Adrian and Gillian Bayford scooped the Euromillions jackpot just over a year ago and despite at the time claiming the money would not change their relationship, they confirmed last night their marriage had “broken down irretrievably.”
The couple, from Haverhill, in Suffolk, were overjoyed when they bagged the top prize – which is the second largest lottery payout the in the UK to date – and moved into a mansion worth £6 million with their two children.
Following their win, Gillian, now 40, quit her job as a healthcare assistant while Adrian, now 43, opened a music shop.
However the strain of the win started to show just months later, as letters flooded in begging the couple for money and now, just 15 months on, they’ve finally called time on their marriage.
Sadly, the couple are not the first to run into trouble after buying the winning ticket.
Callie Rogers – who won almost £1.9 million aged just 16 – exclusively told us in July, that although winning big had changed her life, it was for all the wrong reasons.
“I felt I had to be living the high life constantly, and others expected handouts.
“Now, I have just £2k in the bank and I’ve never been happier. I’m a stay-at-home mum, but also work two days a week as a carer for the elderly. The Lottery nearly broke me.”
While Michael Carroll, famously known as the ‘Lotto Lout’, blew all of his £9.7 million jackpot and in June this year admitted he'd taken a job in a biscuit factory to make ends meet.
The former bin man even revealed he'd been forced to sleep rough after the cash ran out.
Let us know what you think!
What would you do if you won the jackpot? Would it make or break your relationship?