Omaze Million Pound House Draw: How dad nearly lost out on £2m home because he "fancied a pint" at the pub

Tom Steenson, 63, received a knock at the door telling him he'd scooped the four bed house and £250K in cash. But, he explains in a video (click to play above) that at first he thought about not answering in case the call would “interfere with my trip to the pub''.

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‘Missing that pint made me a millionaire’

Tom, originally from Bolton but now living in Maidstone, did open the door and discovered he'd won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Devon. He said ''missing that pint made me a millionaire - it’s the best pint I’ve never had!”

He is now the proud owner of a contemporary, four-bedroom house near the picturesque coastal town of Exmouth. It comes complete with a heated swimming pool as well as spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding scenery and coastline.

‘It might interfere with my trip to the pub’

Tom, who bought his multi-million-pound winning entry for just £20, as part of his Omaze subscription, was on his way to the pub when Omaze first knocked on his door to tell him he’d scooped a prize.

His wife of 35 years Carole, 58, answered the door. She called Tom to say Omaze were at the door, but he almost didn’t answer as he thought it might “interfere with my trip to the pub!”.

He said: “Obviously I always answer when my wife calls and thank goodness I do! Missing that pint made me a millionaire - it’s the best pint I’ve never had!

“It was just another Friday really. I was off to get a haircut and then planned to go straight to the pub for an end of the week beer with pals, so I was out when Omaze came knocking. My wife answered and was sceptical at first, she initially thought the Omaze team were the police! She was joking, what's he done now!?

‘I always answer when my wife calls’

She called me to say Omaze were at our house, but I very nearly ignored it as I thought it might interfere with my trip to the pub! Obviously, I always answer when my wife calls, and thank goodness I do as it really paid off this time!

“We didn’t know what I’d won at that point, so I asked her if it was the house, and she said I shouldn’t have thought so, neither of us expected it really. I skipped going to the pub and rushed home instead. Missing that pint made me a millionaire, it’s the best pint I’ve never had!

Money raised for mental health

On his connection to CALM he said: “The charity means a lot to me personally, I’ve had issues with my mental health over the years - I was struggling in 2019, it was a really tough time, but support networks like CALM helped me through a really dark time. I can’t believe where I am today, it’s one hell of a turnaround from then to now!

“I’m so happy Omaze has raised so much money for CALM - it’s such an important charity.”

Tom and Carole have lived in their current 2-bedroom house in Maidstone since 2021. They have a son and daughter as well as two grandchildren. They also have a Cocker Spaniel called Dazzle.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM said; “We knew this partnership with Omaze would be game-changing for us, but this is way beyond what we imagined. £3.5 million is an unbelievable, life-saving amount and could mean we’re able to safeguard our suicide prevention helpline for the next 2 years and save so many lives in the process.

''At a time when our services have never been needed more, this money will be vital in ensuring people get the support they need to end their misery, not their lives. So, a massive thank you from everyone at Campaign Against Living Miserably! Every single person who entered the draw has helped us raise this incredible amount."

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Tom has won this special house in Devon, whilst also contributing to the £3.5 million raised for CALM, a charity that means a lot to him.

“Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, like this incredible house in Devon, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn't normally reach – it’s a real win-win for entrants and our charity partners. We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £63 million for good causes across the UK.”

Draw entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw, on the Wirral, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 24th November for online entries and Tuesday 26th November 2024 for postal entries.

Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize Draw each month. Omaze subscribers receive at least four times the number of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.