Lottery winner who blew $14.5M happy to be working in cookie factory

Jul 9, 2013, 8:27 am (66 comments)

UK National Lottery

"Lotto lout" Michael Carroll today lifts the lid on his new life as a £6-an-hour shortbread packer in a biscuit factory in the Highlands.

Britain's most notorious jackpot winner blew his £9.7million fortune on drugs, booze and hookers and doesn't have a penny left.

He fled north last month to escape his hellraising ways after pals warned him that he would be dead within six months if he carried on partying.

But he was so skint he was forced to sleep rough in a forest as he hunted for work.

Tattooed Carroll has ditched his trademark bling for a hair-net and white overalls to churn out ­packets of biscuits at the Walkers shortbread factory in Elgin, Moray, 552 miles from his Norfolk home.

But penniless Carroll — jailed twice since picking up his lottery win in 2002 — has no regrets and claims to have turned over a new leaf.

He said: "I get £204 every week for packing and stacking shortbread and cookies and I love it. I treasure those wages more than any £9 million fortune."

Carroll, 30, also revealed he was so poor he slept rough in a tent after moving to Scotland to start his first proper job since quitting as a binman when he scooped the lottery, aged 19.

The self-styled King of Chavs — who now enjoys yoga, goes swimming, cycles and only eats chicken and salad — said the move north also means he is closer to 10-year-old daughter Brooke, who lives with ex-wife Sandra near Elgin.

Carroll said: "I've only got one chance left — I'd have been dead in six months if I'd carried on that lifestyle of drinking and drug taking."

His fortune disappeared in a drug-fuelled haze years ago as a sneering out-of-control Carroll fulfilled his promise of blowing his money on a rock star lifestyle.

His mansion in Swaffham, Norfolk — trashed beyond recognition after 10 years of mayhem — was sold.

But the fast cars, vice girls and crack cocaine, washed down with two bottles of vodka a day, belong, he claims, to the old Mikey Carroll.

For a man who could once have gone anywhere on the planet, his choices are now limited.

Arranging our meeting, he said: "I'll see you outside Tesco's in an hour because I need to leave my bike at the bus stop and catch a bus into town."

Carroll has shed 5st (70 lbs.) since agreeing to take part in a fitness documentary last year and appeared wearing one of his 10 trademark baseball caps, a cheap pair of denims and black work boots.

Sipping coffee, Carroll claimed to be virtually teetotal, only drinking "a couple of cans on a Friday after work".

He said: "I moved up to Scotland to be closer to my daughter and to get out of my drinking. I needed to change.

"Friends said the amount I was drinking and the drugs would have killed me within six months if I'd carried on like I was.

"I've been clean of drugs for more than two years — I'd just had enough of it all.

"My ex-wife told me it was time to give it a rest. I'd had 10 years of doing what a rock star does and I had to sort myself out.

"I decided to head up to Scotland and it's great — I love it up here.

"Back in Norfolk, I'd ended up crashing on a mate's sofa but I've got a two-bedroom council flat just outside Elgin now, so I'm well sorted."

Carroll said he had to "juggle a few things" to get carpets, a sofa bed and some furniture for his new pad.

He added: "I've got all I need so this is a new start for me. When I first moved up, I was in a tent for a week before I got sorted.

"I camped out in the woods near Elgin because I had nowhere else to go and hadn't started the job at the factory.

"I didn't care about the camping — I was away from the drink and drugs so that was good enough for me.

"Sitting there in the woods was when I first thought I can sort myself out properly.

"I'd been in worse situations. I'd been behind bars three times before so a week in a tent was a walk in the park."

He landed work as a packer with Walkers in May and now works a six-hour shift, five days a week with more than 200 colleagues on the production line, boxing up biscuits and shortbread as they come down a conveyor belt.

Hygiene is strict at the plant — all workers wear identical white overalls, shoes and hair-nets and only stop for one half-hour break.

Walkers are one of the country's top biscuit makers and their tartan tins of Scottish shortbread are shipped in their thousands around the world every year.

Carroll said: "I've always respected the pound but I treasure my weekly pay on a Friday more than any lottery fortune. I'm just so happy to get a wage packet again.

"I'm definitely happier because I'm back to reality again. A few people recognised me when I started but everyone's been brilliant. I had lots of questions about the money in the first few days and where it all went.

"I just said I was a 19-year-old d***head who went nuts. What teenager wouldn't? Now I'm 30, it's time to grow up.

"I love the work. It's great. I couldn't sit there on benefits so the job's doing me just fine.

"It's back-breaking sometimes. Some people moan about it but it's really a piece of p***. Working on the bins is hard work — and running from the police is hard work, especially when you're fat."

Banned from the road for three years for drink driving, Carroll can only re-sit his test in August — but is unlikely to be able to afford a car anytime soon. He said: "A year ago I had 70p in my bank account — I still have that because I don't get paid until Friday but I don't mind it. I like waiting for payday with everybody else.

"My only outgoings a week are £95 rent and about 20 quid on food. I cycle everywhere now. I do up to 60 miles a week on my bike and leave it at the bus stop to get the bus into Elgin for work."

For a man who once had the world at his feet, Carroll's most expensive possession nowadays is a £180 Xbox, which he plays most nights after work.

He added: "I used to arrange banger-racing in the field behind my mansion but these days I just play Grand Theft Auto and Grid 2 on my Xbox.

"In the crazy days, I'd wake up, do a line of cocaine, then open a can of lager. These days, it's bran flakes for ­breakfast at 7am then maybe a cycle before work.

"I've been doing this documentary since last year in London to lose weight — yoga and stuff too — because I'd ­ballooned to 22st. Now I'm down to 17 and hope to lose a couple more.

"I just eat chicken now during the week with vegetables and maybe some salad.

"I'll have a couple of cans of lager in the house on a Friday sometimes as a treat but I don't go out any more. I'm quite happy playing computer games and watching movies."

Carroll said he's ready to settle down in the north of Scotland and even plans to become a property guru if he can scrape together enough cash to buy a couple of run-down homes.

He added: "If I can get some money together, I've got my eye on a couple of little properties around Elgin and I'd like to get into doing them up and selling.

"I'd like to get into the property market. I was told to do it years ago but I was on too much of a high getting off my face.

"I can definitely see myself settling up here. It keeps me out of that circle I was in, drinking every day. If I move back to Norfolk, I'd slip into my old ways.

"I don't even want a girlfriend at the moment because I've had my fair share of women — although I did pay for most of them.

"I know some people moaned when I was on the dole and then moaned when I got a job, so I can't win, can I?"

The Chav King also fancies becoming King of the Jungle by lining up a money-spinning move to take part in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

He said: "I'd be right up for I'm A Celebrity — I'd love a bit of that and I'll give anything a go.

"Eating the grub and stuff would be no problem but I'm terrified of heights. Apart from that, I'd be fine."

Carroll, who doesn't regret squandering his cash, still plays the lottery but claims he'd be more ­sensible second time around if his numbers came up.

In 2004 — just two years after his jackpot win — he won £1000 on a Lottery scratchcard. He blew the lot on an ounce of cocaine for a night out.

He said: "I regret taking all the drugs but that's part of life. I don't regret what I did with my money. The only thing I've won recently is my life back.

"If I won £10 million again I'd help kids on drugs — then emigrate to Australia.

"I'd buy some properties, rent them out and sit back abroad waiting on the money to come in. But don't get me wrong, I'd still have a few parties."

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News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Daily Record, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

surimaribo24's avatarsurimaribo24

all i can say is

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by surimaribo24 on Jul 9, 2013

all i can say is

When I think of this loser,two names come to my mind,Jack Whitaker and David Edwards.And that loser from Michigan who is back on the welfare that has the name that I can't remember and his idiot son that helped him blow through his lottery winnings.They could all be poster children about what not to do with your lottery millions.What a bunch of morons!

luckyshoes's avatarluckyshoes

Saw this before.... instant wealth in the wrong hands .   14mil + and it  Never occured to him to secure  his daughters future?  Double Loser.

I dont feel sorry for him. Its so easy to say what you d do differently next time.....

Success isnt in HAVING money its in HANDLING money.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

The kid sure had some fun, and HAD, is the operative word. Now he is gonna find out that, REALITY BITES. I do feel sorry for his little girl. Her dad piZZZZed away $14.5mil approx. HOOKERS AND BOOZE?

Ronnie316

Interesting how the lucky winner now feels as though he has "won his life back"

CLETU$

I wonder how long it will be before he starts drinking to excess again.He already drinks a "couple" of beers on weekend.One beer leads to another and another,pretty soon you're starting to feel good and you forget why you quit drinking in the first place.Been there & done that.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Jul 9, 2013

I wonder how long it will be before he starts drinking to excess again.He already drinks a "couple" of beers on weekend.One beer leads to another and another,pretty soon you're starting to feel good and you forget why you quit drinking in the first place.Been there & done that.

I Agree! But at the same time I think this is the kind of care free guy who will win another jackpot.

billionaire2bee

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Jul 9, 2013

When I think of this loser,two names come to my mind,Jack Whitaker and David Edwards.And that loser from Michigan who is back on the welfare that has the name that I can't remember and his idiot son that helped him blow through his lottery winnings.They could all be poster children about what not to do with your lottery millions.What a bunch of morons!

LOL it was Leroy Fick and his son Jeff and they didnt even clear 1 million but blew faster than a blink of an eye

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Skeptical time will spin a most curious yawn b4 much longer ......

hope for his Daughter's sake hes changed his ways for good

jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

Quote: Originally posted by mypiemaster on Jul 9, 2013

The kid sure had some fun, and HAD, is the operative word. Now he is gonna find out that, REALITY BITES. I do feel sorry for his little girl. Her dad piZZZZed away $14.5mil approx. HOOKERS AND BOOZE?

neither hookers or booze are worth pay. he could have been happy a lifetime, never spend the pricipal.

LottoGuyBC's avatarLottoGuyBC

Quote: Originally posted by surimaribo24 on Jul 9, 2013

all i can say is

I Agree!

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by billionaire2bee on Jul 9, 2013

LOL it was Leroy Fick and his son Jeff and they didnt even clear 1 million but blew faster than a blink of an eye

Yep,that's the other loser that I was talking about.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

"just two years after his jackpot win — he won £1000 on a Lottery scratchcard. He blew the lot on an ounce of cocaine for a night out. He said: "I regret taking all the drugs but that's part of life. I don't regret what I did with my money.

If I won £10 million again I'd help kids on drugs — then emigrate to Australia.

"I'd buy some properties, rent them out and sit back abroad waiting on the money to come in. But don't get me wrong, I'd still have a few parties."

I don't know. I get the feeling that he would probably do the same thing over again if he won the lottery. He'd still be partying and drinking. It doesn't sound like he has changed since he lost all his money. I bet he would be right back to the old lifestyle in a heart beat.

JoeBigLotto's avatarJoeBigLotto

As crazy and insane as his story might sound he is still living at least some winners are already dead his chances were not on the living side of the equation. However he lived in the woods survived it so i have a question for him why doesn't he write a book or do a movie about his insane life he may make some money at least twice what he does on his current day job. And also this is the kind of a risk taker that can win the lottery again . You see to be a lottery winner you need the guts to play and don't look back if or not you win or loss that is not easy for everyone but for him it seems he is a fighter and a fighter is good.

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