From School Kitchen to EuroMillions Winner

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When most people check their lottery numbers in the early hours, they don't expect life to change. But for EuroMillions winner Ian Steele, a quick look at his ticket before work turned out to be a moment he’d never forget. The 53 year old school chef from Manchester is now £1 million richer, and his first priority is treating his family.

Man holding a giant EuroMillions cheque for £1,000,000 and a winning lottery ticket.

Ian Steele’s EuroMillions Prize Brings Hope After Years of Challenges

Ian Steele, a 53 year old school chef from Manchester, is celebrating a life changing moment after winning £1 million in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker raffle, truly becoming a winner in every sense. Ian, who has spent the last 18 years supporting his wife Nick through her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS), says the prize will finally allow his family to enjoy the freedom they’ve long dreamed of.

Nick, 51 year old, was diagnosed with MS while pregnant with their daughter, Chloe. She later had to retire from her job as a specialist dental nurse at Manchester Hospital due to her condition. The illness has shaped their lives, often requiring extra planning just to enjoy basic activities. Ian shared, “Due to Nick’s condition, even simple things require careful planning as we go about embracing our new role as EuroMillions winners. This win gives us so many more options.”

From School Kitchen to EuroMillions Winner

Ian initially thought he hadn’t won anything when he checked his numbers at 5 a.m. via the National Lottery app. Seeing no matches, he got ready for work as usual. But later that morning, an email caught his eye. Ian explained that becoming a EuroMillions winner felt surreal, “I thought it must be a mistake,” Ian said. “But then I saw the raffle number had a blue tick next to it. That’s when it sunk in.”

The EuroMillions Millionaire Maker doesn't rely on traditional number matches. Instead, every ticket has a unique code automatically entered into a raffle for a £1 million prize. When Ian asked a colleague to confirm what he was seeing, the chef exclaimed, “I think you’ve won a million pounds!” EuroMillions winners often find it all overwhelming. “That’s when I started shaking like a leaf,” Ian recalled.

Celebration and Big Plans

At first, Nick didn’t believe Ian. It was only when a National Lottery representative showed up with a bottle of Champagne that it started to feel real. Their teenage daughter Chloe was overwhelmed with emotion. With dreams of Disneyland, the family realized how being EuroMillions winners opens new opportunities. Ian said, “I’ve always said that if we won big, we’d treat ourselves. The first thing Chloe asked was, ‘Can we go to Disneyland now?’”

The family, who are huge Star Wars fans, have long dreamed of visiting Disneyland. Thanks to Ian's lucky ticket and his new status as a EuroMillions winner, that dream is finally within reach.