Couple thought news of £1m lottery win was 'a joke'

A chef who has supported his wife through multiple sclerosis said winning £1m on the National Lottery "means everything".

Ian Steele, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, said he started "shaking like a leaf" when he realised his Euromillions Millionaire Raffle prize was not a mistake.

When the 53-year-old called his wife, Nick, who was diagnosed with MS 18 years ago, to tell her the news she too thought it was a "cruel joke".

"It was only when the lady from The National Lottery turned up to pay us and handed us a bottle of champagne that I think I finally let myself believe it was real," he said.

Mr Steele said he went off to work after checking the National Lottery app which confirmed he had no matching numbers.

But during his break he spotted an email which said he had won a prize.

"I thought no I haven't, I've already checked.

"I logged into the app and still only had £1.50 in my account, but then it sunk in. In the draw results the raffle number was lit up in blue with a tick next to it."

Mr Steele won by matching the raffle code on the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker - a unique code on each ticket which is entered into a raffle, with a top prize of £1m.

Mr Steele added that, because of Nick's diagnosis while pregnant with their daughter Chloe, the couple had not always been able to enjoy the things many people took for granted.

"Nick had to medically retire from her role as a specialist dental nurse, supporting and caring for extremely sick people at Manchester Hospital.

"While it was absolutely the right thing to do, it made things that little bit more difficult. We've had to be careful with money and not splurge," he said.

But the win now means the couple have a chance to fulfil lifelong dreams.

"I'm the dreamer in the house and always said that if we won big, we'd treat ourselves," Mr Steele said.

He said the first thing daughter Chloe asked was if the win meant the family could go to Disneyland.

"We're big Star Wars fans and it's something we've always talked and dreamed about – and now that dream will come true," Mr Steele said.

He added that he planned to continue his job as a school chef manager but added that the win "takes the financial weight off our shoulders".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.