Biggest Lotto winners in the UK

The National Lottery celebrates 30 years in 2024 and Lotto remains one of the most popular games with millions of tickets sold for each draw.

Across the previous three decades, the National Lottery has created more than 7,000 millionaires and paid out more than £95 billion in prizes.

With vast sums of money on offer each week, we look through some of Lotto's biggest winners in the UK.

1) £33 million

A £66m jackpot was split in January 2016 as David and Carol Martin shared the prize with an anonymous ticket holder.

The couple, who hailed from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, said they were relaxing at home on a Sunday morning when a friend urged them to check the lottery ticket on their mantelpiece.

Matching all six numbers, the couple received a cheque for £33,035,323, which remains the biggest prize from a single ticket in Lotto history. The record jackpot had been built up following 14 consecutive rollovers.

2) £32.5 million

A month after the success of the Martin's, Gerry and Lisa Cannings from Peterborough pocketed a huge £32.5m in February 2016.

The school teachers had vowed to stay as 'Mr and Mrs Boring and Normal' when receiving their substantial cheque after beating odds of 45 million-to-one to win the jackpot after nine consecutive rollover draws.

3) £22.5 million

Going all the way back to June 1995, a single ticket returned an incredible £22.5m.

The prize was shared between business partners and friends Mark Gardner and Paul Maddison, who ran a double glazing firm located in East Sussex.

Where Paul opted to leave the business following the huge win, Mark decided to carry on working and remains at the company almost 30 years later.

4) £20.1 million

Still the biggest individual Lotto winner, Iris Jeffrey from Belfast pocketed £20.1m in July 2004.

The mother of two daughters, who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time, had forgotten about the winning ticket and only checked after hearing an appeal by National Lottery organisers Camelot.

She confirmed her first purchase would be a new washing machine.

5) £14 million

In 1996, a £42m jackpot was split between three ticket holders, who each walked away with £14m.

The jackpot was the largest Lotto had ever offered at the time. All three winners opted to remain anonymous.