A West Yorkshire couple celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary have become overnight millionaires after winning £1 million in the Omaze Monthly Millionaire Draw. Rob Nicholson, 69, and his wife Lisa, 54, scooped the prize for just £15, completely tax-free.
The couple were in York visiting their youngest son at university when the call came. They were sitting in McDonald’s, about to enjoy McFlurrys, when the phone rang. After ignoring the first three calls, Lisa persuaded Rob to pick up.
Rob said: “We were enjoying a well-earned McFlurry after attempting a bit of dreaded Christmas shopping. I didn’t answer the first couple of calls because we thought it was probably a spam caller trying to flog us something. When I finally picked up and realised it was Omaze, I looked at my wife and said ‘I think we need to ditch the McFlurrys and get home now!’”
The couple said the win could not have come at a better time. Rob commented: “This is such a life-changing sum of money, it will really transform things for the whole family. Both our boys are autistic, so having this extra money will make a big difference. We’ll be able to help all three of the kids, it means the world to us that we’ll be able to give our children such a fantastic head start in life.”
He also reflected on recent challenges: “It feels like it’s been one thing after another for us over the past few years. My wife lost her mum to leukaemia a few years ago, and her dad now lives with us. Our daughter Charlotte has moved back home recently too. So this win really does take a huge amount of pressure off all of us, a cloud has been lifted and we’ve now got permanent smiles on our faces!”
Charlotte, 31, who works long hours saving for a house deposit, was overwhelmed by the news. Rob said: “My wife rang her and told her, and Charlotte said: I told you something good was going to happen to you, you deserve it so much. We can now help her get her first home, it’s beyond wonderful.”
Rob added a touch of humour about the life-changing moment: “I once won £3 in a raffle, that cost me £3, but I’ve more than broken even this time! Seeing all those zeros land in my account is something I’ll never forget. My wife has already said it’s time for us to have some time together, enjoy life and treat ourselves. I imagine the Christmas lists will be pretty long this year!”
Omaze President James Oakes said: “We’re all delighted that Rob and Lisa have become our latest Monthly Millionaire winners. It’s wonderful to see such a hard-working couple enjoying this life-changing moment, everyone at Omaze is thrilled for them and their family’s future. Omaze gives people the chance to win life-changing prizes, while also raising significant funds for incredible causes. Thanks to the generosity of the Omaze community, we’ve now raised over £100 million for good causes across the UK.”
Single-purchase entries for the Omaze Monthly Millionaire Draw start from £10, with subscriptions providing automatic entry into every draw. Full details and terms can be found at www.omaze.co.uk
