"Lotto lout" Michael Carroll today lifts the lid on his new life as a £6-an-hour shortbread packer in a biscuit factory in the Highlands.
Britain's most notorious jackpot winner blew his £9.7million fortune on drugs, booze and hookers and doesn't have a penny left.
He fled north last month to escape his hellraising ways after pals warned him that he would be dead within six months if he carried on partying.
But he was so skint he was forced to sleep rough in a forest as he hunted for work.
Tattooed Carroll has ditched his trademark bling for a hair-net and white overalls to churn out packets of biscuits at the Walkers shortbread factory in Elgin, Moray, 552 miles from his Norfolk home.
But penniless Carroll — jailed twice since picking up his lottery win in 2002 — has no regrets and claims to have turned over a new leaf.
He said: "I get £204 every week for packing and stacking shortbread and cookies and I love it. I treasure those wages more than any £9 million fortune."
Carroll, 30, also revealed he was so poor he slept rough in a tent after moving to Scotland to start his first proper job since quitting as a binman when he scooped the lottery, aged 19.
The self-styled King of Chavs — who now enjoys yoga, goes swimming, cycles and only eats chicken and salad — said the move north also means he is closer to 10-year-old daughter Brooke, who lives with ex-wife Sandra near Elgin.
Carroll said: "I've only got one chance left — I'd have been dead in six months if I'd carried on that lifestyle of drinking and drug taking."
His fortune disappeared in a drug-fuelled haze years ago as a sneering out-of-control Carroll fulfilled his promise of blowing his money on a rock star lifestyle.
His mansion in Swaffham, Norfolk — trashed beyond recognition after 10 years of mayhem — was sold.
But the fast cars, vice girls and crack cocaine, washed down with two bottles of vodka a day, belong, he claims, to the old Mikey Carroll.
For a man who could once have gone anywhere on the planet, his choices are now limited.
Arranging our meeting, he said: "I'll see you outside Tesco's in an hour because I need to leave my bike at the bus stop and catch a bus into town."
Carroll has shed 5st (70 lbs.) since agreeing to take part in a fitness documentary last year and appeared wearing one of his 10 trademark baseball caps, a cheap pair of denims and black work boots.
Sipping coffee, Carroll claimed to be virtually teetotal, only drinking "a couple of cans on a Friday after work".
He said: "I moved up to Scotland to be closer to my daughter and to get out of my drinking. I needed to change.
"Friends said the amount I was drinking and the drugs would have killed me within six months if I'd carried on like I was.
"I've been clean of drugs for more than two years — I'd just had enough of it all.
"My ex-wife told me it was time to give it a rest. I'd had 10 years of doing what a rock star does and I had to sort myself out.
"I decided to head up to Scotland and it's great — I love it up here.
"Back in Norfolk, I'd ended up crashing on a mate's sofa but I've got a two-bedroom council flat just outside Elgin now, so I'm well sorted."
Carroll said he had to "juggle a few things" to get carpets, a sofa bed and some furniture for his new pad.
He added: "I've got all I need so this is a new start for me. When I first moved up, I was in a tent for a week before I got sorted.
"I camped out in the woods near Elgin because I had nowhere else to go and hadn't started the job at the factory.
"I didn't care about the camping — I was away from the drink and drugs so that was good enough for me.
"Sitting there in the woods was when I first thought I can sort myself out properly.
"I'd been in worse situations. I'd been behind bars three times before so a week in a tent was a walk in the park."
He landed work as a packer with Walkers in May and now works a six-hour shift, five days a week with more than 200 colleagues on the production line, boxing up biscuits and shortbread as they come down a conveyor belt.
Hygiene is strict at the plant — all workers wear identical white overalls, shoes and hair-nets and only stop for one half-hour break.
Walkers are one of the country's top biscuit makers and their tartan tins of Scottish shortbread are shipped in their thousands around the world every year.
Carroll said: "I've always respected the pound but I treasure my weekly pay on a Friday more than any lottery fortune. I'm just so happy to get a wage packet again.
"I'm definitely happier because I'm back to reality again. A few people recognised me when I started but everyone's been brilliant. I had lots of questions about the money in the first few days and where it all went.
"I just said I was a 19-year-old d***head who went nuts. What teenager wouldn't? Now I'm 30, it's time to grow up.
"I love the work. It's great. I couldn't sit there on benefits so the job's doing me just fine.
"It's back-breaking sometimes. Some people moan about it but it's really a piece of p***. Working on the bins is hard work — and running from the police is hard work, especially when you're fat."
Banned from the road for three years for drink driving, Carroll can only re-sit his test in August — but is unlikely to be able to afford a car anytime soon. He said: "A year ago I had 70p in my bank account — I still have that because I don't get paid until Friday but I don't mind it. I like waiting for payday with everybody else.
"My only outgoings a week are £95 rent and about 20 quid on food. I cycle everywhere now. I do up to 60 miles a week on my bike and leave it at the bus stop to get the bus into Elgin for work."
For a man who once had the world at his feet, Carroll's most expensive possession nowadays is a £180 Xbox, which he plays most nights after work.
He added: "I used to arrange banger-racing in the field behind my mansion but these days I just play Grand Theft Auto and Grid 2 on my Xbox.
"In the crazy days, I'd wake up, do a line of cocaine, then open a can of lager. These days, it's bran flakes for breakfast at 7am then maybe a cycle before work.
"I've been doing this documentary since last year in London to lose weight — yoga and stuff too — because I'd ballooned to 22st. Now I'm down to 17 and hope to lose a couple more.
"I just eat chicken now during the week with vegetables and maybe some salad.
"I'll have a couple of cans of lager in the house on a Friday sometimes as a treat but I don't go out any more. I'm quite happy playing computer games and watching movies."
Carroll said he's ready to settle down in the north of Scotland and even plans to become a property guru if he can scrape together enough cash to buy a couple of run-down homes.
He added: "If I can get some money together, I've got my eye on a couple of little properties around Elgin and I'd like to get into doing them up and selling.
"I'd like to get into the property market. I was told to do it years ago but I was on too much of a high getting off my face.
"I can definitely see myself settling up here. It keeps me out of that circle I was in, drinking every day. If I move back to Norfolk, I'd slip into my old ways.
"I don't even want a girlfriend at the moment because I've had my fair share of women — although I did pay for most of them.
"I know some people moaned when I was on the dole and then moaned when I got a job, so I can't win, can I?"
The Chav King also fancies becoming King of the Jungle by lining up a money-spinning move to take part in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
He said: "I'd be right up for I'm A Celebrity — I'd love a bit of that and I'll give anything a go.
"Eating the grub and stuff would be no problem but I'm terrified of heights. Apart from that, I'd be fine."
Carroll, who doesn't regret squandering his cash, still plays the lottery but claims he'd be more sensible second time around if his numbers came up.
In 2004 — just two years after his jackpot win — he won £1000 on a Lottery scratchcard. He blew the lot on an ounce of cocaine for a night out.
He said: "I regret taking all the drugs but that's part of life. I don't regret what I did with my money. The only thing I've won recently is my life back.
"If I won £10 million again I'd help kids on drugs — then emigrate to Australia.
"I'd buy some properties, rent them out and sit back abroad waiting on the money to come in. But don't get me wrong, I'd still have a few parties."
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all i can say is
When I think of this loser,two names come to my mind,Jack Whitaker and David Edwards.And that loser from Michigan who is back on the welfare that has the name that I can't remember and his idiot son that helped him blow through his lottery winnings.They could all be poster children about what not to do with your lottery millions.What a bunch of morons!
Saw this before.... instant wealth in the wrong hands . 14mil + and it Never occured to him to secure his daughters future? Double Loser.
I dont feel sorry for him. Its so easy to say what you d do differently next time.....
Success isnt in HAVING money its in HANDLING money.
The kid sure had some fun, and HAD, is the operative word. Now he is gonna find out that, REALITY BITES. I do feel sorry for his little girl. Her dad piZZZZed away $14.5mil approx. HOOKERS AND BOOZE?
Interesting how the lucky winner now feels as though he has "won his life back"
I wonder how long it will be before he starts drinking to excess again.He already drinks a "couple" of beers on weekend.One beer leads to another and another,pretty soon you're starting to feel good and you forget why you quit drinking in the first place.Been there & done that.
LOL it was Leroy Fick and his son Jeff and they didnt even clear 1 million but blew faster than a blink of an eye
hope for his Daughter's sake hes changed his ways for good
neither hookers or booze are worth pay. he could have been happy a lifetime, never spend the pricipal.
Yep,that's the other loser that I was talking about.
"just two years after his jackpot win — he won £1000 on a Lottery scratchcard. He blew the lot on an ounce of cocaine for a night out. He said: "I regret taking all the drugs but that's part of life. I don't regret what I did with my money.
If I won £10 million again I'd help kids on drugs — then emigrate to Australia.
"I'd buy some properties, rent them out and sit back abroad waiting on the money to come in. But don't get me wrong, I'd still have a few parties."
I don't know. I get the feeling that he would probably do the same thing over again if he won the lottery. He'd still be partying and drinking. It doesn't sound like he has changed since he lost all his money. I bet he would be right back to the old lifestyle in a heart beat.
As crazy and insane as his story might sound he is still living at least some winners are already dead his chances were not on the living side of the equation. However he lived in the woods survived it so i have a question for him why doesn't he write a book or do a movie about his insane life he may make some money at least twice what he does on his current day job. And also this is the kind of a risk taker that can win the lottery again . You see to be a lottery winner you need the guts to play and don't look back if or not you win or loss that is not easy for everyone but for him it seems he is a fighter and a fighter is good.
"and running from the police is hard work,especially when you're fat."
He hasn't lost his sense of humour.
I imagine at 19 its a lot hrder to say no... especially with that much cash. UK has a real crap interest rate along lines of %1 so the lot in bank would yeild £90k a year. sure would beat working for it. but not the gratuitious lifestyle one xpects from winning a big jackpot. 90k a year would afford a house/ mortgage, a new car every few years, and a holiday some where ea year. also enough money to pursue hobbies not a career. still i wouldnt be happy with that return and woupd prob risk blowing osme on getting better income. hell i would prob have emigrated to cyprus. or spain lol
I think he won at too young an age and never really developed a work ethic (and I know most people do develop a work ethic long before 19). I do believe him that he is enjoying his new job.
"Britain's most notorious jackpot winner blew his £9.7million fortune on drugs, booze and hookers and doesn't have a penny left."
Too bad he had not read The vampire by Rudyard Kipling. Oh well.
Where did you get your information from regarding the UK's crap interest rate of 1%? I can assure you it's not no 1%, depending on the saving account its over 4%, current account is over 3%, plus as he would have been offered private banking at the time due to the amount won, the interest would have been over 4%. Get your facts straight before giving out false information.
well then he surely is a loser then. @ 3% he could be pulling £270k a year and living like a tosser to boot. i didnt get ny fact, i just posted an opinion. ok 3% is pretty common i would be very happy with 270k a year.
Yeap, I am with you booboo!!! What a freakin idiot!!!!
SVG:
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US banks like 2 DO their customer's with a BIG>> 0.75%>>>>>>>>>>>>>
US workers R a great bunch of
and they LUV DARE PICK 3 & pick 4 
THEY'RE COMMING 2 AMERICA >>>>>>COME>>>>>>>ON PLAY OUR Lottery
SVG>>>>>don't go any where >>>>>>COME 2 AMERICA B RICH like US$$$$$$$$$$$
Yes he will. The devil always wins.
Sucks to be him..
When I caught a bit of the Lottery Changed my Life last time, I saw the story (again) of this guy who lost his money (bad business deal with a hotel) and had to go back to work in the oil fields. I picked up on his comment (missed it the first time or two) about how he was treated when he lost his money and could not get a job locally. I kind of had more empathy after this for winners who blow their money. Not saying he was a bright bulb and I bet he went into the hotel business without doing his homework, but it was sad.
How do you blow that much money? He had to be giving people cash by the carload! And hookers? With dough you can't get a woman that isn't a "professional" to be nice to you?
he's happy to be alive, which is most important. that amount of drugs and alcohol will catch up to him later on.
i think once people know you won a lot of money, they think you are just a stupid person that got lucky, an its thei r duty to milk you for everything you're worth. If you go into the game remembering " everyone is out to %$^# you , " you might do ok. no one is going to say thats a bad idea t someone with a lot of money. especially if they get to come along for the ride. I have some sympathy for them. as i hope to see myself in the same dilema one day. not the im broke and sad dilema, but the how mucgh do i want this freind to like me dilema.
Here in the US, we have a reality TV program called "The Biggest Loser". Michael Carroll wins hands down...
Winning the lottery does not make one rich; being rich is as much a state of mind as it is actual circumstances. Those who blew through their millions only were temporary beneficiaries of riches but possessed poverty mindsets.
To say one is happy being broke may reflect one's actual mindset. Personally, I could never be happy being broke.
The title of his new book could be "Winning the lottery before living in the woods " or " Lottery and the insanity "
Lottery and the Insanity
sounds like a best seller to me thats asumming it includes the dozen and one snap shots of the insanity
RS:
and GOD picks up D road kil ^^^^^kicks it in D A$$ and puts it on a new road.^^^^^!!!!!
Well if these Millions of dollars are floating around again, I am ready to receive!
SJ:
Micheal has big bake skills in D >>>>>>>>USA of America !!!!!!
Psyko does not agree>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SJ
!!!!!!
Micheal Carroll wins hands down>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> !!!!!
"Little Debie" is BACK & they now have a SHELF "LIFE">10 years!
Micheal>>>git on a boat>>>2US>>>by way of (git a passport)!!
Come 2 USA they will hire <U> if U can "BAKE" a "COOKIE"!!!!!!!!!
Code 4 PACK>BAKE "COOKIE" UB "The Biggest Winner" ND>USA!
(micheal carroll <<<<<don't worry bout a PASSPORT<<<<<<<only psyko is required 2 have WON)
Micheal:
Psyko forgot 2 tell U if U have a passport>>>Little Debbie will>>
put U in D front of D line 2 BAKE & "U" "R" N born in AMERICA!!!!
GOD bless bread & cookies ND>USA!!
we will not starve
You have got a winner on your hands there HT.
US has its own brand of reality that the rest of D world do not understand. God Bless D USA.
Yes, Michael Carroll, has probably changed his ways from before, when he won the lottery as a late teenager to now as a young adult. Unfortunately, this interview reads as though Michael lost A LOT of the already low gray matter that was in his head -- impossible to build up into a full working brain.
Anyhow, I hope that Michael will be okay with his new, mainly violent media entertainments/non-friendships/home solo lifestyle (it's probably the best to remain solo). I also hope that Michael's daughter's sole-parenting mother is able to give her own daughter good advice from here-on-out.
Here's part one of three of the documentary done of him a couple years back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN4WCAxCwPM
He says if he won again he'd do things differently, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't stick to those words. It's likely he's straight now because he doesn't have the ability to do what he could before. He could maybe keep his life straight for a while, but eventually the temptation for him would be too great.
I wish I could say that I feel sorry for the poor bloke, but I don't. The money didn't make him self destruct. It was merley the fuel to in which that fed his desire to self destruct. He claims that he got his life back, really? From my take on it is that he no longer has the money to carry on his party like a drugged out rockerstar lifestyle so now back to the real world. Hitting a lotto gift is a gift beyond a gift, because it so hard to acheieve it. The saying that "a fool and his money are lucky to get together in the first place", but also the saying goes that "a fool and his money are soon departed" Sadly both saying applies to a lot of lotto jackpot winners it seems.
HAPPY SATURDAY...7/13/13
IN ANSWER TO UR POST.....LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL......LMAO.....2 FUNNY 4 ME.....LOLOLOLOLOL
I AM WITH U....LUCKYSHOES.....
I am not perfect financially, but I couldn't do that. I don't feel sorry for him, but only for his daughter.
He is that reckless and irresponsible, that thoughtless and fickle. His child has needs, but that didn't matter.
He should have at least gotten a Financial Advisor or Attorney, to put aside 2 or 3 million for the child.
Pathetic...completely Pathetic
SLY:
Have U tried Little "Debbie">>>>>she is back in a smaller size <<<
TODAY'$$$$$$$ THE DAY>>>2 WIN JP
"Debbi" iS mY fRIEND.... $he iS D gOOdest oF gULL$$$$
He didn't even have much money to his name AFTER his win. A lot of people here would say that a person can be set for life on $14,000,000 and I strongly disagree. It's mostly due to the insane cost of living in the US. 40 years ago you technically could have been set for life with $14 mil, but not now. In 2013 I'd say you really need $100 million after taxes in a lump sum to be "set."
No amount of money is enough if you spend it with bad things. Lottery winners should know that no matter how much they have won if they will not spend it wisely it will just slip from their hands. Even if they win instant money they shoul still appreciate hard earned money that comes from work.
Dumping tons of money on anyone who has never showed the willpower to save is just asking for it. It's like putting someone in the Indy 500 who has never sat in a race car. Your just asking for a wreck.
Money burns a hole in most people's pockets and it always will.
Now I really feel sorry for this guy. Having to play Grid 2 for his enjoyment....that game sucked. The first one was better.
You must be smoking something or you didn't do the math, or both. Im not sure how you define "set for life" or "insane cost of living" but millions of people have retired with SSI only, getting a monthly check for $700- $1100 per month and they manage to get by for the rest of their life because that's all they have.
If a person has $5 million after taxes and can get a 5% return on that money they will get $250k annually, which after a 39% tax translates into a $12,708. check PER MONTH.
If I did the math wrong or missed something here, someone please let me know.
All the irrational talk about taking government annuities and not being able to survive on $14 million is just plain childish and foolish talk in my opinion.
If a person is going to blow $14 million they would also blow $114 million just like Jack did, and if they get an annuity they will cash that in and blow that too.
I will take my $5 million in cash please, I don't need a high priced attorney to do 5th grade math for me.
Earl Pitts "American" mentioned today a group of millionaires were ask how much they could live on and the consensus was $5 million. Earl said he had barely enough money to put gas in his truck to get to work the rest of the week and not much food in the cupboard until payday, but said he would get by.
"All the irrational talk about taking government annuities and not being able to survive on $14 million is just plain childish and foolish talk in my opinion."
If we listen to some of the math professors emeritus that visit LP, it's just plain childish and foolish to believe they will win $14 million.
Yes, Yes and Yes, well said "success isn't in having money, it's in handling money".
I disagree, you can be set for life on 14,000,000 and even 8,000,000 .
1. you don't buy a mansion, buy a nice home that you can payoff at the begining. May-be a 1 - 3 million doller home.
2. buy 3 cars, one a nice dinner car, and pay them off.
3. Put yourself on a nice budget, do the math, 20, 30, 40 or 50 year budget
4. You don't have to hang with alot of wealthy people, try your best to be normal person.
What's a dinner car?
Just wondering.
Totally agree. I could easily be set for life with $8million.
People make the mistake of buying a whole bunch of big, fancy things, forgetting there's a lot of big ongoing maintenance costs forever after. Why buy a mansion? First, you remove a big chunk of principal that could be earning you interest income to live on. Then there's the huge property taxes, insurance, security, electricity, water, gardeners, etc. And if you insist on rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, then you're going to have to regularly shell out a lot of extra money to keep up with them Kardashian types.
People are free, however, to blow it all in a few years or less but I refuse to feel sorry for them. The subject of this thread, the King of the Chavs, was an irresponsible, immature idiot and I doubt he's content with his life now. He's just saying that out of embarrassment and pride. He had the equivalent of USD $15million tax-free in 2002. Even half of that could have lasted til now, providing him with a steady income, if he'd been sensible.
The Rock Star lifestyle doesn't last if you're not actually a rock star making music, doing concerts and pulling in royalties.
a BMW, Benz, 4 door sedan = a dinner car.
OK, thank you.
Never heard that before.
We'd probably call it a supper car down here anyway.
It would be kind of fun to work in a cookie factory for a few days at least.
My hips agree
Yeah, for a few days. My mom worked in a chocolate factory years ago. Most chocolate lovers would think that would be Nirvana. Me included, coz I luurrrrrvvvv chocolate! My mom said they allowed workers to eat as much chocolate as they wanted - the "reject" chocolate, which was the chocolate that was just misshapen, nothing wrong with it. So she did. She ate lots of chocolate every day. For about a week. Then she said that even the smell of it started to make her feel ill, so she stopped eating it. She continued working there for another 7 months, not eating one speck of chocolate the whole time before quitting to work somewhere else. I'd think that working a cookie factory would be the same.
lol I had a friend in High school who worked at an area donut shop. Several of us used to visit her on weekends and after about 20 minutes there, I would get a headache from the smells (the sugar?? The dough??). Not sure how police can stand to hang around donut shops.
He spent it on "drugs, booze, and hookers". Losing it is unconscionable but if your going to lose it i like his style. He spread the alimony wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out!