An electrician has scooped a £1 million jackpot after buying his first ever EuroMillions ticket because 'a voice in his head' told him that he should buy a ticket while out shopping.
Thirty-one-year-old Simon Waddup, from Coventry, decided to fork out for a National Lottery ticket after getting the impulse while shopping on 19 May.
Now, the dad-of-one is a millionaire, as one of the two £2.50 tickets he bought turned out to be a winner.
Simon explained: "I have played Instant Win Games on The National Lottery website but never a main draw game.
"I was shopping in Aldi and I kept hearing this voice telling me to buy a lottery ticket.
"It sounds daft but I had the same message even as I was going home.
"When I got back, I looked at my National Lottery account online and I had £5 left in my wallet.
"I didn't even know what day it was, or what type of draw was available next, but saw I could buy a EuroMillions Lucky Dip for £2.50 so decided to buy two for that night's draw.
"I completely forgot about it until the next morning."
"I was waiting for a delivery from 7am and at about 8.30am looked at my phone and saw I had a message from The National Lottery.
"I knew I had won something big but I couldn't quite believe it was £1 million, and it wasn't until I called The National Lottery hotline that I let myself believe that it was real.
"I was then in a bit of a daze, just shaking."
He continued: "The first person I told was my ten-year-old daughter and she asked if she could now have a passport, seeing as she has never been abroad.
"I then phoned my mum and sister and they didn't believe me.
"I still can't believe this was the first time I played a main draw game.
"I've always played Instant Win Games and won a few quid here and there. Lady Luck must have been smiling down on me and said 'you need this now'."
Well, now Simon can start to realise his long-held dream of developing properties.
Using his experience on various building sites as an electrician, as well as his extra-curricular education in building planning, Simon now finally has the start-up cash to become a property developer.
He added: "When my mum and sister finally realised I wasn't joking, all we could talk about was that my lifelong dream would now be a reality - I could be a property developer.
"For as long as I can remember I have wanted to buy old properties, do them up and build my own portfolio.
"Friends and family laughed at my dream, especially when I was a teenager, but I was so focused, always thinking about how I would do it.
"Both I and they now can't believe that I have got that amazing windfall that will enable me to now go after my dream."
Fate smiled on him at the right time, too. Simon explained how his health problems - blood and heart issues - have held him back from his dream career.
He's been out of work since last summer, but now he's got the readies to get everything off the floor.
First off, he's planning a celebration when the coronavirus pandemic is over.
He said: "Due to coronavirus, I can't celebrate with my family and I can't wait to see people and talk about the win - I will definitely be treating my family.
"I will also get a passport for my daughter and, when we can, take a trip abroad - she has already told me that she wants to go to Spain."
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