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VIDEO: 7ft 7in 'giant' promotes lottery jackpot
Europe's tallest living man turned heads in Leeds City Bus Station after urging locals to reach for the skies in bidding for an £85m Euro jackpot.
Neil Fingleton, 28, of Durham, towered above commuters at a staggering 7ft 7in and caught the eye of 80-year-old shopper Honora O'Callaghan.
The pensioner joined Neil in buying a ticket at Arden News for this Friday's EuroMillions Mega Jackpot which is an estimated 85m.
Honora, from Bradford, told the YEP: "I come to Leeds every day for my shopping and my fish and chips! I couldn't believe it when I saw Neil – he's lovely! I wish he was mine! If I won I would go back home (to Cork) and buy a house by the seaside. I will be buying a ticket now – he's made my day!"
If a single UK ticket holder scoops the jackpot they will become the UK's biggest ever lottery winner – eclipsing Glasgow postal administrator Angela Kelly's 35.4m EuroMillions jackpot win in August 2006.
Neil, who is just over 1 million tall in 50 notes stacked up, said: "If I win, not only will I be the biggest man in Europe but I will become the UK's biggest lottery winner too!
"I've just put two tickets on and I pray to god I win! If I did I'd have a holiday.
"I'm proud of my height and it has its disadvantages but it has more advantages. I'm very proud and it's nice to be here today."
Scores of commuters and shoppers were milling around the bus station all intrigued to meet Europe's tallest man.
Neil said: "People are just astonished, they've probably never seen anyone like me before so they stand and stare, it's just part of it."
But he believes it will help promote the big jackpot, as he said: "If somebody reads it in the paper and remembers that they've seen me down here today they will put two and two together because I'm kind of a hard person to forget."
A National Lottery spokesperson said: "This fantastic EuroMillions Mega Jackpot could break records. With 85m to play with, you could share your wealth around all your friends and family, and still have plenty left to change your life beyond your wildest dreams.
"Huge jackpots like these really capture the imagination of players but don't forget that in addition to the chance to scoop a life-changing sum, more people playing EuroMillions means more money raised for Good Causes all over the UK."
Zhao Liang is a circus performer in China. In April, doctors measured his height at 2.46m (8 ft 1in). If confirmed, this would make him the tallest living person, replacing current record holder Bao Xishun, measured by the Guinness World Records as 2.36 m (7ft 9ins).
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Friday 25 May 2012
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