Hear the moment a stunned Halifax mother was told she was 'Set for Life' with huge lottery win

Waking to the news that she had won the lottery, Vicky Mitchell's first thought was that she had scooped £5 on a Lucky Dip.
Halifax mother Vicky Mitchell, pictured with her partner, has spoken of the moment she realised she was 'Set for Life' with a win from The National LotteryHalifax mother Vicky Mitchell, pictured with her partner, has spoken of the moment she realised she was 'Set for Life' with a win from The National Lottery
Halifax mother Vicky Mitchell, pictured with her partner, has spoken of the moment she realised she was 'Set for Life' with a win from The National Lottery

Now the mother-of-two from Halifax, who in fact won £10,000 a month for 30 years, has spoken of her shock in the "blur" that followed as she realised she was 'Set for Life'.

As recordings of the call that changed her life in August 2019 are released, the 44-year-old admin assistant said she had been too stunned to believe what was happening. Waking early to see her eldest son off to work, she had still been half asleep when she saw the email at 6am.

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"I thought ‘great, it’s another fiver’. Which is better than nothing," she said. "I couldn’t quite work out what I had won until I logged in to my online account."

She then went into "shock mode", she said, unable to process what was happening until Camelot's phone lines opened a few hours later and she was able to confirm the win.

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Recordings of the call have been released today by The National Lottery, in which Ms Mitchell haltingly says: "I've got a message on my lottery account saying I've won a prize".

She then burst into nervous laughter when she is congratulated on her win. Asked how she would spend the money, she spoke of paying off the mortgage and putting some away for the children. "The list goes on and on," she had added.

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Today, as The National Lottery reveals its most 'goosebump-worthy' reactions, Ms Mitchell said the family had enjoyed a planned holiday to Ibiza without having to worry about money.

“Since winning, we’ve moved to a bigger house and have been able to get a new car, but we have been sensible and, because of the nature of the prize, it gives us security for the future," she said. "It’s lovely to be able to go to the supermarket and not have to add up the bill in my head as I walk around, which was always the norm for me."

Ms Mitchell's Lucky Dip ticket matched all five main numbers and the Life Ball, making her the fifth winner ever of the top prize Set For Life.

Winners' reactions

Research from The National Lottery finds a quarter of winners believe they would be too stunned to speak, with fewer than one in 10 handing in their notice to work straight away.

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Camelot’s Andy Carter, senior winners advisor at The National Lottery, said he has seen every reaction imaginable when people hear the news.

"Some people feel sick, some people jump up and down, some people are having a party when we arrive, others haven't told a single soul - I've even had people fainting," he said.

“I’ve been there with winners when they reveal to family and friends that they’ve won. That's lovely as it’s a very private moment for them and you can see the genuine shock and delight on people’s faces. “Winners tell me their emotions aren’t anything like they thought - I suppose you never know."

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