Nuala Carey has taken a moment to reflect on more than two decades presenting the National Lottery draws as the show prepares to move to a brand new format.
The beloved presenter shared a heartfelt message on Instagram as the Lotto bid farewell to their long-standing home in RTÉ’s Montrose studios.
“Where do I start?” she wrote. “After over 20 years in vision, presenting my beloved ‘Lotto’ (after being booked for just a single draw!). I’ve had a ball – excuse the pun! – making dreams come true.”
Over the years, Nuala became a familiar face to viewers across the country as she presented the weekly draws and travelled nationwide for special outside broadcasts celebrating big wins and milestones.
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One particularly memorable moment came in 2017 when she marked 30 years of the National Lottery alongside then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Another highlight followed in 2022 when she travelled to Castlebar after the town sold the highest ever jackpot-winning ticket.
Nuala also fondly remembered sharing the screen with her mum Ann during a Mother’s Day campaign encouraging people to pick up scratch cards.
“Thank you to everybody over the years who chatted to me about their dreams to win the Lotto,” she wrote, adding a special thanks to the teams at the National Lottery and RTÉ.
She also shared a photo of the RTÉ crew taken during the final draw broadcast from Montrose on Saturday, March 7.
While the move marks the end of an era, the Lotto draws are set to return in a new format from National Lottery headquarters.
The programme will now air just before the 9pm News on RTÉ One on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
And there’s good news for fans of Nuala as she confirmed she will still be part of the team as the show enters its next chapter.
