Lottery sweethearts Colin and Chris Weir have decided to get a divorce after 38 years of marriage. They became the UK’s biggest lottery winners when they scooped a EuroMillions jackpot worth £186 million (€161 million) back in 2011. Now, eight years after their enormous win, the Weirs have decided “with deep regret” that they want to split up.
A formal statement was released on their behalf saying that ‘It is with deep regret that Chris and Colin Weir confirm that they have been living apart for some time and are applying for divorce amicably.”
The Weirs politely asked for discretion during these difficult times and they said that they would issue no further comment on the matter of their separation. Their marriage lasted for 38 years and they have two children together.
Chris and Colin Weir are from Largs, North Ayrshire in Scotland. Colin, aged 71, is a former TV cameraman, and Chirs, 62, is a former psychiatric nurse. Since their EuroMillions win, they have made some notable donations.
They set up The Weir Charitable Trust in 2013 and they made a sizable donation to the Patrick Thistle Football Club, which helped the club to become debt-free. Then they continued to invest in the club and rebranded it as the Thistle Weir Youth Academy. Colin even got a section of the Firhill Stadium named after him.
Then, in 2014, the Weirs donated £3.5 million to the Yes Scotland campaign before the 2014 independence referendum took place. They then continued to support the cause by donating to the SNP.
While the news of their divorce is saddening, Chris and Colin Weir will remain among the most popular EuroMillions winners of all times.