EuroMillions: Lottery winners scooped £184m with lucky dip ticket

The UK's biggest EuroMillions lottery winners have been revealed as a couple from Gloucester who scooped £184m with a lucky dip ticket.

Joe and Jess Thwaite won a record-breaking £184,262,899 - making them richer than Adele - last week.

Mrs Thwaite, 44, who has two children with her 49-year-old husband, said the win will give them "time to dream".

The previous record was held by an anonymous winner who banked £170m in October 2019.

After being introduced by TV presenter Dermot O'Leary at a glitzy ceremony on Thursday, Mr Thwaite confirmed that he had already left his job as a communications sales manager.

His wife is also "considering" what to do about her role in a hairdressing salon she runs with her sister.

Mrs Thwaite's initial reaction was disbelief when her husband told her the news

Mr Thwaite discovered he had a win when he got up to walk the dogs at 05:15 BST last Tuesday.

He said "he didn't know what to do" when he saw how much they had won.

"I couldn't go back to sleep, I didn't want to wake Jess up so I just laid there for what seemed like forever," he said.

"I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty."

When his wife's alarm went off, Mr Thwaite told her: "I've got a secret, I've got something to tell you."

Mrs Thwaite revealed her initial reaction was disbelief and she decided to get on with her routine before the couple confirmed the record win with National Lottery operator Camelot.

The couple said they will use some of the money to fix their leaking roof

The couple, formerly of Pershore in Worcestershire, said the win would give them "time to share lots of experiences and go on adventures with our family and friends".

Mr Thwaite has been married to his wife, who runs the business side of the hairdressing salon with her sister, for 11 years.

They have two primary school-aged children together and Joe has two university-aged children from a previous marriage.

Mrs Thwaite said: "Our two children have always talked about going to Hawaii, I've no idea why but we can now make that dream come true.

"Just to see their faces when we can make these things come true will be worth every penny."

The previous record of £170m was claimed by an anonymous UK player and the highest previous named winners are Colin and Chris Weir, from North Ayrshire, who won £161m in 2011.

Mrs Thwaite revealed that her dad was a lifelong National Lottery player and her husband took over the mantle when he passed away seven years ago.

Before his death, she explained that her father "would always ask us what we'd do when we won".

"It was a regular conversation and I feel like he was preparing us," she explained.

"Maybe that is why I seem so chilled, as I've kind of been ready to win for years."

Mr Thwaite said that when he started counting the number of digits, it was “amazing, but surreal”

The win will give the couple the money needed to work on the "dream" home they recently moved into.

Mrs Thwaite said they bought the property to give their children a "country-type lifestyle" and share it with their three dogs, five chickens, two geckos and three ponies.

"Like many parents, we stretch ourselves to give our kids everything we can," she added.

"I always wanted them to be able to get up in their pyjamas, put wellies on and go out and feed the ponies and they can do that here.

"The fact the roof leaks and the house needs renovating was OK, as it was the life we dreamed of for our family."

How do you handle a massive windfall?

The dilemma of what to do with a huge lottery win is the stuff of dreams for most people.

But those lucky enough to have a huge win should plan for the future as well as readjusting to day-to-day life on their new, turbo-charged income.

Here are some top tips from finance experts:

• Becky O'Connor, head of pensions and savings at interactive investor, said legal support, independent financial advice and an excellent accountant are key

• Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest, suggested one way to celebrate without blowing too large a sum could be to have a "millionaire experience...whether that's taking a luxury trip, going out for a mega-expensive meal or buying a fancy car"

• Ian Pickford, partner and head of financial planning at audit and tax firm Mazars, said: "If managed correctly [a big windfall] can offer numerous generations a lifetime of financial security, but it can also cause family rifts and money troubles down the line. It's imperative that people seek the advice of experts and put a long-lasting plan in place"

• Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, advised those suddenly coming into a fortune "not to rush to act" and create a financial plan