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Daily Mirror
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EuroMillions winning cancer dad thought £1 million win email was a sick scam
Single dad Paul Harvey, 51, had no idea he was sitting on a life-changing £1 million win for a week - and thought 'this must be a scam' when when he was chased by the National Lottery to claim the sum A Brit dad who became a millionaire overnight was convinced his big EuroMillions moment was nothing more than a sick scam. Paul Harvey, a 51-year-old single dad from Attleborough, Norfolk, had no idea he was sitting on a life-changing £1 million win for a whole week - and even when an urgent email from The National Lottery landed in his inbox, his first reaction was suspicion. He said: "It didn't look like the normal email I get. I thought this must be a scam. "I read the email again and then Googled the National Lottery Line where I saw the telephone numbers matched; it was then that I allowed myself to get much more excited." It comes after a woman claimed evil 'scammers tried to trick me out of £1,600 but four words gave the game away'. Paul's lucky break came in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw on July 4, where matching a unique raffle code - not the main numbers - bags the £1 million prize. But after first checking his account and seeing he'd won £5 and a free Lucky Dip, he thought, "Happy days," and went about his day. A week after Paul's £5 win, an email from The National Lottery changed everything. "It felt like forever waiting for the kids to get home from school so I could break the news. Their reactions were hilarious and heart-warming. We all feel ridiculously excited and relieved in equal measure. It just doesn't seem real," Paul said. He even set up a camera to record the moment he broke the news to his son. "I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it. I got a massive lump in my throat as I asked him, 'How many millionaires do you know?' He said, 'Zero', and I replied: 'Well you do now'. I then added, I swear on my life. I do like to joke but when I say those words, my kids know to take it seriously." The win marks a huge turnaround for Paul, who recently underwent treatment for bowel cancer. "Life hasn't always been easy, but the kids mean the world to me, and they always come first," he said. He says a long-overdue family holiday is top of the agenda. "We have never been away abroad together, and I would love to take them both to Greece. But first we need to get our passports," he said. Paul speaks Greek fluently, having spent 12 years living in Cyprus before having children, and he hasn't ruled out returning there permanently one day. For now, the trip to Greece is a dream come true. He's also determined to help his children achieve their ambitions. "They both have big ideas about what they want to do when they leave school, and I cannot wait to help them in their chosen careers. It's the important stuff like helping them to learn to drive and getting them a car and insurance so they can get to college and then work. My daughter has a driving test later this year and would love to get her a second-hand Fiat 500 for her to practice in." The money also means Paul can finally buy a home and enjoy his own bedroom instead of sleeping downstairs. "This win gives us so many more options, but I want to take my time and do it right," he said.
Daily Mirror
07-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Moving moment EuroMillions winning cancer dad tells son he's worth a fortune
Paul Harvey, 51, went about his life as normal for a week before representatives from the National Lottery urged him to check his account and he discovered he'd scooped £1million This is the moment lucky Lotto winner Paul Harvey revealed to his son he was a millionaire - but only after he went through a week without realising his good fortune. The single dad - who recently underwent treatment for bowel cancer - is planning on taking his family on a holiday to Greece after bagging £1million on the EuroMillions. But first he admitted he needed to apply for passports for his children. Paul, 51, from Attleborough, Norfolk, said: 'Life hasn't always been easy, but the kids mean the world to me, and they always come first. We have never been away abroad together, and I would love to take them both to Greece. But first we need to get our passports." He added: 'I am so proud of what the kids have achieved already in life. They both have big ideas about what they want to do when they leave school, and I cannot wait to help them in their chosen careers. It's the important stuff like helping them to learn to drive and getting them a car and insurance so they can get to college and then work. "My daughter has a driving test later this year and I would love to get her a second-hand Fiat 500 for her to practice in.' Paul didn't realise he had bagged the life-changing win for a whole week. He checked his National Lottery account as normal after the draw on July 4 to find he had won £5 plus a free Lucky Dip ticket. He thought, 'Happy days', and went about his day. It wasn't until a week later that he got an unexpected email from The National Lottery urging him to check his account again and to get in touch urgently. Suspicious Paul said: 'It didn't look like the normal email I get. "I thought this must be a scam. I read the email again and then Googled the National Lottery Line where I saw the telephone numbers matched; It was then that I allowed myself to get much more excited.' Paul won by matching the unique raffle code in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw on July 4. Instead of matching numbers on the main draw, each ticket is given a unique code which is entered into a raffle, with a top prize of £1million. Paul said: 'It felt like forever waiting for the kids to get home from school so I could break the news. Their reactions were hilarious and heart-warming. We all feel ridiculously excited and relieved in equal measure. It just doesn't seem real.' Paul filmed the moment he broke the news to his son. He said: 'I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it. I got a massive lump in my throat as I asked him, 'How many millionaires do you know?' He said, 'Zero', and I replied: 'Well you do now'. I then added, 'I swear on my life'. I do like to joke but when I say those words, my kids know to take it seriously.' Paul said: 'We can afford our very own home, and I can finally have my own bedroom rather than sleeping downstairs. And to go on a family holiday altogether will be fantastic. I can speak Greek fluently and I can't wait to show off to the kids.' Before having children, Paul lived in Cyprus for many years and hasn't ruled out exploring a return to living permanently in the sun. He said: 'I lived in Cyprus for 12 years when I was younger. I would love to go back one day but for now it's a holiday in Greece for me and the kids. This win gives us so many more options, but I want to take my time and do it right.'
Metro
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Incredible moment dad who battled cancer tells son he's won on the EuroMillions
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video We all know the lottery is a game of pure chance, but sometimes it feels like the prize money has gone to someone who really deserves it. This is true in the case of Paul Harvey, a single dad from Norfolk who just scooped £1million on the EuroMillions. He's had a difficult couple of years battling bowel cancer while trying to look after his teenage son and daughter. But the 51-year-old is now hoping for some happier times with his two children after scooping the massive prize. He claimed a £1million prize during the EuroMillions draw on July 4 – and the heartwarming moment he shared the news with his son was caught on video. Paul knew he wanted to capture the moment, so he set up his phone and recorded it after an agonising wait for them to get home from school. He said: 'It felt like forever waiting for the kids to get home from school so I could break the news. 'Their reactions were hilarious and heart-warming. We all feel ridiculously excited and relieved in equal measure. It just doesn't seem real! 'I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it. 'I got a massive lump in my throat as I asked him 'how many millionaires do you know?' He said, 'zero', and I replied: 'well you do now'! 'I then added 'I swear on my life' – I do like to joke but when I say those words, my kids know to take it seriously. 'Life hasn't always been easy, but the kids mean the world to me, and they always come first. 'We have never been away abroad together, and I would love to take them both to Greece. But first we need to get our passports!' As well as a dream holiday together, Paul wants to buy his daughter a second-hand car, a Fiat 500, so she can learn to drive. He also hopes to help them kickstart their careers as they both near the end of full-time education. Paul explained: 'I am so proud of what the kids have achieved already in life. 'They both have big ideas about what they want to do when they leave school, and I cannot wait to help them in their chosen careers. 'It's the important stuff like helping them to learn to drive and getting them a car and insurance so they can get to college and then work. 'My daughter has a driving test later this year and I would love to get her a second-hand Fiat 500 for her to practice in.' Paul didn't even realise he was a millionaire for an entire week after the draw. He checked his account as normal after the EuroMillions draw on July 4 to find he had won £5 plus a free Lucky Dip ticket. A week later, he got an unexpected email from the National Lottery urging him to check his account again and to get in touch urgently. Paul was suspicious of the email, explaining: 'It didn't look like the normal email I get. I thought this must be a scam. 'I read the email again and then Googled the National Lottery Line where I saw the telephone numbers matched. 'It was then that I allowed myself to get much more excited.' It turned out Paul had won the £1million as part of the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw. During each draw, every ticket is allocated a unique code which is entered into a raffle where one winner will take home the prize. The huge sum is going to make a massive difference to Paul and his family's lives. He explained: 'We can afford our very own home, and I can finally have my own bedroom rather than sleeping downstairs. 'And to go on a family holiday altogether will be fantastic. I can speak Greek fluently and I can't wait to show off to the kids. 'I lived in Cyprus for 12 years when I was younger. I would love to go back one day but for now it's a holiday in Greece for me and the kids. 'This win gives us so many more options, but I want to take my time and do it right.' More Trending Paul isn't the only person who's recently picked up a life-changing lottery win. A family from Cork who won a £216million jackpot said they intend to stay in their home city – although they might treat themselves to a Rolex watch. And two friends picked up £168,000 each after reading a horoscope which suggested a Pisces and Taurus – their star signs – would win the lottery if they entered together. It's not long since someone won the £208million EuroMillions jackpot, the maximum amount. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: EuroMillions £157,000,000 winning jackpot numbers revealed MORE: Unclaimed premium bond prizes reach £100,000,000 – have you won big? MORE: UK's youngest lottery winner finds new love after split with boyfriend
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
UK EuroMillions players urged to check tickets after winner yet to claim £83.4m jackpot
A UK lottery ticket holder who won £83.4m in a recent EuroMillions draw is yet to claim their jackpot, it has emerged. Players have been urged to check their tickets after National Lottery operator Allwyn said the winner in last Friday's draw is still to come forward. The winner purchased their ticket in a retail setting, Allwyn revealed on Thursday, after matching all five main numbers and both Lucky Star numbers to scoop the jackpot. The winning EuroMillions numbers on Friday were 2, 11, 19, 30, 49 and the Lucky Star numbers were 3 and 8. This player is now urged to check their paper ticket, either in-store or scan their EuroMillions ticket via the National Lottery app, and then call the National Lottery Line on 0333 234 5050 in order to make their claim. Andy Carter, senior winners' advisor at Allwyn, said, 'I can't believe there's one lucky ticket-holder out there who hasn't claimed this incredible EuroMillions jackpot prize – there are 83,474,081 reasons for them to check their ticket straight away. 'It's only been six days since the EuroMillions draw but, we're waiting with bated breath to pay out this latest huge winner. We're urging all EuroMillions players to check their paper tickets to see if they are our missing multi-millionaire. 'This is our first EuroMillions UK jackpot winner of 2025, following on from an incredible 2024 which saw four UK EuroMillions jackpots won, including a £177m win by an anonymous single ticket-holder in November, which was the third largest-ever UK win.' The biggest UK EuroMillions jackpot win of all time was an anonymous ticket-holder who banked £195m in July 2022. Joe and Jess Thwaite from Gloucester hold second place on the list, and are the biggest-ever public winners with a £184m jackpot win in the EuroMillions draw on 10 May 2022. The latest £83.4m win comes nearly a year to the day after Richard and Debbie Nuttall from Lancashire shared the £123m jackpot prize in the draw on 30 January 2024.
