A LOTTERY winner has revealed how he bagged a £1million jackpot but nearly lost it all after making an easy mistake.
Terry Kennedy and Kay Yoxall from Barnsley, in Yorkshire, saw their lives turned around after clinching the staggering prize.
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The couple’s journey to fortune was almost derailed by a simple mistake that could have cost them everything.
Terry, a spirited builder and Kay stroke luck after a Lotto Lucky Dip ticket at their local Post Office in Dunsville, Doncaster.
This win is something which has absolutely changed our lives forever, including the ability it’s given us to travel the world.
Lottery winner Kay
The couple matched five main numbers plus the bonus ball.
But they almost blew their golden ticket when Terry left it on the counter.
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However, thanks to the kindness of the shop assistant the duo was able to get their life-changing Dip back.
It was only when he arrived at work that he realised he had won.
When an agent from Camelot called him to break the new, he shouted to his colleagues in the lunch cabin.
He told The Mirror: “Thinking about that call – and listening back to it today – still gives us both goosebumps – and if I am honest, brings tears to our eyes too!
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“It is a moment which will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Since bagging a whopping £1million nearly a year ago, Terry and Kay still can’t believe they nearly missed out on the windfall.
Kay said: “This win is something which has absolutely changed our lives forever, including the ability it’s given us to travel the world.”
WHIRLWIND JOURNEY
The lucky couple have been living out their dreams ticking off items from their bucket list.
After embracing their newfound wealth, they quickly ditched their normal jobs and embarked on a travel journey across the globe.
Some of their experiences included swimming with dolphins in Mexico to soaring over New York City in a helicopter with wide doors open.
They have also splashed their cash on a luxurious Caribbean cruise, soaking in the sun and sea at various ports.
Terry said the pair have spent at least four months of the year on holiday.
But Terry admitted weeks of travelling led to them putting on a “bit of weight” so they’ve had to go back to the gym.
He added: “We enjoy cruises because you can wake up in a different place and we see more of the world. We’ve got another cruise in January which goes to Panama, Columbia and Mexico. Then a week in Jamaica.
“We’ve put on a bit of weight on this past year but we’ve started back at the gym now.”
And renovated they were able to renovate their home in South Yorkshire.
But despite their whirlwind journey, Kay is planning to go back to work next year after a last trip to Tenerife and a Jamaican cruise.
BACK TO WORK
The winner claims she will be returning to work as a business administrator.
It comes as a woman who played lotto on her dead mum’s numbers almost missed out on her winnings after ripping up and binning the ticket.
Kelly Firth, 44, and her daughter used to head out to the shop every week to buy her mum Carol’s Lotto Hotpicks tickets.
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Elsewhere, a former HGV driver told how he almost lost his £1million lotto win after making an easy mistake.
Stephen Schiltz, 59, claimed his mind played tricks on him when he reported the win, leading lottery bosses to think he was a scammer.
LOTTO WINNER NEAR-MISSES
LOTTO winners up and down the country have shared tales of when they almost lost their winnings before even being able to spend it because of little-known rules or family members thinking it’s a scam.
MUM IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT
Joanne Jobson from Hartlepool, County Durham, snagged the top prize on Set For Life and now banks £10,000 every month – and will do for the next three decades.
But the hardworking carer revealed how she almost missed out on the prize money after her mum believed it was a scam.
After Joanne checked her account and discovered she had won an jaw-dropping amount of money, she rushed to tell her mum, who she lives with.
She said: “I jumped out of bed and went to tell my mum.
“I remember just saying to mum ‘I think I might have won a lot of money’ and showing her my phone.
“Mum was convinced it was a scam, so I googled the winning Set For Life numbers for the same date to see if they matched – which of course they did.”
It was only when Joanne got through to staff at the National Lottery that she was able to confirm that her life had changed forever.
A MOVING OUT GIFT
Lucky punter Alan Jones, 56, had almost axed his ticket for his sold Tyne and Wear property.
Instead, on the last day in his home, Jones’ Westerhope postcode struck gold with him and five other neighbours who all netted £166,666 each.
Jones said: “I was going to cancel my ticket and renew it wherever I end up. Thank goodness I didn’t.
“I’ve got to be out by 2pm tomorrow and I’m basically packing up the house now because I need a new start. This has helped give me that.”
CHECK YOUR LOTTO BALANCE
Euromillions winner Ian Anderson scooped a £1million jackpot prize, but nearly missed out on the life-changing win.
Ian Anderson, 77, and wife Marlyn, 70, bagged the massive sum after copping the fateful £2.50 Lucky Dip ticket.
The elderly couple only had £4.90 left in their National Lottery account before they opted to take a chance on the jackpot.
Marlyn, who now cares for her terminally ill husband after he was sadly diagnosed with pleural plaques and pulmonary fibrosis, always plays the Lottery but had no idea that one day she would win big.
She recalled: “I just thought there is no point £4.90 just sitting in my account, I will buy a lucky dip ticket for the next draw.
“It was the day after the draw that I saw an email saying there was good news about my ticket.”
LISTEN TO YOUR GUT
Tamsin Burling, 33, admitted to learning a big lesson after scooping £83,000 on the lottery
The mum, who won her share of £1million alongside her Kent neighbors, said her fiancé Craig Billington once tried to convince her not to buy a ticket.
But she ignored him and now they’ve scooped tens of thousands of pounds.
Craig, 32, looked on sheepishly as Tamsin, who at the time was seven months pregnant with their third child, celebrated the five-figure win.
