Chef served up mouthwatering dream car and cash prize bundle
A Bridlington chef got more than he bargained for while prepping lunch when a sizzling surprise rolled into his workday.
Mark Wright won a Ford Ranger Raptor worth £62,000, alongside a £20,000 cash prize, just a few days after what would have been his late wife’s 56th birthday.
The 56-year-old, who has worked at the same hotel for 34 years, bagged the prize in BOTB’s weekly Dream Car Competition and was in the middle of his shift when presenter Christian Williams arrived to deliver the incredible news.
Asking Mark to step outside the hotel, a business owned by his late wife and his brother-in-law, Christian revealed the brand-new vehicle waiting for him.
“I’m ecstatic and want to cry,” Mark said. “My stomach is like a washing machine. I’ve never won anything like this before in my life.”
Mark explained he had faced a couple of tough years after his wife died suddenly about two-and-a-half years ago.
“You don’t understand what this means to me. My wife would have been 56 on Saturday, and it feels like she’s sent me a present. It’s just amazing.”
Mark plans to use the cash to take his grandchildren, aged two and four, to Florida when they’re older.
Reflecting on his win 24 hours after the surprise reveal, Mark said: “It’s still sinking in. I didn’t really sleep last night as I was just trying to come to terms with it all. It’s an absolute honour to have won, and I’m over the moon.
“I’ve had so many lovely messages from friends and family as well.”
Christian said: “Surprising Mark with such an amazing prize was absolutely brilliant. He was in full work mode, so to pull him away and show him what he’d won made it even more special.
“Hearing Mark talk about what he’s been through made this win even more meaningful. You could see how much it meant to him. Not just the car or the money, but the moment itself."