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'I won 11.5m but immediately had to flee council estate after realising dark side of win'

Kelly Dighton was living on a council estate when she suddnely became a multi-millionaire from betting on a phone app and despite declaring that the money bought happiness, there was a dark side

[Kelly Dighton]

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Kelly Dighton has spoken about the life-changing win (Image: Tea At Four/YouTube)

A mum who won 11.5million from a 1.50 bet alongside her ex-partner revealed that it led to dark consequences.

Arron Freeman and Kelly Dighton were awarded Betfreds biggest ever payout last year after playing the online slot game Mega Moolah but they have since broken up and split the money 50/50.

And Kelly, whose social media tagline is from council estate to multi-millionaire, has now opened up about how her life changed in an instant.

The mum-of-three, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, told the Tea At Four podcast: When you win that kind of money, you are in a bubble. I had death threats, people saying they were going to kidnap me to my partner. So we just had to get in a car and go.

Despite getting her hands on the prize last June, she added: I still feel numb now. I still dont think its real until I open my eyes and I check my bank.

[Kelly Dighton and Arron Freeman]

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Kelly Dighton and her former partner Arron Freeman who she was engaged to

I check my bank every day and Im like, Is it a dream? I still feel like someones going to wake me up.

Just four months before the win, Kelly was high on drugs when she crashed into an off-duty police officers car.

She pleaded guilty to drug driving, driving without insurance and driving while banned.

Her 17-week prison sentence was suspended for 18 months and she now raises awareness about her recovery on TikTok where she speaks honestly about her drug addiction.

She is now sober and after hitting the jackpot her first big purchase was to buy her cousin, who she described as being like her own daughter, a home worth 425,000.

And asked if she had to cut anyone out of her life, she said: You find out who your real friends are. I mean, I get begging letters every day. Theres only so many people you can help.

[Kelly Dighton ]

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Kelly Dighton

The mum went on to say: People stoop real low, like I think Ive got a brain tumour.

One of my friends said to me, Ive got to have scans on a brain tumour. Can you lend me some money? And then it wasnt true. Its not true. Why would you do that?

As for another ridiculous request, she later added: Someone messaged me on Facebook saying, Me and my partner have retired, but we really want to live in Spain and open a dog shelter will you please give us 50,000 to move to Spain and open a dog shelter?

Kelly has dreamed about being rich since she was 10-years-old when she would tell her parents she would become a millionaire one day.

However, she has not been extravagant with her cash. She said her kids were the most important thing in her life, and being able to set them up for the future was all that mattered.

[Kelly Dighton ]

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The mum has been generous with her money

She has also been generous with her windfall gifting both her mum and her sister 325,000 which is the highest amount she could give without being taxed.

Kelly also bought a van with a ramp for her friend so she could take her disabled child, who is three and cant walk, for days out.

And speaking about her love life meanwhile, and how she navigates relationships, she said: Ill be single for a long time. And then, who do I trust? I couldnt even trust my best friend, who can I trust?

[Kelly Dighton ]

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She spoke on the Tea At Four podcast (Image: Tea At Four/YouTube)

Kelly also insisted that money does in fact buy happiness because it leads to no worries.

She said years ago her children would want things their friends had and she was unable to provide it, something which impacted her happiness.

But as for now, she concluded: If I can give them what they need, I can live in a comfortable house and Ive got no money worries, of course Im going to be happy.

I could jet off to Spain, Jamaica. Like, when people say that dont buy happiness, that does.

It dont buy love, and it dont buy health, but it definitely buys happiness.

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