Football-mad Wrexham fan scoops £3M Omaze mansion

A football-mad Wrexham fan plans to live like the team's Hollywood owners - after scooping a £3M Omaze mansion. Richard Baker, 58, won the keys for a spectacular new home in the New Forest for just £25 in the latest draw.

And he said they now feel like "other local celebrities" Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have taken his club from obscurity to the Championship. To celebrate the home win Richard took his 17-year-old daughter straight to a Wrexham football match that evening. He said: "We're normal people with normal jobs - but now we're going to be living like Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney!

"We got a draw at the football, but we'd already won big that day, so I was still more than happy."

The striking four-bedroom home is set in more than an acre of private land, just moments from the coast and the Georgian market town of Lymington. The luxurious property comes complete with its own swimming pool, yoga studio and sauna pod - and is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens, including a vegetable patch.

Richard, who lives with wife Yannick, 54, and daughter Alicia, 17, was also been given a life-changing £500,000 in cash in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, New Forest, comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.

Richard, who won the £3 million Grand Prize for just £25, works as a Process Technologist, while Yannick is a languages school teacher and their daughter is studying for her A-levels.

When Omaze first contacted Richard to tell him he'd scooped a prize, he was at home with his daughter, both were getting ready to go and see their favourite football team, Wrexham A.F.C., play that evening.

He added: "We'd been getting ready to go and see Wrexham play when Omaze called round - I was already hoping for a win that night, but it turned out to be the biggest win of my life - I became a multimillionaire!

"Once the Omaze team had been and gone, my daughter checked her watch and said: 'We can still make the game - let's go and celebrate'."

Richard and his family can now decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

If Richard decides to keep the property, the cash prize would enable them to run the house for many years. If they decide to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the home could command a long-term rental income of around £3,000 per month.

He added: "This is the biggest win in Wrexham since we got promoted to the Championship with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

"I'll be inviting Ryan and Rob round for a cuppa - my new place is certainly fit for Hollywood superstars. "Ryan Reynolds has a house just a few miles from where we live at the moment, and now we have a house that's worth more than his - it all feels very surreal and like something from a Hollywood script."

Commenting on the house itself, Richard said: "This house is absolutely stunning, the garden, the pool, the layout - it's just incredible. "My wife has only done yoga a few times but she'll be an expert in no time now we've got our own studio!"

Eichard's striking new home is a stunning example of contemporary architecture, designed to flood the interiors with natural light and create a generous sense of space throughout. At its heart is a beautifully designed open-plan kitchen, dining and sunken living area - ideal for both entertaining and everyday family life.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing opens onto a landscaped garden, complete with a swimming pool and terrace that create a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living. The home is finished to an exceptional standard, with bespoke interiors and premium appliances throughout - including integrated Gaggenau ovens and hobs, a Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer, Siemens dishwasher and Quooker tap.

There are four spacious bedrooms, two of which are en suite, with a main suite featuring a dressing area and spa-style bathroom. A further family bathroom is located on the first floor, alongside a stylish ground-floor shower room. The house also includes a dedicated cinema room, a separate study and a large utility area.

As well as making Richard a multimillionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, New Forest, raised £1M for Teenage Cancer Trust.

The money raised by the latest partnership will help fund Teenage Cancer Trust Nurses who support around 7,000 young people with cancer every year.

This latest partnership marks Omaze's third campaign with Teenage Cancer Trust - which was also the inaugural charity partner when Omaze launched in the UK in 2020.

James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: "Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Richard has won this spectacular home in the New Forest, whilst also helping to raise £1 million for Teenage Cancer Trust. "Omaze offers people the chance to win incredible homes, 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 £100 million for good causes across the UK."