Lightning has struck twice for one Welsh couple, and the numbers behind their fortune are almost as jaw-dropping as the story itself. Richard Davies, 49, and his wife Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, of Talgarth near Brecon, Wales, have done the unthinkable: they’ve scooped £1 million in the National Lottery not once, but twice—seven years apart. According to experts at Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, the odds of winning both the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker and then matching five numbers plus the bonus ball in the Lotto draw stand at an astronomical 24 trillion to one. Yet, here they are, living proof that sometimes, fairy tales really do come true.
The couple’s first taste of lottery luck came in June 2018, when they won £1 million through the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker code. At the time, the windfall was life-changing. Faye, then a mental health nurse, was able to leave her job and pursue further education, eventually earning a second degree in Counselling and Therapeutic Practice. “That first win meant I gave up work as a mental health nurse and could return to university, gaining a second degree in Counselling and Therapeutic Practice. I now have my own practice and also provide counselling services with local organisations including Brecon & District Mind charity and The DPJ Foundation. I feel blessed every day to be doing something so meaningful thanks to that first bit of luck, and I’m not going to abandon my clients with the second bit,” Faye told the Metro.
Richard, who spent most of his working life as a hairdresser, also found the freedom to make a change. “After a while I was able to give up hairdressing, I’d been doing it since I left school. I put down the scissors before agreeing to help a friend out with a couple of days’ courier work, that was two years ago and I now do seven days and love it!” he shared, as reported by the Brecon & Radnor Express.
Their second million-pound win, announced on December 16, 2025, came from matching five main numbers and the bonus ball in the Lotto draw on November 26. But this wasn’t just a matter of buying a lucky ticket. Richard explained the unusual chain of events that led to their win: “This win was not as simple as buying the winning ticket, it came to us through a series of four consecutive Lotto draws! When you match two numbers in the Lotto draw, you automatically win a Lucky Dip for the next game and that’s what’s happened to us. We matched two numbers and won a free Lucky Dip from the draw on the 15th, which put us into the next draw and so on, until the winning draw on Wednesday, November 26.”
Despite now being multi-millionaires, both Richard and Faye have decided to keep working—at least for now. Richard continues to deliver parcels seven days a week, ensuring Christmas gifts arrive on time for families throughout Wales, while Faye is determined to support her clients even through the festive period, including Christmas Day. “Everyone keeps asking what we’ll do in the future and we genuinely have no idea at present. We may have believed, doesn’t mean we had a plan!” Richard admitted, reflecting on their unexpected journey.
Generosity has always been part of their story. After their first big win, the couple gave away cars, donated a minibus to the local rugby team, and helped out friends and family wherever they could. “The first time around we gifted people cars, we donated a minibus to the local rugby team, and did our best to help friends and family, it was all new and it was amazing to be able to make a difference. This time, who knows, we’ll take our time and enjoy the moment,” Richard told Metro.
The Davieses are also deeply involved in their community, regularly volunteering for projects that have benefited from National Lottery funding. Faye described their motivation: “We always played believing in a win but we've also seen firsthand, through our volunteering at projects that have received vital National Lottery funding, the impact players make. From Richard using his hairdressing skills at a shelter for the homeless in Cardiff with Haircuts4Homeless to cooking up a storm at Cegin Hedyn community kitchen in Carmarthen, funding makes a huge difference, right across Wales.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn. In a statement to the Brecon & Radnor Express, Carter said, “I can still remember the day I met Richard and Faye for the first time, and it’s just as special to be with them as they celebrate their second £1M National Lottery win. To see the positive impact of that first win, I know that this second one will be just as meaningful. Players winning more than once is unusual but like all the best magic, not impossible. We have supported winners who celebrated double wins with us, and there are even a few lucky addresses dotted around the UK that I have visited more than twice!”
Their remarkable luck has not gone unnoticed. With more than 7,700 millionaires already made in the UK through the National Lottery, Carter pointed out that big winners can be found in every corner of the country—and maybe, just maybe, on your street. “With a £15M Must Be Won Christmas Eve Lotto Draw there is guaranteed to be more big winners, so if ever there was a time to believe in festive magic, now’s the time. The Winners Advisor team are on stand-by to receive that winning call from the lucky someone!” Carter added, as reported by Metro.
For Richard and Faye, the power of positive thinking has been at the heart of their lottery journey. Faye summed it up simply: “We always believed winning was possible, and once we scooped £1M and met hundreds of other lucky winners, we realised fairy tales do come true and there are winners everywhere! We knew the odds of it happening again were outrageous, but we’re proof that if you believe, anything is possible.”
As Christmas approaches, the couple could easily trade in chilly Wales for a tropical getaway. But instead, they’re sticking to their routines, delivering parcels and supporting mental health clients, and staying grounded in the community that’s been central to their story. Their extraordinary luck might seem like a dream to many, but for Richard and Faye, it’s simply another chapter—one they’re determined to live out with gratitude, generosity, and a healthy dose of wonder.
