A Gloucester couple have seen their lives transformed after winning a spectacular £520,000 just before Christmas. The windfall came courtesy of Greatest Hits Radio’s Kate Thornton, who gave David Sanderson the surprise of a lifetime with her call.
Recounting the moment, David said: “I was pottering about, thinking about what to make for dinner when my phone went. When I answered the call to Kate, it was hard to register what she was saying.
“I’d entered the competition quite a few times over the last few months and just never, in my wildest dreams, thought it could ever be me that would win.”
The dramatic change in fortune couldn’t come at a better time for David’s family, which has been battling financial struggles. With two teenage daughters and living in a cramped two-bedroom property, making ends meet has been a constant challenge, requiring David to take additional work besides his job at a tool hire company.
He continued: “We live in a two-bedroom property and it’s a tight squeeze. My wife and I have had to sleep on a fold down bed in our lounge to give the girls more space now they’re older.
“It’s been really tough money-wise and my wife has three cleaning jobs to help us manage everything. I just can’t express how much this win means to us and it truly felt like a Christmas miracle when I took that call.”
The first thing on the family’s to-do list after letting their amazing good fortune sink in, was to look at a bigger property and plan for a larger space they can finally call their own – and all with no mortgage to worry about. David, 53, explained that the win will also mean the easing of pressure on wife Kate, who has suffered with post Covid health complications, compounded by juggling the extra hours at work in order to support the family.
He said: “Kate’s been really poorly but always powered through as we had no choice. Now she will be able to reduce her hours and have some time to fully concentrate on getting better – that’s the biggest gift we could have asked for and means more to me than anything.”
“When I called her at work to let her know the news, she didn’t believe me and asked me to transfer her £50 to prove it. She called me back and said ‘You’ve transferred £5,000 by mistake!’ She was absolutely speechless.”
Daughters Ria and Holly were equally stunned and still can’t quite comprehend the turn of events.
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David said: “We took them shopping as they both needed new winter coats. When they picked up the ones they liked, they were both around £100 and they put them back saying ‘No, that’s too much to spend’. I assured them that it would be ok and to go ahead and get them – I had a lump in my throat as they are so grateful for anything that they get.”
With 2025 plans including a visit to Greece and a new car, David and Kate are still pinching themselves to truly comprehend their luck and good fortune – and what a deserving turn of luck for this humble and loving family it is too.
Cheltenham-born Kate Thornton is well-known for hosting ITV’s The X-Factor and Loose Women. She has also hosted the Strictly Come Dancing live tours.
You could be a winner too! Go to winhappy.com or listen to your favourite radio station on the Rayo app for your chance to win a life-changing amount of money today (Friday, January 17).
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