Elated Rugby woman who couldn’t afford Christmas tree is reduced to tears after scooping £60,000 festive windfall {{favouriteCount}}

Holley Sutch, who had been feeling the financial squeeze in the run-up to Christmas, can ‘start living her life again’ after she won the life-changing cash prize courtesy of online competition firm BOTB – right before her 40th birthday.

Mum-of-one Holley, who turned 40 on Tuesday (December 19), received a video call from BOTB presenter Christian Williams who surprised her with the news she was the weekly Midweek Lifestyle Competition winner. She said: “When I entered the competition, I was praying for this. This has changed my life. “The night I found out I only had about three hours sleep I was that excited.”

Holley said she has had ‘the worst four years ever’ with her financial struggles as the cost-of-living crisis keeps escalating. She said: “I work full-time, but with the cost of everything going up, it has really killed me.

“I only had £100 left in my account for Christmas. I haven’t even been able to get a Christmas tree as I couldn’t afford one – that’s how bad it has gotten this year.

“I make arts and crafts, and sell them to pay for Christmas presents every year, but I’ve really struggled this year and have cried after every craft fair.”

Holley is planning to use the money to get her own home. “The money means I can start living my life again,” she added. “I will clear my debt and then use it to get my own home. Me and my daughter have been in rented accommodation for over four years and I have been desperate to get a deposit for a house. “I currently don’t have a car so I will put some money aside to get a small one. I also would like to take my family to Greece next year.”

But the first thing on her list is to get herself a Christmas tree. Christian said: “It feels amazing to share this fantastic news with Holley. With Christmas and her 40th birthday – what a present and what a time to win £60,000. “She got very emotional and the money will clearly go a long way to changing her life for the better. I am so pleased her dreams of winning came true.”

Back to Homepage 4 Jan 2024