Odds are 1 in 24 trillion, Lottery operator says

By Kate Northrop

A UK couple has beaten what lottery experts call insurmountable odds by winning a £1 million (US$1,342,420) prize in the National Lottery for the second time.

A £1 million lottery win not only did a whole lot of good for one UK couple, but it allowed them to do good for others as well. Now having won twice, they're met with the possibilities another £1 million prize can bring.

On Nov. 26, Richard Davies, 49, and his wife Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, matched five regular numbers plus the Bonus Ball in that evening's Lotto drawing, securing their second big win in seven years. It's a feat that beats 1 in 24 trillion odds, lottery experts at Allwyn, the UK National Lottery's operator, said.

"We always believed winning was possible," Stevenson-Davies said. "And once we scooped £1 million and met hundreds of other lucky winners, we realized fairytales do come true and there are winners everywhere! We knew the odds of it happening again were outrageous, but we're proof that if you believe, anything is possible."

In June 2018, the pair won a prize of the same value in EuroMillions Millionaire Maker, and it opened up a realm of possibilities for their own personal goals.

"That first win meant I gave up work as a mental health nurse and could return to university, gaining a second degree in Counselling and Therapeutic Practice," Stevenson-Davies explained. "I now have my own practice and also provide counselling services with local organizations, including Brecon & District Mind charity and The DPJ Foundation. I feel blessed every day to be doing something so meaningful thanks to that first bit of luck, and I'm not going to abandon my clients with the second bit."

Brecon & District Mind and The DPJ Foundation are charity organizations that offer mental health support for those affected by illness and distress in their respective communities.

Meanwhile, Davies was afforded the ability to leave his work as a hairdresser and make a career change to a different job, leading to a positive outcome that's still going strong today.

"After a while, I was able to give up hairdressing; I'd been doing it since I left school," Davies recalled. "I put down the scissors before agreeing to help a friend out with a couple of days courier work. That was two years ago, and I now do seven days and love it."

Their most recent win on Nov. 26 was actually the result of several consecutive instances of great luck.

"This win was not as simple as buying the winning ticket - it came to us through a series of four consecutive Lotto draws!" Davies explained. "When you match two numbers in the Lotto draw, you automatically win a Lucky Dip for the next game, and that's what's happened to us. We matched two numbers and won a free Lucky Dip from the draw on the 15th, which put us into the next draw and so on, until the winning draw on Wednesday, November 26."

However, the couple's incredible second win isn't leading them to change course this time around. They said they will go about their lives normally and continue their work, especially over Christmas. Davies will keep up with his seven-day-a-week delivery schedule to ensure customers receive their shipments, and Stevenson-Davies plans to offer clients with mental health support throughout the season and over the holidays as well.

"Everyone keeps asking what we'll do in the future, and we genuinely have no idea at present," Davies admitted. "We may have believed [in winning again], doesn't mean we had a plan! The first time around, we gifted people cars, we donated a minibus to the local rugby team, and did our best to help friends and family. It was all new and it was amazing to be able to make a difference. This time, who knows, we'll take our time and enjoy the moment."

"We always played believing in a win but we've also seen firsthand, through our volunteering at projects that have received vital National Lottery funding, the impact players make," Stevenson-Davies added. "From Richard using his hairdressing skills at a shelter for the homeless in Cardiff with Haircuts4Homeless to cooking up a storm at Cegin Hedyn community kitchen in Carmarthen, funding makes a huge difference, right across Wales."

The winning numbers for the Nov. 26 Lotto drawing were 10, 21, 49, 54, 55, and 56, with Bonus Ball 40.

"I can still remember the day I met Richard and Faye for the first time, and it's just as special to be with them as they celebrate their second £1 million National Lottery win," Allwyn Senior Winners's Advisor Andy Carter said in a statement. "To see the positive impact of that first win, I know that this second one will be just as meaningful. Players winning more than once is unusual, but like all the best magic, not impossible. We have supported winners who celebrated double wins with us, and there are even a few lucky addresses dotted around the UK that I have visited more than twice!"

(Click to display full-size in gallery)"You can't get more luck than that": Richard Davies and his wife Faye Stevenson-Davies overcame long odds to win their second £1 million lottery prize.