EuroMillions Jackpot Rolls Over After No Winner Friday

On the evening of January 23, 2026, hopeful lottery players across the United Kingdom and Europe sat on the edge of their seats as the EuroMillions and Thunderball draws unfolded. With a staggering £86 million jackpot up for grabs in EuroMillions, following seven consecutive rollovers, anticipation ran high. The top prize had snowballed after no ticket matched all five main numbers and both Lucky Stars in the previous draws, making this one of the most talked-about events of the week.

According to Express, the EuroMillions draw took place at around 8:30 pm, shortly after the Thunderball numbers were drawn at 8 pm. Ticket sales for both games closed at 7:30 pm sharp, leaving latecomers out of the running for what could have been a life-changing win. The excitement was palpable, with players dreaming of new homes, luxury cars, and trips around the world. But as the dust settled, the headline news was that the £86 million EuroMillions jackpot had rolled over yet again. No player managed to match all five main numbers and the two Lucky Stars needed to claim the top prize.

The winning EuroMillions numbers for the January 23 draw were 4, 5, 13, 21, and 42, with Lucky Stars 3 and 10, as confirmed by WalesOnline and Manchester Evening News. While the jackpot remained elusive, there were still plenty of winners. Two fortunate players, including one from the UK, matched five main numbers and one Lucky Star, with the UK winner taking home an impressive £270,675.20. Additionally, six players matched five main numbers—four of them from the UK—each securing £21,087. In total, an astonishing 2,417,032 tickets won a prize in the draw, including 700,828 winners from the UK alone, as reported by Express.

One of the unique features of EuroMillions is the UK Millionaire Maker, which guarantees at least one new millionaire in every draw. Every ticket purchased in the UK is automatically assigned a unique code, and one code is selected at random to win £1 million. For the January 23 draw, the winning Millionaire Maker code was MSPP05803. Winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize, and the National Lottery is expected to confirm the location of the winning ticket in the coming days. If more than one ticket matches the code, each holder receives the full £1 million. The validation process ensures that every claim is thoroughly checked before the prize is paid out.

For those who won smaller prizes, the process is straightforward. Small wins can be claimed at National Lottery retailers, while larger amounts require contacting the National Lottery’s claims team. All prizes are paid as a lump sum, and, as Express points out, all National Lottery winnings in the UK are tax-free. Winners don’t pay income tax, capital gains tax, or any other deductions on their windfall. However, any interest earned on those winnings in the future may be subject to tax, depending on how the money is used or invested.

Meanwhile, the Thunderball draw, another staple of the UK lottery scene, took place at 8 pm on the same night. The winning Thunderball numbers were 7, 15, 18, 26, and 32, with the Thunderball itself being 3. Thunderball offers a top prize of £500,000, and this time, one lucky player matched all five main numbers plus the Thunderball, walking away with the jackpot. Two additional players matched five main numbers, each receiving £5,000. According to Express, 101,068 players participated in the Thunderball draw, and the total prize fund was £1,101,644.

Thunderball prizes are fixed, which means that if more than one person wins the top prize, each receives the full £500,000. There’s no splitting or sharing, making it an attractive option for players looking for a guaranteed payout. The draw itself is conducted using a traditional lottery machine with real balls, under strict security and independent auditing to ensure fairness. Despite the rise of digital ticket sales and online result checking, the core process remains delightfully old-school.

For those unfamiliar with the games, EuroMillions requires players to choose five main numbers from 1 to 50 and two Lucky Stars from 1 to 12. Draws take place every Tuesday and Friday, with tickets costing £2.50. The odds may be long, but the allure of multi-million-pound jackpots keeps millions coming back week after week. Thunderball, on the other hand, asks players to select five numbers between 1 and 39 and one Thunderball number between 1 and 14. Draws are held four times a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Reflecting on recent history, the UK has seen some truly eye-watering lottery wins. As noted by Express, the biggest UK EuroMillions win occurred in 2022, when an anonymous player claimed a jaw-dropping £195,707,000. The winner chose to remain out of the spotlight, with only the National Lottery confirming the claim. Just months earlier, Joe and Jess Thwaite from Gloucester won £184,262,899, briefly becoming household names as they shared their story with the public.

In the run-up to the January 23 draw, the National Lottery also shared news of a recent Millionaire Maker winner from West Sussex, who came forward to claim a £1 million prize from the January 2 draw after a public appeal. Andy Carter of Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, expressed his delight, saying the team was looking forward to giving the winner "the very best start to 2026." The claim will now undergo the usual validation process, after which the winner can decide whether to go public or remain anonymous.

For those who missed out this time, hope springs eternal. The EuroMillions jackpot, now even bigger after another rollover, will be up for grabs again in the next draw on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. As always, players are reminded to check their tickets carefully, sign the back, and keep them safe—just in case their numbers come up. And for the lucky winners, the National Lottery offers access to financial and legal advice to help navigate the sudden windfall.

With every draw, EuroMillions and Thunderball continue to capture the imagination of millions, offering the tantalizing prospect of overnight wealth and the chance to dream big. For now, the £86 million prize remains unclaimed, but for one night at least, the nation held its breath in collective anticipation.