A bricklayer who scooped a mega jackpot in the EuroMillions has had his first ever driving lesson in a supercar.
Life-changing win
Darren Howard, from Stevenage, saw his life change with the £1 million win in April, and decided the very first thing on his wish list was learning to drive - in a McLaren 570GT4. The dad-of-one, who has spent years relying on lifts from others, laughed as he climbed into the high-performance car worth around £150,000 for his first ever driving lesson.
It is not just the thrill of driving the supercar, as the 43-year-old said getting a licence will give him freedom for his work and for his young son.
Darren said: "It's mad really, I love Formula One, but I can't drive, and now my first time behind the wheel is in a supercar. Being able to drive means everything. It means more work opportunities and being my own boss. But most importantly it means adventures with my boy."
Family reactions
After his million win, Darren was desperate to tell his 68-year-old dad, who was one of the first to discover his son was a winner. Darren said: "I'm staying with mum and dad at the moment; dad walked into the kitchen at 6.30am and I greeted him with 'how does it feel to have a millionaire son?'. He looked at me, laughed and then said he was furious, he's been a regular player for years so was not pleased I'd beaten him to it!"
"Dad was keener than me to get to Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery's offices, and the place where millionaires are made. Perhaps we were a little too keen, the offices aren't open at the weekend, so we were greeted by a couple of bemused security guards who, when we told them why this father and son duo were on their doorstep at 7am, congratulated us, and gave us the correct number to call."
Future plans
Looking ahead, Darren says his priorities are family and stability. "I'm going to treat mum and dad properly because they've always been there for me. And I'm going to buy a home for me and my son, somewhere we can call ours forever."
"There'll be a new work van and a few treats too. Passports are top of the list and then we're doing Disney World Florida properly, all the bells and whistles."
And while most people learn to drive in a small hatchback, Darren would not change a thing. "First lesson in a supercar, certainly one way to celebrate becoming a millionaire!" he said.
Darren played the EuroMillions draw on Friday 17 April 2026 and matched the UK Millionaire Maker code to win £1 million.
