EuroMillions couple say their £101m win was a case of third time lucky

A COUPLE who scooped more than £101 million in the Euro-Millions draw had only played twice before, they have revealed.

Dave Dawes, 47, a shift supervisor for Premier Foods, and Angela Dawes, 43, a volunteer for the British Heart Foundation, hit the jackpot last Friday.

The couple, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, also became the third biggest lottery winners ever in the UK.

Mr Dawes said yesterday: “We were watching TV and the EuroMillions draw show came on, so we kept watching, not thinking we would win anything.

“We got our tickets out and watched in shock as, one by one, the numbers came up on the line I’d chosen. We couldn’t believe it! It was too late to call Camelot so I kept the ticket on me all night until the morning, but we didn’t sleep a wink.”

The couple, who have been together for four years, were planning to get married abroad next year, so the windfall means they can now enjoy the wedding of their dreams – and a new engagement ring for Angela.

They are planning to buy properties in London and abroad, and are looking forward to a trip to Las Vegas and a skiing holiday in Switzerland in the coming months.

Mr Dawes is an avid Chelsea fan, having been a steward at the club in the past, so a season ticket is also on the shopping list.

The couple’s win means they are £1m better off than David Bowie, the 703rd richest person in the country, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2011.

They move ahead of celebrity couples such as Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne (£95m), and Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (£48m).

The biggest-ever EuroMillions prize was a £161m jackpot won by Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs, earlier this year.

In October 2010 an anonymous British winner scooped £113m in the draw.