A family in Somerset, England, almost missed out on a £1 million lottery win after ignoring numerous calls and emails for nine days. Sean Jefferson, the patriarch of the family, initially dismissed the notifications, believing they were from salespeople.
"When I was told I'd won a million pounds, I genuinely thought someone was winding me up," Jefferson stated. "I was absolutely floored. I was in tears. To think I'd spent nine days ignoring emails about something so life-changing is incredible."
The substantial prize will be shared among Jefferson, his wife Naomi, and their four adult children: Alexandra, Lily, Emily, and Taylor. The family expressed their overwhelming joy and disbelief upon realizing the magnitude of their win.
"You always hear about people winning and wonder what it would feel like," Jefferson added. "Now we're the family everyone talks about."
The National Lottery, which facilitates such winnings, often sees winners initially disbelieving the news. The Jefferson family's experience highlights a rare instance of prolonged delay in claiming such a significant prize, attributed to their initial skepticism towards the notifications.