Shock £2.2m lotto win saved my family from ruin…but came with a heartbreaking twist, reveals Married at First Sight star
MARILYSE Corrigan has revealed a £2.2m Lotto win saved her family from bankruptcy – after her dad lost millions he made from a booming club business.
The Married at First Sight star grew up with tales of dad James taking Dame Shirley Bassey to a chippie and driving Eartha Kitt to market in one of his two Rolls Royces while Lulu mowed his lawn.
Hull-born James Corrigan, who was from a fairground travelling family, built up a multi-million pound fortune running Batley Variety Club with first wife Betty, bringing the world’s best entertainers to the sooty Yorkshire mill town between 1967 and 1978.
But he lost his fortune through artists demanding massive fees and huge tax bills, going bankrupt as his tempestuous first marriage crumbled.
After struggling throughout the lives of his four kids, a twist of fate saw him become a millionaire again with the Lotto win – as he lay dying from a terminal illness.
Now Marilyse has revealed the incredible rollercoaster life of her impresario dad – as a blue plaque in his name is unveiled at the building which used to house the club.
Marilyse, 40, of East Yorkshire, recalls: “Dad would regale us with tales of his old life. He was never bitter about losing the wealth he’d accumulated.
“He’d tell us, ‘Don’t expect to get back what you give to people.’
“We lived in rented houses, never went on holiday, wore hand-me-down clothes and lived hand to mouth as Dad sold antique coins in York market.
“We knew he’d been wealthy and famous but it was before our time. It’s only now I really appreciate what a creative genius he was.”
Rolls Royces and luxury life
It was all a far cry from the glittering showbiz days of the club’s heyday.
Opened through profits made from running bingo halls, the deluxe venue had 300,000 members and and was known as the “Las Vegas of the North”.
James and booking agent Bernard Hinchcliffe travelled to the US to bring over showbiz’s biggest named and the venue hosted appearances by Neil Sedaka and Louis Armstrong, as well as home grown legends Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison and Morecambe and Wise.
Many of the A-list stars stayed at the couple’s luxury bungalow and were chauffeured about in one of James’s two Rolls Royces.
James paid stars well – Bassey and Armstrong earned £27,000 a week in the 60s, the equivalent of £500,000 today.
But the move backfired after James revealed this figure to the press and later admitted it was a mistake which led other agents to think “Batley had very deep pockets”- with more artists, including Cilla Black, asking for “what Satchmo got.”
But the final nail in the coffin was the crumbling of James’ marriage to Betty, which grew more volatile under pressure and descended into blazing rows.
We lived in rented houses, never went on holiday, wore hand-me-down clothes and lived hand to mouth as Dad sold antique coins in York market.
Marilyse Corrigan
Referring to the club that made his fortune, James told a friend: “I’ve created a monster.”
After one bitter bust-up, the police were called and James agreed to be bound over to keep the peace at the magistrates court the next day.
Sick of the fighting, he handed Betty the keys to the club and walked away from her and the cash cow empire they had created together.
The club was closed in 1978 and James was left bankrupt.
Broke but happy
James found happiness again in 1979, when he tied the knot with ex-model Elaine Dovey, 23 years his junior.
Although still bankrupt, he was content and loved being a dad to their four children in his 50s.
Sadly though, financial stresses put a strain on the relationship and, eventually, led to an amicable divorce.
Marilyse says: “We saw Dad a lot, he was so encouraging and creative. ‘Life’s not a dress rehearsal, you can do anything you want,’ he’d tell us.”
In 1999, James, now in a York bedsit, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
One weekend in May, he sent his oldest daughter, Annalise, to buy some Lotto lucky dips.
In a twist you could not make up, that weekend James won £2.2 million on the Lotto.
Knowing his time was limited, the devoted dad gave the ticket to Elaine and told her to claim the winnings but look after him.
“And that’s what Mum did – buying a spacious family home for us while Dad was in a cottage a few hundred yards away,” says mum-of-two Marilyse.
“As he was dying, Dad told us: ‘Reach for the stars and if you accidentally catch the moon, that’s wonderful. Go and have a good life, don’t be sad about me – I’ve had a good life’,” she says.
“I’m so proud of him.”
UK's biggest lottery winners
By Ethan Singh
- Anonymous winner – £195,707,000
A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite – £184,262,899.10
Britain’s previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.
The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children’s ponies.
Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.
As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.
- Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000
Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.
They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.
But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.
He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.
He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.
- Adrian and Gillian Brayford – £148,600,000
Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.
But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.
The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.
After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.
She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.
It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly – £114,969,775
Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.
They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.
She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
- Richard and Debbie Nuttall – £61,000,000
The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.
Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.
Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.
Other eye-watering anonymous winners:
- 2019 – £123million
Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.
- 2021 – £122million
Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.
The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.
- 2018 – £121million
Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.
James passed away in December 2000 aged 74, dying as he lived – a millionaire.
“Money isn’t everything” he often told his children – and he knew better than most.
This week, proud daughter Marilyse stood beside comedian Billy Pearce as a blue plaque was unveiled to James at the former club, now a gym.
Calling James the “man who put Batley on the map”, she posted pictures on her Instagram and added: “Well done to my Dad. All of your 4 children are so proud of you and all you achieved throughout your life.”