National Lottery winner reveals one major issue after scooping £8m jackpot

Oliver Partridge
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:58:19 +0000

A National Lottery winner has revealed one major issue after scooping an £8million jackpot.

Karen Child, from Derbyshire, was stacking shelves at Tesco and living in council housing with her two children in Chesterfield when fortune struck in 2007.

She had just finished arranging her wedding when she picked up a single lucky dip ticket on her journey home.

That evening, she watched the draw unfold with mounting disbelief, matching the first three numbers.

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"I was thrilled, thinking I'd won £10," she recalled, "then another number came up, and another. By the sixth, I was screaming and shouting", she said.

Official confirmation from the National Lottery revealed her windfall totalled £8,471,383.

She added: "I couldn't stop shaking. I expected someone to say there had been a mistake".

The newly wealthy couple went ahead with their nuptials and traded their planned UK honeymoon for a lavish trip to Mauritius - although the marriage did not last.

Since her divorce, Ms Child has not entered another relationship for 13 years.

She attributes this prolonged period of being single to the complications her wealth creates when meeting new people.

"The hardest part of winning has been trust," she admitted.

"I struggle to trust new people. Now, I wait before telling anyone about my win. If nothing changes, they're a friend for life."

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Ms Child has invested part of her fortune in a new home and focused on providing stability and opportunities for her three children, having welcomed another child since her win.

Beyond her immediate family, she has channelled her wealth into community causes.

Local sporting clubs have benefited from her financial backing.

She also established The Child Foundation - a charitable organisation dedicated to assisting young people and families who require specialist support.

Her approach stands in stark contrast to other major lottery winners, whose fortunes brought misery rather than fulfilment.

Margaret Loughrey, dubbed "Maggie Millions" after scooping approximately £215million on the EuroMillions in 2013, experienced a far darker outcome.

Her brother Paul has stated the windfall "destroyed" her life.

The Northern Ireland woman was already battling mental health issues following her father's death when the money arrived.

"I was the first to be told. We were close right up until the money", Paul said.

"But from that day I knew. I told the rest of the family this is not going to be good for Margaret."

Despite giving £1million to each sibling and close friend, she became increasingly isolated from relatives.

Ms Loughrey sadly died eight years after her win.