Meet Ryan, he’s just won £58MMillion!

Ryan Hoyle discovered the win while checking his emails at 6am on the morning of Saturday 18th April.

The self-employed joiner, who normally buys his tickets in-store but who has been playing online recently during the lockdown, spotted an email from The National Lottery with the title, ‘News about your ticket’. At first it looked as if he had won £2.30 but as he scanned his account, he saw that his second line had also matched some numbers and this time the winning amount was eight digits long.

Ryan said, “I always wake up early and was sat on the edge of my bed but couldn’t work out what I was looking at. The email linked to my account which looked like a lot of numbers, and I thought it might be millions but I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. I couldn’t make sense of it and really needed to talk to someone so I called Mum and Dad. It was 6am so they assumed that I had locked myself out of the flat somehow as it has happened before!”

Ryan said his parents were shocked but kept calm considering the huge sum involved. And news of Ryan’s good fortune quickly spread in the area during Saturday and by dinner time, Ryan’s family and many friends were all aware of his amazing good fortune. Ryan said, “I think everyone I have ever known must have heard the news – I’ve had so many messages and texts from people I haven’t heard from in years. All of them wishing me well.”

The news of the win and the incredible amount is still slowly sinking in for Ryan. He said, “It has been a long weekend and I’m struggling to sleep. I can’t stop pacing either, I can’t stay still just trying to make sense of it all. I couldn’t keep it quiet, that’s for sure, and look how far the news has spread already. I guess it’s true that good news does travel fast!”

Ryan plans on buying a new car, something to get him and his 11-year-old daughter around. He said, “I haven’t driven a car in over five years and have no idea what the options are. I guess I’ll have a look in Rochdale and see what they’ve got. I doubt it will be a sports car or anything too flash as that’s not me.”

Ryan, who rents a one bed flat, will be looking to purchase his own home as soon as the lockdown is lifted and he can see what is available. Longer term, building his own home could be on the wishlist, but down-to-earth Ryan is not looking to build anything flash, saying, “You don’t need a swimming pool in Greater Manchester; it’s not hot enough.”

In the current situation, The National Lottery has been urging players to play online or by downloading the National Lottery app, and to only buy their tickets in retail as part of their essential shop. Playing online via the website or app means that your ticket is checked, and you get an email notification if you win a prize. You can also scan your retail tickets on the National Lottery app to check if you’re a winner.

Thanks to you, up to £300MMillion will be used to support the most vulnerable in communities across the UK during the coronavirus crisis.

23rd April 2020