A 44-year-old mother from Surrey has made history by becoming the National Lottery's 8,000th millionaire after purchasing a last-minute Lucky Dip ticket.
Lindsey Barnes, who works as a technician at a lighting factory, secured her £1million prize in the Lotto draw on 21 January 2026 by matching five numbers plus the bonus ball.
The winning moment came during what she describes as an unremarkable evening at home.
"It was a boring 'mum moment', when I was having five minutes peace after a long day, that I treated myself to that Lotto Lucky Dip on my phone!" Ms Barnes said.
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"It's amazing, one magic moment has changed everything for us."
The discovery of her windfall unfolded at her workplace in dramatic fashion.
Ms Barnes received a notification about her ticket but found herself unable to determine the prize amount, even with assistance from the company accountant.
Her colleagues suggested telephoning the National Lottery directly, and she placed the call on the loudspeaker for everyone to hear.
Factory worker Lindsey Barnes was enjoying a boring ‘mum moment’ before discovering her life-changing National Lottery win
|GETTY
"It was amazing when he confirmed I was a millionaire, someone zoomed out of the office and bought a bottle of Champagne, and we all toasted the win using plastic cups from the watercooler!"
The impromptu celebration saw the entire office raising their makeshift glasses to mark the life-changing news.
To mark the milestone, Ms Barnes received a surprise snowboarding lesson from two-time Olympic snowboarder Aimee Fuller at the Snow Centre in Manchester.
"Now here I am celebrating being the 8,000th millionaire with a surprise snowboarding lesson delivered by two-time Olympic snowboarder, Aimee Fuller. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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The 44-year-old claimed the historic title of becoming the National Lottery's 8,000th millionaire after purchasing a last-minute Lucky Dip ticket
|GETTY
“What an awesome and memorable moment for us!"
Ms Barnes and her partner of five years, Paul Roach, 47, are now planning a snowboarding holiday with their five children.
Her partner introduced her to the sport, though they had previously only been able to afford weekend trips when the children were away.
The 44-year-old has also indulged in a personal reward, purchasing a brand-new BMW Series 2 with sports pack after initially expecting to buy a used vehicle.
"Every time I get in my new car, I just giggle!" she celebrated.
Kathy Garrett, Senior Winners' Advisor at Allwyn, which operates the National Lottery, described the win as "a wonderful example of how Lotto, the nation's Millionaire Maker, really does change lives".
Since the first Lotto millionaire was created in 1994, the lottery has raised more than £52billion for good causes, funding over 670,000 projects across the UK.
This includes £208million to support elite athletes and grassroots sports facilities.
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