Southampton van driver hauls home £1M scratchcard win

John McFadden is celebrating becoming a newly made millionaire after winning £1,000,000 on The National Lottery’s 50X Scratchcard.

The 63-year-old plans to enjoy his win by booking travel, which will see him swap his meat delivery van for first class flights to exotic locations like Bora Bora and the Far East.

John, who drives vans delivering meat from butchers all around the country, decided it was time for him to try to give up smoking so popped to the shop to buy a vape to help him quit.

John McFadden (63) from Southampton won £1,000,000 on a National Lottery scratch card

He said, “I knew I had to do something about my smoking. With the change from buying the vape, I bought a Scratchcard and took it home. When I started scratching it off, it said £50,000 under the first number and I thought ‘whoopee!’ I carried on and just kept seeing more and more £50,000s. I thought it was a lot but didn’t know what to believe.”

John immediately drove to the retailer to have it checked, where the shop assistant told him ‘sorry, that win is too big for me to pay out’.

John said, “When I then called Camelot to get it confirmed, I was just stunned when they said I had in fact actually won £1M and that I was a millionaire - I couldn’t believe it was real.”

At the top of John’s millionaire bucket list is a new home closer to his three children and two granddaughters.

John McFadden (63) from Southampton won £1,000,000 on a National Lottery scratch card

“After my divorce, my children moved to Weymouth so now they and my grandkids all live there. I see them as much as I can but am often away driving the van. Having a base close to them will mean I can see them all so much more. Hopefully, the bar and hot tub I plan to have in my new back garden will also mean more fun family time.” “I’m not planning to give up work - I’m nowhere near retirement age! But I do work long hours so cutting back a bit will help me to spend more time with family.”

John’s first purchase was a brand-new Skoda Kamiq and he’d love to go travelling again.

When it is safe to do so, a dream trip to Bora Bora is likely to be his first luxury getaway.

John would also love to travel to Cambodia and Vietnam, inspired by his son who has done a similar trip recently.

John McFadden (63) from Southampton won £1,000,000 on a National Lottery scratch card

John also plans to help out family and might look to invest in property in the future.

He said “With the win I can help out my children and make sure that they have something to inherit when I am no longer around. I’m also considering investing in property further down the line but, I’ll get myself a new home first!”

John is one of multiple players celebrating a big win this ‘cracking’ Easter weekend.

On Good Friday a whopping £122M EuroMillions jackpot, which has now been claimed, was won by a single UK ticket-holder.

John bought his winning 50X Scratchcard at the Post Office on Regent’s Park Road in Southampton.

The 50X Scratchcard from The National Lottery offers a 1 in 3.50 overall chance of winning a prize. The Scratchcard costs £5 and prizes range from £5 up to the top prize of £1,000,000.