Why Celeste’s £3.6MMillion EuroMillions win is a family affair

But Celeste Coles, 69, said the most important thing about her amazing prize is knowing her adult daughters – Rachel, 38 and Nicola, 32 – will be comfortable.

Celeste said, “I have 2 amazing daughters. Rachel, my oldest daughter, has Down’s syndrome, and her younger sister is Nicola. The biggest thing for me is knowing that my girls will have a more comfortable life.”

Celeste said the family has been supported by some “excellent” charities. She added, “Pure and Midland Mencap in particular have been a great support and do brilliant work including giving Rachel the opportunity to work and integrate more fully with the community. I know that Midland Mencap has had National Lottery funding over the years too, which is amazing.”

Celeste bought her winning ticket after receiving an email referring to the large jackpot on offer in the EuroMillions draw on Tuesday 12th July 2022. Remembering to check her ticket the evening of the draw, she knew she was in for something ‘big’ when she realised she had matched 5 main numbers plus 1 Lucky Star on her EuroMillions ticket.

She said, “One by one I ticked off the numbers. By the fifth main number I knew I’d won something big-ish, but then when I spotted I had also matched 1 of the Lucky Stars I knew I’d won something even bigger!”

Celeste, who is originally from Barbados, isn’t someone who gets flustered easily. She got herself a glass of water and sat down while she let the news of her huge win sink in. She said, “I’ve always been a pretty calm person, so there was no whooping from me. But I did decide a glass of water and a sit down was in order. Now I think about it, I was probably in shock, and I still am! You never think it will really happen to you.”

Celeste already had a big summer trip to Barbados planned, so she jetted off to see her family soon after the money hit her bank account. Since coming back she has been busy planning how she wants to enjoy her winnings, which include taking care of her family and some epic bucket list adventures.

She said, “I've always wanted to go to South America, so a trip to Rio, Chile, Brazil and Argentina are definitely on the cards. I’d also like to go on a train trip through the Rocky Mountains – that’s a real bucket list dream that I can now hopefully tick off in the not-too-distant future!”

28th September 2022