A couple from the UK have spoken of their devastation after missing out on a life-changing £182 million EuroMillions jackpot because a payment for their ticket failed to process.
The Heartbreaking Discovery
Rachel Kennedy, a business student at Brighton University, and her boyfriend Liam McCrohan were left "absolutely heartbroken" when they realised their regular set of numbers had been drawn. The winning combination on that fateful Friday was 6, 12, 22, 29, 33, with Lucky Stars 6 and 11.
Rachel had played the same numbers for five consecutive weeks through an online account set to automatically purchase a ticket for each draw. However, when the system attempted to take payment for the ticket back in 2021, her account reportedly had insufficient funds.
"I called my boyfriend Liam and my mum into the room and they couldn't believe it either," Rachel explained. "I called the number thinking that I had won £182 million and they said 'yeah you've got the right numbers but you didn't have the funds in your account for the payment of the ticket so it didn't actually go through'."
A Second Tale of Lottery Agony
In a separate and equally cruel twist of fate, a British teenager also narrowly missed out on a colossal lottery fortune. Tayla Octave, a marketing apprentice from south east London, came agonisingly close to a £178 million EuroMillions jackpot.
Her Lucky Dip ticket revealed every single number was just one digit away from the winning line. The winning numbers were 04, 12, 25, 46, 48, and Lucky Stars 07 and 12. Tayla's ticket showed 05, 13, 24, 45, 49, with Lucky Stars 06 and 11.
"I'm just gutted," Tayla told The Sun. "It's a long shot to win the lottery anyway but to be so close is heartbreaking. That sort of money would be life changing."
Dealing With the Aftermath
For Rachel and Liam, the initial euphoria of believing they had won one of the UK's biggest ever lottery prizes turned to profound disappointment. Rachel revealed that Liam was even more upset than she was by the news.
The experience has led Rachel to view her previously cherished weekly numbers as "unlucky", and she has decided to change them for future draws. A spokesperson for Camelot, the operator of The National Lottery, acknowledged Rachel's story.
"We're aware of Rachel's story and hope she gets in early to buy a ticket for the next big draw," the spokesperson said. "We have a £20m Must Be Won Lotto jackpot up for grabs on Saturday, so wish her the best of luck in that or any future draws."
Both stories serve as a stark reminder to all lottery players to double-check their payment methods and account details, ensuring that a potential fortune is never lost to a simple technical glitch or lack of funds.
