It has been six years since former Hereford factory worker Ade Goodchild won a life-changing £71 million in the EuroMillions lottery.
Goodchild, who worked at Special Metals Wiggin for 24 years, publicly claimed his prize in March 2019. At the time, he spoke about plans to help his family, buy new homes in the UK and Portugal, and enjoy more travel. He also revealed his wish to support his parents, saying, “They can spend my inheritance now!”
A former student at Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School, Goodchild became a national figure when he appeared at a press conference in Malvern shortly after his win.
In an interview with The Sun later that year, he admitted he played six EuroMillions tickets each week at the same Co-op store where he purchased his lucky ticket. Asked if he regretted going public, he replied, “I am a melter by nature, particularly when it comes to money. I like to melt into the background.”
He added, “But as soon as I won, I knew there was no way I would be able to keep it secret. I thought it was best to identify myself from the outset. Either way, I knew I was going to be happy with my life.”
By the end of 2019, Goodchild had purchased a new home and a silver Range Rover. Since then, however, he has stepped away from the public eye.
Despite his absence, fake social media accounts using his name have appeared online. One widely shared tweet falsely claimed to be from the lottery winner. It promised £1 million to 10 followers who retweeted the message. The post, which began “I never ever thought I would have this kind of money,” was shared over 45,000 times before being identified as a scam.
Ade Goodchild has not made any public statements since, and there is no evidence he is active on social media.
