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It was announced recently that EuroMillions winners Colin and Chris Weir are filing for divorce. The couple made EuroMillions jackpot history when they won over £161 million on the 12th July, 2011 – the largest lottery jackpot ever won in the UK.
Former TV cameraman Colin, and former psychiatric nurse Chris, have been married for 38 years. The couple hail from Largs, in Ayrshire, though they now live in separate mansions in Troon. The have two adult children.
A statement was made this morning on behalf of the couple: “It is with deep regret that Chris and Colin confirm they have been living apart for some time and intend to divorce amicably.” Though the couple were not available to comment, friends and neighbours of the couple report that the split was an “open secret”, and that they had “drifted apart” many months prior to the announcement.
Colin and Chris’ legacy was one of generosity; in 2013 they set up The Weir Charitable Trust, which funds small charities and community centres across Scotland. Beneficiaries of the Trust include an art studio’s after-school program, a social project combatting loneliness in the elderly, and a centre for adults with learning difficulties, amongst many others. Though the Weirs are separating, it is understood that the Trust will continue to operate unaffected.
The couple also donated generously to Scottish Championship football club, Partick Thistle F.C., in 2015. The Weirs paid off Thistle’s debt with a £1 million donation. Colin was quoted at the time: “I have been a Thistle fan since I was a boy and spent many hours at Firhill — some more enjoyable than others. Chris and I are delighted to be part of the effort to help the club achieve financial security.”
The Weirs flirted with controversy in 2014, when it was revealed that they had donated £1 million to Alex Salmond’s SNP and the Yes vote for Scottish independence. Despite the media backlash, the Weirs continued to donate to the SNP, making them some of the largest political donors in Britain.
Colin and Chris are not the only couple to be affected by what media outlets are calling the “lottery curse”.
The last high-profile divorce in EuroMillions jackpot history was that of Adrian and Gillian Bayford, who famously split 15 months after a £148 million EuroMillions win in 2012.
Gareth and Catherine Bull also drifted apart after their £40.3 million Euromillions win in 2012 – three years on, Gareth was living separately in a cottage, away from his two teenage sons.
A EuroMillions winner from South Yorkshire finally came forward after keeping her prize a secret for five weeks. Paula Williamson was one of 40 millionaires, minted by the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker raffle on the 1st March this year. She kept the win a secret from her family until her 26-year-old son Jack returned from holiday in Australia.
She revealed her win at a fancy hotel, after pretending she had won a lifetime achievement award at the Barnsley school for which she works.
If you want to get involved in the next EuroMillions draw, you can buy a ticket from any licensed retailer or choose your numbers online.