Halifax National Lottery winner relives the moment she scooped £10,000 a month for 30 years

Vicky Mitchell, who won £10,000 a month for 30 years, says the moment she won is all a ‘blur’ and was in complete shock when speaking to Camelot to confirm her prize.

The 44-year-old admin assistant has relived her winning moment as her official winner call is revealed alongside new research published by The National Lottery which shows how people from Yorkshire are most likely to react following their life-changing win.

Vicky’s Lucky Dip ticket matched all five main numbers and the Life Ball, making her just the fifth ever top prize Set For Life winner at the time.

Recounting the day she won, she said: “I was awake very early to make sure my eldest son was up for work, so I was half asleep when I saw the email and thought ‘great it’s another fiver’.

“But I couldn’t quite work out what I had won until I logged in to my online account – I then went into shock mode and woke up my partner, shoving my phone in his face to tell him I’d won the lottery. He didn’t believe me at first either and assumed it was just a pound!

“It was still early so we had to wait for the phone line to Camelot to open and it wasn’t until I spoke to them to confirm everything that the news gradually began to sink in.”

Having paid out almost £3BN in major prizes, Camelot’s Andy Carter, Senior Winners Advisor at The National Lottery has seen every reaction possible.

He said: “Unsurprisingly, we get to see a lot of happy people in our job but their reactions certainly differ. Some people feel sick, some people jump up and down, some people are having a party when we arrive, others haven't told a single soul - I've even had people fainting!

“I’ve been there with winners when they reveal to family and friends that they’ve won. That's lovely as it’s a very private moment for them and you can see the genuine shock and delight on people’s faces.

“Winners tell me their emotions aren’t anything like they thought - I suppose you never know how you will react until you have to make that amazing call to Camelot. And who knows, the massive EuroMillions jackpot of £107M this Friday could provoke even more extreme emotions if a UK player were to win!”

And Vicky isn’t alone in her stunned reaction, as new research reveals almost one quarter of people (22%) in Yorkshire would sit in silence if they won, while 21% believe they would burst into tears and 32% would kiss their partner.

Just 12% of those surveyed in Yorkshire would pop open a bottle of bubbly and 9% would hand in their notice straight away.

The nationwide poll of 1,500 people also revealed that 27% of us across the country would call our mum to share the good news, with 31% are likely to jump up and down in celebration.

The findings come as The National Lottery releases a series of its most goosebump-worthy winner calls, showcasing how winners have reacted to their life-changing news.

And, unlike some of those surveyed in Yorkshire, who say a holiday home (19%) or a new wardrobe (14%) would be among the first things to splash out on, Vicky made a new mattress one of her first must-buys!

However, just like Vicky, 37% of people in Yorkshire say they would first buy a new car.

Mum-of-two Vicky added, “We already had a holiday to Ibiza booked for a few days after we won, so it just made it all the more special and we were able to really enjoy ourselves without worrying about money.

“Since winning, we’ve moved to a bigger house and have been able to get a new car, but we have been sensible and, because of the nature of the prize, it gives us security for the future. It’s lovely to be able to go to the supermarket and not have to add up the bill in my head as I walk around, which was always the norm for me.

“With the pandemic, we haven’t been able to do everything on our list just yet but it’s ‘dream come true’ money so we’re looking forward to making more amazing memories as a family thanks to The National Lottery.”