Since it started in 1994, the National Lottery has created over two and a half thousand new millionaires. This Cutting Edge film tells the story of a number of lottery winners and the moment their lives were suddenly turned upside down, revealing their extraordinary experiences and capturing their lifestyle today.
Jackpots and Jinxes: Lottery Stories also enters the mysterious halls of Camelot to discover the inner workings of the organisation behind the lottery. The film makers gain insight into how Camelot manage the lucky ticket holders and their friends and family by filming with new winners before they decide to make their identities known. And they meet the staff - from the weights and measures man who calibrates the balls, to those taking the potential winners' calls, to the person who helps them to decide whether to keep their win a secret or go public with the news.
Some of Britain's luckiest people open up about what it's really like when your fortune changes overnight; some revel in their newfound celebrity, whereas others find their win has caused surprising challenges and difficulties in their lives. As well as seeking to answer the questions all of us have when we imagine winning the lottery - what will you buy first, who would you give money to, would a lottery win really change your life? - this humorous and touching film also delves deeper into some of the best winners' stories to explore just how profoundly their lives have been altered.
Mark Gardiner, who was one of the first lottery winners 16 years ago, is fully aware of the highs and lows of winning the jackpot and during the film, advises a winner who is struggling to come to terms with their sudden wealth. Five years ago, Tony won £2.2 million but soon after discovered the true cost of love when he divorced his wife and had to pay her almost half the money. Ray and Barbara Wragg won £7.6 million and have given nearly £6 million away to family, friends and charities - their win has brought them nothing but happiness.
-
-
Jackpots and Jinxes: Lottery Stories
Thu 05 May 2011
Since it started in 1994, the National Lottery has created over two and a half thousand new millionaires. This Cutting…
- This programme has episodes with subtitles available.
-
MORE:
-
The Pawn King
1 Episode
Favourite ShowIn the tough economic climate, pawning is no longer just the preserve of the poor. First Cut provides a fascinating insight into the pawn-broking business.
-
Scams, Claims and Compensation Games
1 Episode
Favourite ShowCutting Edge enters the world of No Win, No Fee. Can you really get thousands of Pounds if you cut yourself shaving? And is a primary school liable if a child stubs his toe in the playground?
-
My Boyfriend the MI5 Hoaxer
1 Episode
Favourite ShowFirst Cut meets Leanne McCarthy, the victim of conman Wayne Gouveia, who convinced her he was an MI5 agent and swept her into a world of stake-outs, car chases, safe houses and narrow escapes
-
The Ultimate Guide to Penny Pinching
1 Episode
Favourite ShowCutting Edge meets some of the country's thriftiest people, from families obsessed by discount vouchers to a bride determined her wedding will cost less than a bridal dress
-
How to Snare a Millionaire
1 Episode
Favourite ShowEssex girl Rebecca Arnold is 28, single and broke, and has never had a long-term relationship. She sets out to find a man, and a rich one at that, in this light-hearted First Cut.
-
Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThis Cutting Edge film meets the hoarder whose house is so stuffed that it takes 40 minutes to get from his chair to the front door
-
Captive for 18 Years: Jaycee Lee
1 Episode
Favourite ShowCutting Edge takes an in-depth look at the discovery that stunned the world: when Jaycee Lee Dugard was found alive in 2009, 18 years after she was kidnapped as an 11-year-old
-
Reggie Kray
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe Kray twins' legend is as potent today as it has ever been but Cutting Edge suggests reality is far from the myth
-
24 Hours in A&E
2 Episodes
Favourite ShowWith 91 cameras filming round the clock, 24 Hours in A&E offers unprecedented access to one of Britain's busiest A&E departments, at King's College Hospital
-
Captive for 18 Years: Jaycee Lee
1 Episode
Favourite ShowCutting Edge takes an in-depth look at the discovery that stunned the world: when Jaycee Lee Dugard was found alive in 2009, 18 years after she was kidnapped as an 11-year-old
-
Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThis Cutting Edge film meets the hoarder whose house is so stuffed that it takes 40 minutes to get from his chair to the front door
-
The Secret Millionaire
50 Episodes
Favourite ShowMillionaire benefactors say goodbye to their luxury lifestyles and go undercover in deprived areas to find out who needs their help
-
My Phone Sex Secrets
1 Episode
Favourite ShowPhone sex is one industry booming in the face of recession. My Phone Sex Secrets meets the women paid to talk dirty.
-
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings
15 Episodes
Favourite ShowRevealing documentary series that offers a window into the secretive, extravagant and surprising world of gypsies and travellers in Britain today
-
The Queen
5 Episodes
Favourite ShowFive leading British actresses play the Queen at pivotal times in her life, as this ground-breaking series examines Britain's social history through key events in her reign
-
Accused: The 74 Stone Babysitter
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe story of one of the most incredible murder trials America has witnessed, following the twists and turns in the case of Mayra Rosales and the death of her two-year-old nephew