UK’s youngest lottery winner spends entire £1.8 million winnings, hit with 22-month driving ban
It was 2003 when a 16-year old Callie Rogers got the news that would change her life.
She had won the lottery, an astounding one-in-a 29 million chance for anyone—most especially when you’re 16 and life is just beginning. She happily shared her story with the world, enthusiastically posing with the gigantic check worth £1.8 million or P120 million.
18 years, 3 breast enhancement surgeries, and some cocaine allegations later, a 33-year-old Callie is now living off welfare with her four children, and the country has recently banned her from driving after crashing her car and failing a drug test.
It’s clearly been a bumpy road since her 2003 win, as she’s reportedly lived a life of luxury—from splurging £18,000 (P1.2 million) on three breast surgeries, £300,000 (P20 million) on clothes, make-up, and accessories, and over £500,000 (P33.8M) on “gifts” for friends and family over the years.
Just this March, Callie got herself in the headlines once again after she and her boyfriend abandoned her 4x4 car after it veered off a country lane. She also failed to provide a drug test breath sample—leading to a 22-month ban from driving.
Her lawyer shared that "She has to accept that this inevitable loss of her driving license is going to have a detrimental impact on her. And that impact will be hard-felt for her in her particular circumstances because of the care responsibilities she has for her children as a lone parent."
Callie herself has yet to respond.
It hasn't always been hard times for the winner though, as Callie was optimistic during a 2019 interview with UK daytime show This Morning.
Revealing that the money truly never made her happy, Callie shared, “I just wish I was a bit older at the time of winning it. I think at 16 you’re just a child and overnight you just got to grow into an adult, which was very difficult.”
Though she was given legal advice and support from UK National Lotter, Rogers reaffirms that “at 16 you don’t listen because you don’t understand about investments. You’re don’t know what to do what’s best as well.” She also advocated that the country’s lottery age policy be changed so that her story would serve as a cautionary tale.
She ended the interview by saying, “I am the happiest I have ever been”.
