A National Lottery player has claimed a £13.3million jackpot in Wednesday evening's "Must Be Won" Lotto draw.
The latest announcement brings weeks of rollovers to an end.
The fortunate ticket holder matched all six main numbers to secure the massive prize after a winner was not found on four previous occasions.
Wednesday's winning combination was 2, 5, 22, 35, 44 and 54, with 23 drawn as the bonus ball.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
The draw had been designated Must Be Won after reaching its maximum rollover limit.
It means the prize would have been shared among lower-tier winners had nobody matched all six numbers.
Andy Carter, Senior Winners' Advisor at Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, expressed delight at the result.
"Just what we love to see, a big Lotto winner to kickstart the new year winning our 'Must Be Won' Lotto jackpot!" he said.
The draw had been designated 'Must Be Won'
| GETTY"A single player has banked the £13.3M jackpot in tonight's draw, kicking off 2026 in style imagine the new year's bucket-list you can start to tick off with this win in the bank!"
Carter urged participants to verify their entries, adding: "If you've played, please check your tickets and get in touch if you think you're a big winner."
Beyond the headline winner, Wednesday's draw also produced several other significant prizes.
Two players each collected £1million after successfully matching five main numbers alongside the bonus ball.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
National Lottery has issued an urgent appeal
| PAA further 63 ticket holders walked away with £1,750 apiece, having matched five of the six main numbers drawn.
The next Lotto draw takes place on Saturday.
The jackpot is estimated at £3.8million following the clearance of the accumulated rollover fund.
Players can purchase tickets online or from retailers across the country until sales close at 7.30pm on draw nights, with each line costing £2.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News