Are you sitting comfortably?
£1 million Euro Lottery winners reveal their first purchase was a soft-closing toilet seat!
A couple who battled cancer, had bailiffs at the door, and then went on to win the lottery have fulfilled one of their dreams… of owning a soft-close toilet seat.
Wayne and Desirée Home, both 58, became £1 million richer after buying a winning ticket in the EuroMillions raffle at Barming Post Office.
The cash enabled them to buy a converted pump house beside the river in East Farleigh, where their new luxury sports boat sits.
But when the money first landed in their account last year, Mrs Home only had one thing on her mind.
She said: “When we moved into our little mobile park home, we had a toilet seat that wouldn’t stay up properly. Every time you put it up it would go clang.
“I always said I wanted a softclose toilet seat, so when we won the lottery I said to Wayne, ‘can I have a soft-closing toilet seat please?’”
The parents of three and grandparents to four married 34 years ago after they met in the navy.
However, it’s not all been plain sailing.
In 2008, Mrs Home was diagnosed with bowel cancer and suffered respiratory failure twice.
Not only that, Mr and Mrs Home were forced to sell their home after they both lost their jobs after being made redundant.
Mrs Home said: “I already had a battle to face – I didn’t want another battle on top of that.
“Money was drying up. We had bailiffs knocking at the door, repossession looming, debt collectors standing on the drive noting the value of our cars.
“We were the lowest you could get, it was really tough.”
Thankfully, Mrs Home has now been given the all-clear and the pair are living a far more relaxing life.
While sensible with their money, Mrs Home has treated herself to the odd lavish spend.
“I had always wanted some diamond earrings. I wandered into Maidstone town one Sunday and went into a shop and just said, ‘I’ll have those ones thank you very much’.
“I hadn’t even looked at the price.”
Asked whether winning the lottery has made them happier, without hesitation Mrs Home said: “Yes, because it has taken the stress out of everyday living.”