It was all thanks to a little help from a horoscope that meant best friends Carly Wiggett and Becky Witt won £168,000 each on the lottery.
The pair from Dartford, Kent, bought a EuroMillions ticket after Carly’s mum, Tracy, read that a Pisces and Taurus would win the lottery if they entered together.
Lo and behold, their lucky win was written in the stars.
Twelve years later, Becky and Carly, both 36, who had never entered the lottery before, told Metro how the huge amount of money had changed their lives.
(Picture: Steve Finn Photography)
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Carly said: ‘We were in utter shock. It was the first time we’d played, and we only played because of our horoscopes.
‘We were both PCSOs at the time, working shifts, no responsibilities, generally enjoying life and feeling good for the future.
‘I’m just so pleased my mum read the horoscope and told us to play. We both believe everything happens for a reason, so maybe fate gave us the chance, and we just had to take it by buying the ticket.
‘We’re both quite positive people, I like to think that is what helped to give us the win.’
At the time of the win, the duo, who have been best friends since high school, were getting ready for a Friday night out for a friend’s birthday when they received the exciting news.
They managed to match five stars and one lucky star, but it also meant they were only one ball away from winning the £85 million jackpot.
This hasn’t stopped them from enjoying their winnings and the first thing they did was buy their own homes.
‘We were both living with our parents in Kent at the time of our win,’ they said.
‘It was amazing to suddenly find ourselves as homeowners in our early twenties, it definitely helped to fast-track our life goals.’
Top six EuroMillions winners of all time
- Anonymous – €250,000,000 (£208,000,000) – The lucky Irish ticket holder scooped the top prize on June 17, 2025
- Anonymous – €250,000,000 (£209,087,500) – Joint first is another winner from Austria who won the prize on March 28, 2025
- Anonymous – €240,000,000 (£200,733,952) – This player from Austria matched all five numbers to win the big prize on December 8, 2023
- Anonymous – €230,000,000 (£192,376,378) – This is the top winner from the UK who won on July 19, 2022
- Anonymous – €220,000,000 (£184,022,527) – The person from Haiti (French Polynesia) won on October 15, 2021
- Joe and Jess Thwaite – €215 million (£179,830,489) – Joe and Jess Thwaite won their prize on May 10, 2022
Life has changed a lot for the pair since 2013, and they are now both mums.
They told Metro: ‘We don’t always think about the win now, but that lucky moment 12 years ago is still benefiting us.
‘There’s no way either of us could afford to live where we do had we not bought our first homes with the win.’
Looking back at the win, they had this advice to those who had won the lottery.
‘Take your time with the big decisions, but enjoy your win,’ they said.
‘While most went into buying our homes, we both allocated a certain amount to having fun, and that’s important. This amazing moment might not happen again, so celebrate it.
‘For us, sharing the news was brilliant, even now we look back at the pictures and laugh at the madness of the moment. To this day we both say we’re so pleased we shared that moment together.
‘Stay positive and believe that it really could be you.’
Is there a wave of optimism this summer?
Research from the National Lottery seems to suggest so – with record levels of sunshine, an Oasis reunion and the Lionesses’ run to the Euros Quarter-Finals.
Author and expert in positive psychology Miriam Akhtar explained why national moments can be so effective at spreading optimism.
She said: ‘Humans are social creatures, so it’s natural that shared moments, such as major sporting events, have a significant impact on national levels of hope.
‘Optimism is infectious. Otherwise known as ‘emotional contagion’, research shows that happiness spreads up to three degrees of separation.
‘So, when the country is celebrating a Lioness win or enjoying the nostalgia of Oasis playing again, it takes hold nationally very quickly.’
Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, added: ‘We’re fully embracing this wave of optimism. For anyone who has their fingers crossed for things to go your way, we hope that seeing our installations brings a renewed sense of optimism and inspires you to believe it could be you.’
To celebrate the theme of hope, the National Lottery has unveiled a series of Fingers Crossed installations – the national symbol of hope and optimism.
These can be found across landmarks in London, including the Royal Navy College in Greenwich, Southbank and Wembley Stadium.
A person who was feeling hopeful and lucky won a humongous amount of money on the lottery recently was the lucky person in Cork, Ireland.
They bagged the whopping £208,000,000 EuroMillions jackpot which had rolled over for two weeks after it reached its maximum size in early June.
It was Ireland’s 18th winner of the EuroMillions jackpot and largest ever win.
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