work it
I scooped £2.7m lotto jackpot but still work nights stacking shelves at M&S – people think I’m bonkers but I can’t stop
M&S was also the first place the couple went to splash their winnings
A GRAN who scooped up a whopping £2.7million in the lotto jackpot has revealed she still works the night shift stacking shelves at M&S.
Elaine Thompson, 64, is worth a fortune but that doesn't stop her from working 25-hour weeks, starting at 2am.
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The mum-of-two, from Newcastle, said people must find it "bonkers" that she continues to work after scooping up £2.7million in the Lottery.
Elaine won the eye-watering prize money in 1995 and has spent the past seven years working at the supermarket chain.
"I have a job because I can’t stay in the house, it would drive me nuts," she said.
The millionaire gran wanted to show her children that hard work does pay off, she told the .
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Who would have thought that a girl from a council house in Wallsend would have had such a superb and lucky life
Elaine Thompson
Before becoming one of Britain's first Lottery winners, Elaine worked as a payroll clerk and her husband Derek was an accountant.
The first thing the couple splashed their winnings on were cotton jumpers from M&S in every colour.
The pair have been married for more than 40 years, with Derek now mentoring other Lottery winners, helping them cope with the shock of winning big.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this is how my life would end up," he said.
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Elaine claims her colleagues "are fantastic" to work with, but she didn't tell them she was worth a fortune.
She said: "I was there two years before they knew I’d won the Lottery.
We thought we’d only won £2.60 - but when we checked account again it said we'd scored £61m EuroMillions jackpot
"I’ve worked all my life.
"And it’s important for my children to see hard work reaps benefits."
Elaine gave £1million to her brother who was living in a hotel after a divorce.
However, he sadly passed away in 2002 aged 52 but Elaine claimed "he had seven brilliant years".
Her son Gary, 29, and daughter Karen, 34, will be forever grateful for their mum who helped get them on the property ladder.
Elaine explained: "For a £1 ticket what a life we’ve had.
"If I’d not won the Lottery, it might have been a struggle.
"Who would have thought that a girl from a council house in Wallsend would have had such a superb and lucky life."
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It comes after a Lotto winner who won £800 has been waiting weeks to get his cash.
And a lucky player who scooped up a staggering £22million in the Lottery has revealed how his friends and family turned their backs on him.
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