Missing £1m Lotto winner comes forward to claim prize

The winning ticket, purchased in Tameside for the Lotto draw on Wednesday, July 1, matched five main numbers and the Bonus Ball in Round 2.

The winning numbers were 5, 8, 26, 33, 39, 42, and the Bonus Ball was 54.

The National Lottery launched a national appeal to find the ticket-holder before the prize expired in December.

Andy Carter, Senior Winner’s Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: "We have been doing everything we can to raise awareness of the unclaimed £1M prize in Tameside and making sure the missing millionaire was talk of the town, not just locally, but nationally. We are delighted that the winner has come forward to claim their prize.

"Just imagine, this lucky winner has spent the last four months completely unaware they were sitting on a life-changing sum of money. Then, almost overnight, everything changes. It's a moment that will stay with them forever, and we're excited to support them as they begin this next chapter."

As with all major prizes, the claim will now go through the process of validation, which includes checks to ensure the Games Rules and Terms and Conditions are adhered to, and the integrity of The National Lottery is protected. Subject to validation, the prize will then be paid at an appointment with an Allwyn Winners' Adviser.

The ticket-holder will then decide whether or not to go public.

No details about whether the Greater Manchester winner is an individual or part of a syndicate, nor the exact location of purchase, will be released unless they choose to share their identity.

The win comes during a remarkable period for Lotto, with nine new millionaires made in a single week and a total of 151 millionaires created since the start of the year.

A spokesperson for The National Lottery said: "Playing any National Lottery game is more than just a chance to win; it’s a way to contribute to something much bigger. Each week, players help generate around £33M for National Lottery-funded projects. With more than £53BN raised for Good Causes since launch, this funds hundreds of projects in every postcode area across the UK."

Allwyn operates the National Lottery under licence, raising vital funds for community initiatives, arts, heritage, and sport across the UK.

Since its launch in 1994, the National Lottery has raised more than £53bn and funded over 680,000 good cause projects nationwide.

The National Lottery has paid out more than £103bn in prize money and created over 8,000 millionaires.

Players must be 18 or over to take part, and are encouraged to play responsibly.