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'Lotto lag' who blew his £6.5m jackpot after jail is now working as a painter
Lee Ryan spent time in prison, lost all of his National Lottery winnings and even had to live on the streets after losing his mansion, but his life has turned around and he is now helping those in need
A bloke who made history by becoming the first ever lottery winner in the UK to serve time in jail has been pictured back in public working as a painter and decorator.
In 1995, Lee Ryan – not the bloke from boy band Blue – bagged a whopping £6.5million on the National Lottery.
He splashed it all on a huge mansion, two Ducati superbikes, a helicopter, several fancy cars . . . and a plane.
But by 2010 he was broke, homeless and was spotted slumming it on the streets of West London having spent time in prison for stealing cars just nine months after his win., earning him the nickname of the Lotto Lag.
However, his fortunes appear to have turned around after he was seen carrying a ladder as part of his new job as a painter inside some posh homes.
And the 63-year-old is on a mission to win big once more.
Speaking to The Mirror from his Chiswick home, he said: “I’m a spiritual billionaire – I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
“If I had my time again, I’d open a hotel for the homeless. Then you feel you’ve done something worthwhile.
“I believe in the law of attraction, so I think I will win again, but it won’t mean any more to me than it did before. I know it sounds weird, but I don’t need anything.”
His jail time after the win was not his first, having been thrown in there in 1986.
Ryan has claimed that he spent his time praying he would become a millionaire during the stint, and ended up winning with the numbers 2, 13, 22, 27, 29 and 46.
He bagged the millions alongside girlfriend Karen Taylor, whom he split from in 2003, before meeting a new woman called Jyldyz Djangaracheva – they spent time living in her home country of Kyrgyzstan where he spaffed £2m on failed investments.
But none of that matters to him anymore.
He explained: “When I had the money, I thought this is what I wanted, what I prayed for and then it happened and it was kind of, ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
“People always think, ‘Oh, if I win tomorrow that will be the end of my worries’.
“That’s just not true, this is just the beginning of your worries.
“You will see who is who in your life, even in your own family it becomes fractured.
“It’s all just an illusion really – all these possessions trap you and people think you’re doing well because of what you’ve got, but I know people with so much money who are miserable.”
Lee now spends his time working and helping out at a homeless shelter, where he does free decorating for those in need.
And yes, he did win once more on the lottery, bagging £5,413 on the EuroMillions a few years ago.
Daily Star Sunday
Lee Ryan spent time in prison, lost all of his National Lottery winnings and even had to live on the streets after losing his mansion, but his life has turned around and he is now helping those in need
A bloke who made history by becoming the first ever lottery winner in the UK to serve time in jail has been pictured back in public working as a painter and decorator.
In 1995, Lee Ryan – not the bloke from boy band Blue – bagged a whopping £6.5million on the National Lottery.
He splashed it all on a huge mansion, two Ducati superbikes, a helicopter, several fancy cars . . . and a plane.
But by 2010 he was broke, homeless and was spotted slumming it on the streets of West London having spent time in prison for stealing cars just nine months after his win., earning him the nickname of the Lotto Lag.
However, his fortunes appear to have turned around after he was seen carrying a ladder as part of his new job as a painter inside some posh homes.
And the 63-year-old is on a mission to win big once more.
Speaking to The Mirror from his Chiswick home, he said: “I’m a spiritual billionaire – I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
“If I had my time again, I’d open a hotel for the homeless. Then you feel you’ve done something worthwhile.
“I believe in the law of attraction, so I think I will win again, but it won’t mean any more to me than it did before. I know it sounds weird, but I don’t need anything.”
His jail time after the win was not his first, having been thrown in there in 1986.
Ryan has claimed that he spent his time praying he would become a millionaire during the stint, and ended up winning with the numbers 2, 13, 22, 27, 29 and 46.
He bagged the millions alongside girlfriend Karen Taylor, whom he split from in 2003, before meeting a new woman called Jyldyz Djangaracheva – they spent time living in her home country of Kyrgyzstan where he spaffed £2m on failed investments.
But none of that matters to him anymore.
He explained: “When I had the money, I thought this is what I wanted, what I prayed for and then it happened and it was kind of, ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
“People always think, ‘Oh, if I win tomorrow that will be the end of my worries’.
“That’s just not true, this is just the beginning of your worries.
“You will see who is who in your life, even in your own family it becomes fractured.
“It’s all just an illusion really – all these possessions trap you and people think you’re doing well because of what you’ve got, but I know people with so much money who are miserable.”
Lee now spends his time working and helping out at a homeless shelter, where he does free decorating for those in need.
And yes, he did win once more on the lottery, bagging £5,413 on the EuroMillions a few years ago.
Daily Star Sunday