One lottery winner cashed in on a dream £3million win and splashed out £10k on boob jobs for herself and her sisters.
But despite the life-changing jackpot, Sarah Cockings’ story ended in heartbreak after she scooped the money as a student.
Aged just 21 when she won, she described the “whirlwind” of winning the National Lottery as she had been studying for a social work degree.
She splashed out on plastic surgery for herself and her two sisters, Emma and Alex, and bought a house for her parents, a Mini Cooper, and a Range Rover Sport.
Her story hit the headlines, and she once joked how people stopped her sisters in the street to ask: “Are those the lottery boobs?”
When celebrating the lottery's 25th birthday with other winners, Sarah, of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, said: "Just after I won, I bought my two sisters boob jobs; everyone remembers that.
"But now – I’ve had one myself, because mine were wrecked by breastfeeding. It’s my two-year boob birthday. I love them!”
She said her young son would tell his schoolmates and teachers how Sarah had won the lottery.
But after her life changed in April 2005 when she landed the jackpot with her partner of three years Roy Kelley, there wasn't a happily ever after for the couple.
They enjoyed their engagement with a £2,500 platinum diamond ring but the romance fizzled out the following year.
ChronicleLive reported she said: "It's very sad, but Roy and I have decided that we should split up. We've realised we're better off as friends than in a couple. It's just one of those things, but we both agreed to call it a day."
She added that they had both gotten “swept away” in the excitement around the lottery win.
She continued: “Now things have settled down and life is back to normal, we realise we're just not in love with each other anymore. Everyone knows that some relationships just run their course.
"There's no one else involved and I know there'll be people who say it's because of my Lottery win or that I've changed, but that's just not the way it happened.
"Neither of us changed - I still go shopping in Top Shop and go out to the same pubs in Whitley Bay with my sisters.
"Winning the Lottery was just a bonus and other than things being a bit hectic and dealing with the media attention, it didn't change how we felt.
"We had split up a few times before the win, so maybe there were signs that it wouldn't work out eventually. But we both wanted it to, so we tried our best to keep things going."
