EuroMillions jackpot of £105m claimed by Selsey couple

A builder and a shop worker have been named as the winners of a £105m EuroMillions jackpot.

Steve Thomson, 42, and his wife Lenka, 41, from West Sussex, were the sixth jackpot prize winners in the UK this year, operator Camelot said.

Their ticket won £105,100,701.90 on 19 November, the 25th anniversary of the National Lottery’s first draw.

Mr Thomson said when he realised he had won that he felt he was “on the verge of having a heart attack”.

The winning numbers picked were 8, 10, 15, 30 and 42, with 4 and 6 selected for the Lucky Star numbers.

As he was handed the cheque at the official presentation of the couple’s winnings, Mr Thomson said: “I think that’s mine.”

He also said the couple had made no big purchases yet, although he admitted he had bought a new shirt and had a haircut.

‘I’ll be there’

Mr Thomson, from Selsey, said: “I started shaking a lot. I knew it was a really big win but didn’t know what to do. I think I was on the verge of having a heart attack.”

He said he would not be giving up his job straight away.

“Once I am over the shock I will need to keep doing something,” he said.

“I am not the type just to sit still. My business partner knows that if he needs a hand, I’ll be there.”

He added he will complete all of his outstanding jobs fitting windows and conservatories.

Mr Thomson said both he and his wife went to work after finding out they had won.

He said he ended up painting a ceiling.

The couple said they plan to stay in the Selsey area and will be sharing the money with friends and family, as well as “doing things for the community”.

Mr Thomson added that his family will not be cooking their Christmas dinner this year.

He said he decided to go public so he did not have to hide.

“I am not going to flutter it away, at the end of the day I am still Steve,” he said.

“I do not want to change, we are just financially better off.”

‘So emotional’

Mr Thomson said his family were looking forward to a “good Christmas”.

“I am not cooking. Mum is not cooking. Lenka is not cooking,” he added.

“It’s so much money, I still can’t get my head around it.”

Mrs Thomson, a shop worker originally from Slovakia, said: “It’s life-changing for the family. It’s so emotional.”

Last month a UK ticket-holder claimed a record £170m EuroMillions jackpot.

It made them Britain’s richest-ever lottery winner.

That followed a £123m win in June, a £38m win in April, a £71m win in March and a £115m win in January.

Before the £170m jackpot, the biggest UK winners were a couple from Largs in North Ayrshire, Scotland, who won £161m in July 2011. BBC News