Horsham dad wins £21,000 sportscar

Dad-of-two Paul Thorpe bagged himself an Abarth 595 Competizione worth a whopping £21,000 thanks to dream car competition, BOTB.

Plumber Paul, who was surprised with his new speedster by BOTB presenter Christian Williams, couldn’t believe his luck.

He said: “I never thought I’d win at all, and here it is!”

And the win wasn’t the first in the Thorpe household this week, with Paul’s daughter Evie, 11, also winning an online competition to interview one of her idols – TV SuperVet star Noel Fitzpatrick.

Paul added: “I don’t know who I’m more pleased for,

“It’s all come at once and I’ve not stopped smiling since we got the news.”

Paul’s family were tasked with keeping the surprise hidden from him, which he said they’d managed to do a great job of.

He said: “I couldn’t believe that Daniel and Evie kept it under wraps - usually they’re crawling up the walls! I’m very impressed,”

The win was a pleasant surprise for Paul, who had only been entering the competition for nine months.

He added: “I used to see the BOTB stands at the airports and one day I decided to have a go, I really didn’t expect to be winning anything!”

The surprise certainly left the neighbours scratching their heads, including Paul’s neighbour and good friend Mark, who was very confused to see the BOTB banners outside his home.

Paul laughed: “He was peering out of the window in his pyjamas.

“I asked him to keep it a secret as I’m planning a surprise of my own for my other friends and family members!”

No stranger to the surprise, Christian said he was thrilled to give the Thorpe family one more reason to celebrate.

Christian said: “One of the best feelings is surprising a new winner every week and making their dreams come true.

“I’m so glad we got to meet Paul and his family - I bet they can’t wait to go for a spin!”