Elaine and Derek Thompson won the jackpot in 1995 and their life has been nothing short of extraordinary since — but there’s one thing she’s never changed about herself
12:06, 07 Aug 2026Updated 08:14, 08 Aug 2026
Derek and Elaine Thompson at Ludlow Racecourse(Image: Anthony Devlin / SWNS)
A mother who scooped £2.7million (€3.1m) on the lottery over three decades ago insists the windfall never altered her character — and has revealed why she started working night shifts stacking shelves at Marks and Spencer.
Elaine and Derek Thompson, originally from Newcastle in the UK but residing in Basingstoke at the time, secured the life-altering jackpot in 1995.
She was employed at a garage handling payroll duties while her husband worked as an accountant for Motorola.
Her latest interview was with Timothy Schultz, himself a Powerball winner who recently spoke publicly about how his prize came with surprising drawbacks.
Chatting to him on his YouTube channel, Elaine, who held a position at M&S until her recent retirement, outlined why she continued working despite having no financial need.
Derek (left) and Elaine Thompson celebrating their National Lottery win with Elaine’s brother Ian Allen(Image: PA)
Following a brief period off to be with her children and relocate homes, she stated: “I love to work. I can’t be in the house 10 hours, 12 hours a day.
“It drives me insane. I mean, I’m nearly 70 now, so I had to retire. There has to be a time when you’ve got to stop. But I still miss work. And I worked for 50 years. I’d go back if I could.”
Elaine struck gold on December 9, 1995 — the day Newcastle United faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Derek was attending the fixture supporting his cherished Newcastle, his “first love” according to his wife, and prior to travelling down to London he prompted Elaine to purchase a lottery ticket.
And despite Newcastle suffering a 1-0 defeat, Derek and his wife emerged as the day’s true champions, having claimed the massive jackpot.
Yet, when Timothy enquired whether the lottery had changed her, she responded: “It hasn’t changed me at all. I’ll not change for anybody. So no, I wouldn’t change for anything.”
Elaine speaking to Timothy on his YouTube channel (Image: YouTube/ Timothy Schultz)
She mentioned it has afforded her the most “incredible life” and that her outlook has consistently been to retire for the evening with a smile and to rise with one too.
The pair have been charitable with their fortune and rather than indulgent shopping extravaganzas they purchased a dilapidated B&B in Lyme Regis, Dorset.
It was originally rated two-star but within half a year it achieved five-star status and families affected by cancer were offered complimentary breaks there.
They operated it for six years, though sold the property following the death of Elaine’s brother, to whom she’d gifted a million to because he’d helped bring her up.
She explained it brought back too many memories of him before they proceeded to acquire a restaurant which they managed successfully for a further six years.
Derek and Elaine Thompson(Image: PA)
Eventually, they travelled back to the north east of England, where Elaine commenced working on the shop floor at M&S, which frequently meant rising at 2am for shifts.
Beyond her employment, Elaine and Derek put money into horse racing, and their mutual enthusiasm has taken them to every racecourse across the nation.
Yet when asked about the greatest gift the lottery had given her, Elaine reflected: “The major thing is my children have gone through university. They’re all on the housing, they’ve all got houses. They’re increasing them every time. They are happy, they’ve got children, I’ve got grandchildren.
“It’s just, we’ve had an extraordinary life. The things that I have done are extraordinary.
“I mean, who would have thought a little girl from Wallsend, it’s a very small place, walking through the doors of Number 10? Never in a million years I would have dreamed I’d do that.”