London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025

Couple miss out on £182m Euromillions win as ticket payment didn't go through

Couple miss out on £182m Euromillions win as ticket payment didn't go through

A COUPLE missed out on a £182million Euromillions jackpot after their regular numbers came up - but their ticket payment didn’t go through.

Rachel Kennedy, 19, and Liam McCrohan, 21, from Hertfordshire were “absolutely heartbroken” when they realised their usual numbers had come up, but they had won nothing.

Rachel Kennedy, 19, and Liam McCrohan, 21, from Hertfordshire missed out on a £182million Euromillions jackpotCredit: Instagram/Rachel Kennedy

The payment for Rachel's ticket didn't go through

The pair of students had been playing the winning numbers for five weeks in a row

The couple, both students, had played the winning numbers of 6, 12, 22, 29, 33, 6 and 11 for five weeks in a row before all seven digits appeared in Friday's draw.

Rachel's account was set up to automatically buy a Euromillions ticket with her usual numbers but because her account did not have the right funds, the ticket payment did not go through.

But when she checked the app, she had a notification saying her usual numbers were a 'Winning Match' - making her think she had hit the jackpot.

The business student at Brighton University told The Sun: “I went on the app and it said ‘Winning Match’ and I thought ‘Oh my god I’ve won.’

“So I called my boyfriend Liam and my mum into the room and they couldn't believe it either so I was like ‘oh my god I need to call them’.

“I called the number thinking that I had won £182million and they said ‘yeah you've got the right numbers but you didn’t have the funds in your account for the payment of the ticket so it didn’t actually go through’.

“I was on top of the world when I thought I had won but when I found out I hadn’t, Liam was actually more upset than I was."

Liam, who studies economics, had already been doing the sums for how they would spend the money.

He said: “She was quite relaxed about it but I had kind of spent it in my head already.

The couple were “absolutely heartbroken” when they realised their usual numbers had come up, but they had won nothing.

Rachel has now changed her numbers for future draws

“I was absolutely heartbroken when we heard the man on the phone say we hadn’t actually bought the ticket.

“I was already picturing our dream house and the dream car, I think I was getting a bit carried away to be fair.

“On the app it really made it look like we had won because it comes up in orange and it says winning match.

“When you looked at it and it was her usual numbers it just really looked like she had won and I got a bit carried away.”

Rachel now believes the numbers she had been using for weeks are unlucky and has changed her numbers for the next draw.

Liam posted about their unlucky lotto incident on Twitter

Rachel had been playing the winning numbers for five weeks

She said: “We’ve played these exact numbers for about five weeks in a row now.

“I actually have two sets of numbers that I use. One of them is birthdays of family members and stuff, but the ones that were the winner were just random numbers that I had clicked one day and had been using ever since.

“We’re absolutely not going to keep using those numbers now, I’ve already changed them.

“I’ve never won anything before, we’ve just got the worst luck when it comes to stuff like this.”

Liam posted about their unlucky lotto incident on Twitter which grabbed the attention of social media users.

He said: “Initially I just posted it so my friends could see. I’ve only got like 120 followers but then it just blew up and I think it's got over 31,000 likes now.

Rachel added: “I was too embarrassed to post anything about it.”

Friday's Euromillions jackpot has since been claimed by a winner in Switzerland.

It comes as Britain's unluckiest woman also lost out on the £178mil Euromillions jackpot – because each of her numbers was just one digit away from the winning seven balls.

Tayla Octave, 19, could not believe it when she checked her lucky dip row against Friday’s mega draw and saw she had been so close to scooping the top prize – which you only have a one in 139,838,160 chance of winning.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
×