I won £16k prize in web competition weeks after my wife died & I lost my home – now I can pay off debt & go on holiday

A MAN who lost his wife and their family home in the same year has won a spectacular £16,000 prize in a web competition.

Darren Palmer, 55, said he “can’t believe” his luck after bagging an electric mountain bike worth over £6,000 and £10,000 in cash.

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Deserving winner Darren Palmer scooped the £16,000 prize after a hellish year in 2021[/caption]

The children’s home housekeeper from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, hit the jackpot after entering an online competition with BOTB.

The company runs extraordinary competitions each week to give Brits a chance of scoring a supercar and some money – for less than £1.

After paying just 55p to enter, Darren was thrilled to discover he had scooped the reward after enduring a hellish 12 months.

The 55-year-old tragically lost his wife to Covid last year, before losing his beloved home and racking up thousands of pounds of debt.

But his fortunes finally changed when he won the online competition – and he credits his late spouse for “giving him a bit of good luck”.

Discussing his win, Darren said: “I’ve never won anything in my life.

“I can’t believe it. I’ve only been playing a few weeks.”

He now hopes to pay off his arrears with his windfall – while having a fast and furious mountain bike to play on too.

The dedicated housekeeper continued: “I lost my wife to Covid last year and it’s been a rough time since then.

“I’m sure she’s looking down on me and had something to do with this bit of good luck for me.

“I lost the house when my wife died and so I have some debts to pay, this money will help out with all of that and get us back on our feet.

“I’d also love to go to Florida with my friend who also lost his wife. And, of course, I’ll help the kids out with whatever they need.

“My daughter needs driving lessons and my son has just bought a house so I’ll help them out with that.”

As well as securing £10,000 in cash, Darren was awarded a stunning Greyp G6.2 electric mountain bike.

It boasts a range of hi-tech features including a built-in anti-theft system plus front and rear HD cameras.

The firm behind the competition, BOHB, were “delighted” to hand over the prizes to someone as deserving as Darren.

Sean Hall, who informed the grandad of his big win, said: “It sounds like Darren has had a really tough time recently so I was delighted to give him some good news.

“He’s played for a fantastic prize and I’m super excited for him.”

The company give players the chance to gain the keys to a string of motors each week.

They also run a competition for the Midweek Lifestyle prize, where winners can bag luxury holidays, quad bikes and up to £25,000 in cash.

BOTB has given away more than £48m worth of cars since it was founded in 1999.