London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 30, 2026

Euromillions: Couple bought £17 backscratcher after win

Euromillions: Couple bought £17 backscratcher after win

A lorry driver and his wife who won £3.6m on the lottery said their first purchase was a £17 backscratcher.

Lee Kuchczynski, 52, a HGV driver from Kendal, was at work when wife Helen, 58, rang to tell him they had won on the EuroMillions draw on 12 July.

Asked about his first purchase, he said: "I bought a new backscratcher because I snapped my other so I bought one worth £17 instead of £8."

Since then the couple have also splashed out on a new home and a car.

Helen said she was at home with their 21-year-old daughter when she got an email to tell her of the win, but initially she thought the message might have been a scam.


'Are you sat down?'


But after calling the National Lottery to check, she passed on the good news to her husband.

Mr Kuchczynski said: "She goes 'are you sat down?'.

"Well, obviously, I'm driving, so I pulled into a layby and she says 'we've won the lottery'."

After passing on the news, Mrs Kuchczynski, a financial administrator for a charity, still logged on to her laptop and started work.

She said: "I needed to do the girls' wages and I had to do that, so I just had to blank out what was going on and get on with it."

The couple said they hoped the win would not change them


The couple, who put weekly lucky dips on the EuroMillions, matched five numbers and one lucky star to win £3,665,079.10.

The numbers were 14, 18, 24, 25 and 50, with lucky stars 06 and 11.

Mr Kuchczynski said: "Hopefully as people we won't change, but we can just look after ourselves and look after the people we love."

On Thursday the couple, who have been married for 24 years, celebrated Mrs Kuchczynski's birthday by buying a new house and an Audi RS4 Avant car.

They said they never believed they would become homeowners after renting all their lives, and could not wait to move.

Mrs Kuchczynski said she was planning a shopping spree but would still be on the hunt for bargains.

Her husband said: "I might drag her out of Matalan and we'll go to Marks & Spencer."

News of the Kuchczynskis' win comes after a UK ticket-holder this week claimed a record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.7% as Growth Stalls and Inflation Eases
UK Government Announces Electricity VAT Cut and £2 Bus Fare Cap
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
UK Unsecured Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level Since 2009
UK Energy Price Cap to Rise 4% to Three-Year High of £1,723
More Than 30 Britons Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal-Tibet Floods
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
Police Intensify Investigation Into Organised Crime-Linked Violence in Middlesbrough
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Revenue and Tax Pressures, Federation Says
M&G Real Estate Buys West Sussex Affordable Housing Portfolio for £29 Million
Royal Navy Warship HMS Tamar Visits Cambodia for Regional Security Engagement
UK Government Brings Forward Benefit Payments Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Four Men Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Community Ambulances in North London
Ofgem Raises Great Britain’s Household Energy Price Cap by Four Percent From October
UK Government Rejects Green Party Call for Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Moratorium
Millions of UK Benefit Recipients Receive Payments Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
UK Prime Minister Meets Northern Ireland Leaders in Belfast Over Budget Crisis
Crypto Tax Gains Reach One Point Three Eight Billion Pounds Among UK Investors, HMRC Data Shows
×