91Èȱ¬

In its 16 years of existence the National Lottery has created more than 2,500 instant millionaires, but how do you cope with winning more money than you could have ever imagined?

On 22 April Gethin Jones presents Overnight Millionaires on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 5 Live, travelling across the UK to meet a range of lottery winners whose lives have changed overnight.

Gethin first meets Elaine Thompson and her family. Elaine is a funny and warm Geordie who won £2.7 million fifteen years ago on her 17th wedding anniversary.

Elaine and her family's lives have changed significantly since then – their children have trust funds, they live in a big house – but they didn't rush into anything. For two years her husband Derek continued his day job, then the family moved to Dorset and bought a holiday complex taking it from two to five stars in six months, and after that they bought a local restaurant in Lyme Regis selling it after five years.

Gethin meets lottery winners who are doing the sorts of things we would all do if we became millionaires – setting up trust funds for children and paying off their student loans, investing in the business they've always wanted but could never afford, paying off debts and treating friends.

Gethin hears about the spirit of generosity that many of the lottery winners share as well as the extravagances they've allowed themselves, asking can money really buy you happiness?

Elaine Thompson says: "I think if you're happy before the win, then you'll be happy after the win, and if you were miserable before, it doesn't matter how much money you've got in the bank – it's not going to make you happier. Believe me, I've met them."

Gethin also heads to Burnley's Turf Moor where brand new winner, 33-year-old Anthony Young, looks anything but comfortable in front of the media. Overnight he's gone from being a machine operator, struggling to make ends meet and whose contract was coming to an end, to man with £2.3 million in the bank. The programme hears what a bewildering time it is for him.

Anthony says: "Basically my old life ended on Sunday and this is the start of my new life. I've never had anything ever and I can't comprehend it, I really can't. It's a bit of everything, happy, sad, depressed, well, worried… I've been sick – it's like I'm pregnant or something."

Gethin also finds out the weird and wonderful things lottery winners have spent their money on, from new knees to teeth implants.

You can hear Overnight Millionaires at 12noon on Friday 22 April.

NC