ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
UK's youngest lottery winner went on to have tragic story after winning £1.8 million
Home>News
Published 12:53 18 Feb 2025 GMT

UK's youngest lottery winner went on to have tragic story after winning £1.8 million

Callie Rogers was just a teen when she won the lottery in 2003

Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Turns out the person who came up with the phrase that 'money doesn't solve all your problems' may have actually been on to something after all.

Most of us Brits have probably spent at least some of our spare time daydreaming about quitting our jobs, splashing out on a mansion and riding off into the sunset should we ever win the jackpot - but be warned, as life doesn't always turn out that way.

One person who's more than qualified to warn about the pitfalls of becoming an overnight millionaire is Callie Rogers, who was just 16 years old when she won a whopping £1.875 million back in 2003.

Callie Rodgers was 16 when she won the jackpot (PA)
Callie Rodgers was 16 when she won the jackpot (PA)

Advert

At the time Callie was making just £3.60 an hour at her local Co-op in Cumbria and living with foster parents, which meant her huge winnings brought a life-changing reversal of fortunes.

Nearly 22-years on from the win and Callie's life is drastically different and it's fair to say she's had quite a rollercoaster ride since then.

After cashing the cheque Callie wasted no time in upgrading her day-to-day life and splashed out half a million on homes for herself as well as places for friends and family.

She reportedly spent a further £550k on clothes, tattoos and travelling other the years as well as money on numerous cosmetic surgeries, including £18,000 on boob jobs.

However, it wasn't long before Callie began to experience the less savoury side of winning the lottery.

She was soon greeted by the outstretched hands of people looking to cash in on her win - money that she would never see back.

"People asked for money for new cars and I would help out. I was a soft touch," she told The Mirror in 2019.

"Now I realise what they were like. I was exploited because of my age. I had a lot of fake relationships."

Callie added: "I would give money to distant relatives and friends of friends. I loaned £20,000 here, £13,000 there. I would never get it back."

Callie recently shared a life update (Facebook/Callie Rogers)
Callie recently shared a life update (Facebook/Callie Rogers)

It was reported that Callie spent a further £250,000 on cocaine - something she has denied - before eventually going bankrupt.

"Overnight I went from carefree child to adult. All these years on, it still gets dragged up," she told The Mirror.

"It preys on my mind, what a new partner's family will think of me, or even new friends. I still get abuse just because of who I am."

Now 37 and a mother of five, Callie has since gone back to school and trained as a carer. She previously argued for the government to raise the minimum age in which a person can purchase a lottery ticket, arguing that she was proof it was dangerous to allow children to win so much money.

The UK Government would later raise the minimum age from 16 to 18 for all lottery players.

Camelot, who used to own the National Lottery, previously said it had offered Callie 'extensive support' over the years.

A spokesman said: "She didn't take up the independent financial and legal advice offered by us.

"However, our winner's team fully supported her and helped her to handle media interest. We will continue to support Callie in any way we can if she wants."

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Topics: Money, National Lottery, UK News

Brenna Cooper
Brenna Cooper

Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture.

X

@_brencoco

Recommended reads

Gina Carano lost million-dollar Star Wars deal over one social media postPatrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty ImagesNew study finds weight loss jabs could halve the number of sick days people take off workGetty Stock PhotoHayden Panettiere says she was 'groomed' as she opens up on dark side of growing up in HollywoodJon Kopaloff/Getty Images'Super El Nino' wiped out nearly all life in event worse than dinosaur apocalypseX/@forallcurious

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • Getty Stock Photo
    5 hours ago

    New study finds weight loss jabs could halve the number of sick days people take off work

    A new study says it could free up millions of GP appointments too

    News
  • X/@forallcurious
    6 hours ago

    'Super El Nino' wiped out nearly all life in event worse than dinosaur apocalypse

    An 'El Nino' is a devastating weather phenomenon

    News
  • Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images
    7 hours ago

    Huge update on two orcas 'left for dead' in abandoned marine park

    The mother and son orcas might be able to be saved

    News
  • Getty Stock
    9 hours ago

    Common supplement could prolong your life by slowing down biological clock

    A new study examined the impact of the supplements over a two year period

    News
  • £9.7m lottery winner Michael Carroll suffers tragedy as sister he gave £1 million dies
  • Man who won £10 million on lottery was back to old job in eight years after blowing entire fortune
  • Man thought he'd won £11 million on lottery only to be told he'd be getting nothing
  • Woman wins £1 million on lottery but only takes home £250,000 because of 'pact' she made