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Lottery winners snapped by celebrity photographer for 30th anniversary

The National Lottery is celebrating its 30th birthday.

Aisling Grace
Thursday 14 November 2024 07:48 GMT
Rankin takes a picture of National Lottery winners (left to right) Ceri Roscoe Roberts, Matthew Evans and Geraldine Bradley to celebrate The National Lotteryā€™s 30th birthday (Matt Alexander/PA)
Rankin takes a picture of National Lottery winners (left to right) Ceri Roscoe Roberts, Matthew Evans and Geraldine Bradley to celebrate The National Lotteryā€™s 30th birthday (Matt Alexander/PA)

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Thirty National Lottery winners from the last three decades enjoyed an ā€œincredible experienceā€ in a shoot by a celebrity British photographer to celebrate the lotteryā€™s 30th birthday.

The 30 millionaires, worth more than Ā£190 million, gathered for a photoshoot by Rankin, who has photographed famous faces ranging from Queen Elizabeth II to the Rolling Stones.

It is exactly 30 years since National Lottery tickets first went on sale in the UK on November 14 1994.

Natalie Cunliffe, 39, won Ā£1 million from a National Lottery scratchcard in 2016 and was proposed to by her now-husband that evening.

Ms Cunliffe, who lives in Blackpool, told the PA news agency: ā€œI was with my daughter at a play centre at the time, and my husband had rung meā€¦ and he just said ā€˜can you get home straight away?ā€™

ā€œIt was just panic at first. I made it home and he was already at home, and he passed me this scratchcard, and I said ā€˜I have no idea what Iā€™m looking at, you need to explain to me in laymanā€™s terms,ā€™ and he said ā€˜weā€™ve just won a million poundsā€™.

ā€œYou never in a million years ever think that that would ever happen to you.ā€

Her husband ā€œturned around on the couch and had a ring in a boxā€ that evening, as he had been planning to propose but wanted to make sure they could afford a wedding.

Ms Cunliffe said winning the lottery was ā€œone of the best thingsā€ for her family, as it allowed her to stay home and raise her daughter and ā€œnot miss anythingā€.

Her first major purchase after winning the lottery was a Mulberry handbag and the familyā€™s most significant purchase was a home they refurbished ā€œfrom top to bottomā€.

The money has also allowed her to spend time helping charitable causes.

She said it was an ā€œincredible experience to be photographed by one of the most famous British photographers in the industryā€.

ā€œIt was one of those pinch-me moments. It wasnā€™t just the photography, it was the hair and make-up as well. I felt like a Victoriaā€™s Secret model walking down the runway on the day.ā€

Jodie Langston, 27, told the PA news agency that winning Ā£1 million in 2019 was a ā€œshockā€ and has changed her life.

Ms Langston, based in Birmingham, said: ā€œIt changed my life so much. I was only 22 so it allowed me to buy my own home, travel. I got married this year and it helped with that.

ā€œThe win has helped all of my family and myself, so I helped them all out. Itā€™s helped with financial difficulties in the last few years and itā€™s just been amazing.ā€

She said it was ā€œsuch a great experienceā€ to take part in the Rankin photoshoot.

ā€œIt was something that we never thought weā€™d do. Like you wouldnā€™t think youā€™d ever be able to meet someone like Rankin,ā€ she said.

ā€œIt was lovely to interact with everyone and just hear all of their stories as well, and just have that support there, all together with other winners.ā€

The National Lottery has created more than 7,400 millionaires and paid out more than Ā£95 billion in prizes since the first draw on 19 November 1994.

Rankin said: ā€œI remember when The National Lottery first started and it was intriguing to meet the real winners and hear their stories and experiences.

ā€œThey are normal people who have had an extraordinary thing happen to them, transforming their lives. That is what we set out to capture.ā€

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