EuroMillions winner finally comes forward after public appeal to claim £1m jackpot

Andy Carter, representing National Lottery operator Allwyn, expressed his satisfaction at the successful conclusion of the search.

He said he was "delighted" that the missing winner, confirmed to be from the West Sussex area had finally been located.

The prize was secured through the UK Millionaire Maker draw held on January 2 with the ticket matching the required numbers to scoop the seven-figure sum.

Allwyn had previously urged players across the area to examine their tickets carefully.

That New Year's Day draw proved particularly fruitful, creating a total of 10 millionaires through the UK Millionaire Maker game.

With this latest claim, every single prize from that draw has now been successfully collected.

The winner's claim must now undergo a verification procedure before the funds can be released.

Once this validation stage is complete, the ticket holder will have the option to reveal their identity publicly or remain anonymous.

Local radio station V2 Radio reported that the winning ticket originated from the Mid Sussex District specifically.

The successful entry had matched five main numbers plus one Lucky Star in the EuroMillions draw.

National Lottery rules stipulate that all prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the relevant draw.

Any winnings left uncollected after this deadline are redirected to support National Lottery-funded initiatives throughout the country.

A survey of winners has found that community workers and people who work for charities were ’s luckiest players in 2025, followed by builders, drivers and managers.

The National Lottery said Cancer was the most frequent star sign for winners, followed by Aries and Scorpio.

The year also saw the charity figure raised over the course of the National Lottery’s 34 years reach £52billion.

Mr Carter said: "There’s nothing quite like meeting our winners and seeing the moment their lives change.

“But it’s not just about the prizes. Every ticket played helps fund projects that make a real difference to communities across the UK.

“Whether it’s supporting sport, heritage, arts or local causes, National Lottery players are helping change lives every single day – and it all starts with that little pink ticket.”