14 DAY TRIAL // A car mechanic from Coulsdon in Surrey has been revealed as the big winner of the massive £107.9 million ($179.3/€128,8 million) Euromillions jackpot.
Neil Trotter, who runs a repair garage in Mitcham called Chameleon Coachworks and is also a racing driver, has been named the National Lottery's fourth biggest winner on Friday night.
It seems that the 41-year-old man was so confident he would win that he even made a prediction before the draw. He reportedly told his father “This time tomorrow, I will be a millionaire,” and he even made plans to retire before scooping the big prize.
Turns out that Del Boy's infamous catchphrase brought him good luck. But the strange allusion to Only Fools and Horses doesn't stop here, as the winner's surname is Trotter, the same as Del Boy and Rodney in the famous BBC show.
The lucky man says he spent only £10 ($16,6/€11.9) on Lucky Dip tickets on Friday after getting a “funny feeling.” And he was right to trust his gut instincts, as he matched five numbers and two Lucky Stars in the EuroMillions draw.
“I’ve always thought I’d win big and I’d had a good feeling all week,” Trotter said, as reported by Metro.
“On Friday evening we were sitting at home when I checked the time and thought the draw must have taken place by now. I took out my ticket to check the winning numbers and amazingly one by one they matched,” he added.
Mr. Trotter and Nicky Ottaway, 33, his partner of eight years, confess they were really surprised and couldn't believe their eyes. However, they celebrated their win with two bottles of Budweiser beer.
When asked about his future plans, Neil said “I think it would be rude not to retire. I’m taking time off and going to really enjoy following the British Touring Car Championships.”
He also mentioned that first on their wishes list is a new home and a new car, which is no surprise given that he is a racing driver.
The EuroMillions winning ticket was bought from Londis store in Wallington, London, and the winning numbers were 6, 24, 25, 27, 30 and Lucky Stars 5 and 9. The lucky ticket made Neil richer than well-known celebrities like Robbie Williams and George Michael.
Neil Trotter has now joined an elite club of British Lottery winners who have each scooped more than £100 million ($166/€119 million).