An Essex grandmother has recalled her life‑changing £4.5 million win in an Omaze prize draw, that made her the proud owner of a stunning waterfront home in one of the UK’s most sought‑after locations.
June Smith, 77, from Essex, won a six-bedroom mansion overlooking the Fowey Estuary in Cornwall through the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in 2023.
Nearly three years on, she said the “mind-boggling” win has transformed her life and those of her entire family.
June said: "I went from living on a single pension to owning a mansion.
"It still sounds mad when I say those words out loud.
"I honestly thought it was a wind-up.
"I was just settling down for a quiet Friday night in front of the telly when suddenly Omaze was at the door telling me I’d won a £4.5 million house, I was gobsmacked.
"I always thought people like me don’t win things like that.
"I remember just standing there thinking, this can’t be real.
"The first thing I did was call my children to share the good news.
"The second thing I did was open a nice bottle of red."
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A widow, June lost her husband Ron just a year before her win.
She believes he played a part in her good fortune and said: "He always wanted our family to be safe and secure.
"Winning with Omaze meant that dream came true, in a way we could never have imagined.
"I know he’s smiling down on all of us."
June spent a memorable summer in the Cornwall home with her children and grandchildren, including her eldest son and his family who flew in from Australia.
She later sold the property and used the proceeds to support her family, helping them get on the property ladder, clear mortgages, and start new businesses.
Though she could have kept the house, she said the real value of the win was what it enabled her to do for her loved ones.
She said: "They’re all in such a fantastic position now, especially at their age – it's a world away from where I was at that stage in life."
June has since bought a new home in Fowey and said she now truly feels at home in Cornwall.
James Oakes, president of Omaze, said: "June’s story shows the true impact of winning with Omaze."
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