Woman scoops £114m on Lottery however admits very first thing she’ll purchase is pair of knickers
A big-time lottery winner once hilariously admitted that the first thing she’d spend her newfound fortune on was a new pair of knickers.
Former teacher Frances Connolly, originally from Northern Ireland, won an astonishing £114million in 2019 and stunned people with her no-nonsense attitude to the large sum hitting her bank account. The cheery 58-year-old said the “inanimate” money has “no power over you” and that it doesn’t change people, or make them either miserable or happy.
As well as joking about winning “a few pennies” – actually a seven-figure sum – she admitted the first thing she’d be buying was some new undies.
After scooping the huge EuroMillions win, Connolly and her businessman husband Patrick, moved to Hartlepool and became “addicted” to helping others saying they had given millions away. She also set up two charitable foundations.
The pair set up a yearly charity budget to help others and told The Sun: “If you were a d**khead before you had money, you’re going to be a d**khead afterwards.”
(Image: PA)
Asked about her first purchase after the life-changing win, she cooly responded: “Do you really want to know? A pair of knickers.” The pair were the fourth biggest winners of the EuroMillions at the time.
At the time of the win her husband, who goes by Paddy, was planning to move to work for a new company in South London. Instead, he quit and they relocated to the North East.
Among their lotto purchases, they bought an Aston Martin – although it was a second-hand one. They also refuse to fly first class despite having ample funds to do so.
(Image: PA)
The couple, who share three daughters, scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day in 2019. Frances estimates that she has already given away more than half their winnings, around £60million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
Frances has also spoken about their decision to not spend their money on luxuries, having said how reports of someone spending £25,000 on a bottle of champagne made her think the money could have helped a young person buy a house.
“If I had any advice for a winner… I’d say money liberates you to be the person that you want to be,” she said.
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