The Camelot press release said that when, three weeks late, north Belfast woman Mrs Iris Jeffrey discovered she was a millionaire 20 times over she said, "Ooh I've won, that's nice."
"That's nice," seemed rather understated and not the sort of phrase to stir the interest of journalists, us hacks muttered as we waited to meet the wonderful and dignified woman and her family at the Culloden Hotel in Belfast yesterday.
But no, "that's nice" is exactly what 58-year-old Iris said when she realised she was the winner of the biggest British National Lottery prize worth £20,100,472. In fact, as she admitted, she is lucky she didn't throw out her winning ticket. She only discovered that her lucky dip numbers scooped the jackpot when she noticed a UTV item on the Wednesday evening news.
Iris and her husband, Robert are the most level-headed couple you could meet. How did she celebrate, we asked, looking for a lively quote. "I had a glass of milk and went to bed," she said.
Iris has cancer of the gullet, diagnosed in April. She is undergoing chemotherapy and if that goes well will face major surgery to try to arrest the cancer. She is confronting her illness with the same strength, composure and gentle humour that she employed responding to her win.
She was accompanied by her daughters, Wendy (32) and Karen (28) who is expecting a baby in eight days' time. They held her hands during the press conference, while their father remained in the background.
You could tell from Iris that the birth of her first grandchild will mean more than her new millions. Iris will use the money to help her family and friends and make her immediate family secure for life. She has a simple philosophy. "I want to make other people happy, and if they are happy, then I am happy."
