Naomi Newton-Sherlock dropped to her knees and wept after she was told she had won £1 million in the first-ever Omaze Monthly Millionaire draw, becoming the prize series’ inaugural UK winner.
The 47-year-old, who had bought a £15 entry ticket, was at home south of Birmingham in workout clothes when Omaze staff arrived on Friday and revealed the result. A running counter shown to her increased to £1,000,000 before she realised the full extent of the prize.
Newton-Sherlock, who works for a UK manufacturer, lives with her husband, Matt, 49, and their two children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. She said the family has already discussed practical uses for the money, including paying off the mortgage, upgrading carpets and taking a family holiday. Her husband’s first question, she said, was whether the prize was tax-free.
The draw, launched in August, runs monthly and guarantees one UK resident a £1 million prize each month. Omaze operates prize draws that also raise funds for charities and causes in the UK and internationally. Newton-Sherlock said she had been sceptical when she first received an unexpected call from Omaze and initially assumed she had won a smaller prize.
Speaking after the announcement, Newton-Sherlock described the moment as “utterly life-changing” and said the win would take pressure off the family. She had just returned from the gym where she is training for a 100km Sahara Desert charity walk in November to raise money for The Benevolent Society and was still in workout gear when the surprise visit took place.
Neighbours and members of the local community gathered to celebrate the win, Newton-Sherlock said, and the family’s regular Friday “driveway drinks” ritual continued with neighbours joking that she could now afford to bring champagne. She said the only prize she had won previously was a giant teddy bear at a work raffle.
James Oakes, President of Omaze, congratulated Newton-Sherlock and highlighted the company’s dual aim of offering high-value prizes while introducing charities to new audiences. Oakes said Omaze was “thrilled” to be celebrating its first Monthly Millionaire and that the organisation looks to expand reach for partner charities through its prize draws.
Newton-Sherlock, originally from Cambridgeshire and married for 18 years, said the family now faces choices they had only once imagined. She and her husband have discussed children’s wishes, travel and long-term financial security; she said their daughter had asked for a horse.
Omaze’s monthly millionaire concept ensures a guaranteed £1 million prize to a UK resident each month; the company promotes the chance to win alongside fundraising for charity partners. Newton-Sherlock’s win marks the first payout under the scheme and will be the latest high-profile example of prize draws that combine large payouts with charity fundraising.