A lonely truck driver who only months earlier had joined an online dating site was celebrating today after scooping an incredible £17.8million lottery win.
Matthew Breach, 37, joined the website to find a new girlfriend after splitting from his childhood sweetheart three years ago.
But his luck has taken a dramatic turn after he matched six numbers in the triple-rollover lottery draw last Wednesday on March 9 .
Now Mr Breach, who has not been back to work since the win, is likely to have women queuing up outside his modest ground-floor flat in Battle, East Sussex.
‘They’ll be beating down the door now. He’s become one of the country’s most eligible bachelors overnight,’ a friends of Matthew told The Sun.
‘He got a workmate in the office to call up the numbers of the internet. They read the first four out, then he read back the last two and asked if they matched.
‘When they did, he simply said ”I’ve got a winner”. He was pretty calm – but that’s Matthew.’
Mr Breach is reported to have broken up with his former partner Kerry Graves, 31, around three years ago.
He became lonely and joined a matchmaking website to try and find a new woman for a relationship. It is not known if he had dated other people or if he currently has a girlfriend.
Mr Breach, who worked for a builders merchants, is understood to have bought the ticket after hearing about the triple rollover.
He was out delivering sand and shingle last Wednesday when he stopped by a newsagents to buy a paper and check the numbers.
It was then Mr Breach made the astonishing discovery that he had become a multimillionaire. He is said to have spent all weekend alone in his flat while contacting Camelot who confirmed he was the only winner of the £17,799,986 jackpot.
Matthew’s mum Sandra, 67, said: ‘It’s a shame he doesn’t have anyone to share it with. But I’ve told him, ‘If you get a woman now you’ll have to get a pre-nup’.”
‘He’s not the type to go abroad on holiday. In fact, he doesn’t really go on holiday. He works very hard.
‘He was used to getting up at four, five or six in the morning, so at least he’ll be able to get a lie-in now.
‘Matthew doesn’t have a lot of luck so perhaps it’s changing for him. It’s a lot of money. He says it’s stressful and frightening – but it’s exciting.’
Next-door neighbour Jackie Honour, 64, said: ‘It couldn’t happen to a more hard-working guy.’
Matthew’s win was only the seventh ever triple rollover and the 20th biggest single Lotto win in Britain, including the EuroMillions draw.
Last year, four friends from Coventry, West Midlands, were thought to have won the £113m EuroMillions jackpot.
Speculation was rife about the ticket-holder’s identity after the gigantic prize went unclaimed for almost a fortnight.
But after the winning ticket holder decided to remain anonymous, Camelot refused to release further details – such as where the winning ticket was purchased and the reason for the delay.