Retired fireman wins £120k BMW X5 prize with BOTB

Graham Owen could not believe his luck, after such a rubbish day the day beforeplaceholder image
Graham Owen could not believe his luck, after such a rubbish day the day before | BOTB

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A fire service veteran has won a BMW X5 and cash bundle worth nearly £120,000 in a surprise BOTB doorstep reveal.

A retired fireman has won a brand-new BMW and a cash prize worth nearly £120,000 in a spot the ball game.

Graham Owen, from Cheltenham, won the £78,000 BMW X5 xDrive30d M-Sport and a bundle of tax-free cash in the online competition.

The 61-year-old, who served in the Army for more than seven years before joining the fire service in 1990, previously worked as an operational firefighter before retiring. He now supports the service by maintaining specialist equipment.

Graham was eating a sandwich at home when BOTB presenter Christian Williams arrived on his doorstep to deliver the life-changing prizes.

And it follows a tough six months for the family because the prize was delivered just 24 hours after Graham and his wife attended a service remembering the life of a loved one.

Graham has always been a fan of BMWsplaceholder image
Graham has always been a fan of BMWs | BOTB

Led down his street, Graham found the luxury SUV parked up and gleaming – complete with the £40,000 cash prize hidden inside.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s a real pinch-me moment. You enter with hope, but you never expect it to actually happen. This has made my whole weekend.

“I’ve seen some of the videos of other people winning, and it just didn’t click what I had won when I saw Christian. I know people win these things, but I’ve never been so lucky until now.”

Graham admitted he has always dreamed of owning an Aston Martin DBX but could never justify the running costs, making the BMW X5 a perfect and far more realistic dream car.

When asked about the cash, Graham said he plans to use the money to enjoy a series of short breaks in the new car, including touring Scotland and enjoying a long weekend in Padstow in Cornwall, as well as treating his wife.

He says the cash prize will pay for some much-needed treatsplaceholder image
He says the cash prize will pay for some much-needed treats | BOTB

Christian said: “After a really difficult day remembering a loved one, being able to surprise Graham with this prize 24 hours later and put a smile on his face was fantastic.

“The X5 is gorgeous inside, really refined, and is a wicked car to drive.”

Fellow presenter Katie Knight added: “Once it sank in, you could see just how much this meant to Graham. The X5 suits him perfectly, and we loved being part of his special moment.”

BOTB gives away dream cars every week, and one of the latest prizes on offer is a BMW M5 Competition worth £60,000, with tickets costing just 8p.

The biggest prize being given away, though, is a luxury four-bedroom townhouse in Bath worth £1.15 million - tickets are just £1

To find out more or to see the other competitions, click here.

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