Hold onto your hats, folks, because this lottery story is pure gold, with a side of “OMG, he was so lucky!” We’re talking about Darren Burfitt from Swansea, a 44-year-old greenkeeper who spent four whole months driving around with a missing EuroMillions ticket worth a cool £1 million… chilling unnoticed in the middle console of his car. And get this – the car wasn’t even locked! This wasn’t exactly a Fort Knox situation. Darren’s ride, a Citroen DS4 he lovingly (or maybe not so lovingly?) described as a “shed on wheels, held together with mud,” was left unlocked. Meanwhile, a ticket from the October 18th, 2024, EuroMillions draw sat there, probably getting crumpled amongst loose change and forgotten snacks. People were looking for this missing millionaire! There was a whole public appeal. Friends kept bugging Darren, telling him to check the pile of lottery tickets that was accumulating in his car like a weird paper nest. But Darren? He was in no rush. “Nah, they’re fine,” he probably thought. “If it were a big win, someone would call me.” (Which, as we all know, is not how lottery wins work, Darren!).
Missing EuroMillions Ticket Found
The best part? What finally spurred him to check wasn’t the thought of a million. Nope. He went to the car to grab a half-eaten packet of crisps for his son. While he was there, he figured, “Eh, why not?” and scanned a few tickets with the National Lottery app. One came up with a measly £3.60 win, which, weirdly, gave him the motivation to check the others. Then he grabbed one ticket that was so crinkled, the app refused to scan it. So, he went old school, pulled up the draw results manually, and checked the Millionaire Maker code. He stared at the code… stared some more… thought his eyes were deceiving him…But nope. It was his! He had matched the code, and just like that, the crumpled piece of paper was worth £1 million. The poor guy was stunned. As the reality hit him, another wave of shock washed over him – the sheer, mind-boggling luck that the ticket hadn’t been swiped from his unlocked, muddy “shed on wheels.” “Anyone could’ve taken it,” he laughed (probably nervously). “I dread to think what could’ve happened.” Yeah, us too, Darren! My stress levels just went up thinking about it.
Sharing The News
When he finally managed to call his wife, Gemma, he was shaking so much she thought something terrible had happened. It took a while for her to believe him – a million pounds found in the car console after four months? Sounds like a movie plot! Gemma admitted she couldn’t even imagine having that much money; it felt unreal. Now, Darren, Gemma, and their two kids (a six-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son) are planning their awesome next steps. Top of the list? Buying their first family home! And, bless him, replacing that legendary Citroen DS4 with a reliable pick-up truck. Darren’s also got his sights set on a dream trip to Australia to watch the Ashes cricket.