Meet Agent Million… The woman who tells Premium Bond holders they’ve won the jackpot!

Anyone who owns Premium Bonds knows that one of the greatest thrills is the sense of anticipation that precedes each monthly prize draw.

Will you win €25, €100 or even €1,000?

To do this, enter your holder number in National Savings & Investments price checkercheck your online account, wait for a prize to be deposited into your bank account or a letter in the mail.

But what happens when you hit the coveted £1 million jackpot?

The two lucky bondholders who take home the month’s top prize find out in a very different way: they are visited by an NS&I employee known as ‘Agent Million’.

So who is Agent Million? And what does their work look like? Money Mail was rarely allowed to speak to an undercover agent to find out…

Who is Agent Million?

There are only five Agents Million employed by NS&I. Each is hand-picked from members of the existing staff.

NS&I says they should be friendly and approachable, but also able to blend into the background.

This is because no one can know about their secret job. That includes their friends, families – and even their co-workers.

NS&I’s fear is that if the identities of the Agents Million were known, they could be seen making their way to the winners’ homes, making it obvious that someone just got rich.

The Agent Million speaking to Money Mail has been with NS&I for over 20 years and has been fulfilling her very special role for six years.

When she’s not delivering the good news, she works in the call center and pricing department.

There is no set time an employee must have been with NS&I to get the job, and the Agents Million is drawn from a variety of age groups.

“Life experience and knowing how to react in the situations you find yourself in are absolutely essential,” says our anonymous Agent Million. “These features don’t come up very often.”

Bringing the best news

Before leaving, Agent Million gets the new millionaire’s details and studies an online map to get an idea of ​​the area she will be visiting.

It is important that she does not stand out from the crowd, so she wears inconspicuous clothes and always parks on a nearby street and walks to the door.

That way, vibrating neighbors have less reason to suspect something.

Nothing stops Agent Million from delivering her message, even kids celebrating Halloween.

She says, “I was visiting last November’s jackpot winner and I have never seen so many witches and zombies walking the streets. The house was completely dark and they asked if it was trick or treating – which I couldn’t really answer!’

Agent Million always carries identification. She will knock on the door, say she is from NS&I and ask to speak to the holder of the bond.

She needs to see ID to make sure she talks to the winner before breaking the news.

“A gentleman answered the door on a Sunday afternoon and when I asked to speak to whomever I needed, he closed the door in my face,” she says. “When I didn’t leave he said, ‘Unless you come and tell us we’ve won £1 million, you can leave.’ I still wasn’t moving, so they invited me in.’

Last year, Agent Million failed to visit the first jackpot winner from the Scottish Highlands. “It was in the middle of nowhere,” she says.

“My phone signal started to falter and I was off-grid for about four hours. I hadn’t booked anywhere to stay and the next thing I knew the winner was looking for a hotel for me on the internet.’

Her keywords of advice

After hearing they’ve won £1 million, most people jump across the room wanting to call their families.

But the first thing Agent Million advises is not to tell anyone. It’s up to individuals, but telling family can cause jealousy and complicate relationships, so winners are advised to think about it.

Agent Million says, “One time a jackpot winner got so excited I had to stand in front of them to stop them running out the front door and broadcasting their winnings to the whole street.”

In the excitement, some people forget how to perform even the most basic of tasks.

“I had to make someone a cup of tea while they were standing in their kitchen and they forgot where everything was,” she says.

Others react more calmly. “I once managed to catch a winner at home alone, even though she was married and had a large family,” she says.

“She said she wouldn’t even tell her husband at first because she just wanted to keep it to herself for a few days and dream about what she could do with it.”

No giant novelty check

The new millionaire is given the choice of having the money deposited into his bank account or into an NS&I Direct Saver account. The Direct Saver has a limit of £2 million and customers can withdraw amounts without penalty.

Three out of four people choose the savings account, according to Agent Million, because it is a safe place while they are engaged in being a millionaire.

The bondholder will receive a letter confirming their winnings, a list of financial advisors and a direct telephone number for the NS&I team.

Winners have an average of £23,345, but 12 people with £1,000 and less in bonds have hit the jackpot since 1994.

According to Agent Million, all jackpot winners generally have in common that they all want to help someone else.

She says, “I once had a gentleman who just had some life-changing news. It was such a comfort to him to be able to provide for his family. He kept touching my hand to make sure I was real.’

t.armstrong@dailymail.co.uk