal chef

His plans were big and very honest:

• A new house with a swimming pool and a jacuzzi
• Staff, including a chauffeur and a personal chef
• Room for his dogs and a good spot for his hammock
• A new car
• Tickets to top sporting events
• Trips to the Grand Canyon and the pyramids of Giza

He also planned to share some of the money with his family, who are originally from South Wales. And the first celebration? A pizza.

Check your ticket twice

Ade’s story is a good reminder that it’s worth looking twice. And it helps to have your glasses on. If a ticket shows a win, check the draw date and every number carefully, then confirm it with the official operator before you do anything else.