I won £411k on People’s Postcode Lottery… I would have lost it all without ‘niggling instinct’ & almost didn’t bother
A MUM who scooped £411,000 on the lottery says she wouldn’t have won had she not acted on a niggling instinct.
Leyla Eaton, 33, said she almost didn’t snag a ticket for the People’s Postcode Lottery, but is so thankful she did.
The mum-of-two landed the six-figure prize after being struck by a “strong feeling”.
Leyla claimed it was a “voice” that urged her to buy a ticket one day while she was sitting on her sofa.
Two months later she won the jackpot – alongside her neighbours.
The mum, of Tilbury, Essex, said: “I questioned myself and thought I was feeling it for a reason and that night I joined.
“Now this just two months later.
“I do get feelings and I latch onto them through instinct. Since last September I’ve been journaling and getting more in touch with myself.
“I feel pretty in tune. This all feels very surreal, but I’m so thankful.”
She admitted the win couldn’t have come at a better time for her family as her husband is struggling with his health.
She said: “It’s come at such a needed time. We’ve had a really tough 12 months. My husband is quite unwell and needs some surgery.
“He’s a really, really hard worker and I’m off a lot of the time with the kids. He just keeps going and works every weekend possible while not being in the best of health himself.”
She added: “He’s not going to believe me.
“He didn’t believe me when I got a phone call to say I’d won. He just said, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’.
“I never, ever thought this would happen. My mind didn’t go to this figure at all.”
The family is now planning to splash out on a getaway – and spend Christmas in New York.
Leyla said with a smile: “This will allow us to breathe. We’ll go on a family holiday in the summer which has not been possible for quite some years because of work. I’d love to go to southern Turkey.”
Her neighbour Henry also bagged the windfall after the RM18 7AW postcode won the Millionaire Street prize.
Every ticket was worth £411,238. The rest of the prize pot was shared among players in the wider RM18 7 postcode area.
UK's biggest lottery winners
By Ethan Singh
- Anonymous winner – £195,707,000
A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite – £184,262,899.10
Britain’s previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.
The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children’s ponies.
Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.
As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.
- Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000
Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.
They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.
But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.
He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.
He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.
- Adrian and Gillian Brayford – £148,600,000
Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.
But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.
The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.
After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.
She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.
It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly – £114,969,775
Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.
They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.
She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
- Richard and Debbie Nuttall – £61,000,000
The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.
Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.
Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.
Other eye-watering anonymous winners:
- 2019 – £123million
Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.
- 2021 – £122million
Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.
The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.
- 2018 – £121million
Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.
It comes as other winners celebrate Post Code Lottery scoops on streets up and down the country.
Sue Lamb, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, was “overwhelmed” when she discovered she’d scooped £142,000 just after Christmas – saying “it’s like having my children all over again”.
The winning grandparent shared the £1m jackpot with five neighbours.
Another dad on the street scooped a £142,000 lotto jackpot – and spent the money on his daughter.
Elsewhere, another couple who won £60,000 on the People’s Postcode Lottery were able to double their winnings.
Susan and Colin Tallon from Warrington, Cheshire, were able to take home twice the £31,250 prize on a massive fluke while in Greater Manchester, more than 1,000 locals bagged themselves £3.2million.
How does the People's Postcode Lottery work?
ACCORDING to the official website, players sign up with their postcode and pay £12 per month.
They are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of the month.
Tickets play for prizes every day of the week – from Monday to Sunday, a ticket could win £1,000 each day in the Daily Prize.
Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 in Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.
People’s Postcode Lottery also offer a £3 Million Postcode Millions draw each month – and your ticket plays for a share of a £3 Million cash prize fund.
Winners are notified by email, SMS message, mail or phonecall depending on the prize they win.
Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.