Reality TV star Hughie Maughan reveals he won €10k on scratch card and plans to buy horse

The Big Brother runner-up is over the moon during a bittersweet week as he won the cash pile having just failed his driving test.

“My sister bought me the scratch card in Coolock and I couldn’t believe it when I scratched it and there were three €10,000 signs,” an excited Hughie (27) tells the Sunday World.

The young traveller, who was also a sensation on RTÉ’s Dancing With The Stars, now plans to put the money towards buying either a pony or horse.

“I want a horse as it’s in my traveling roots to have animals,” he explains.

“”I’ve never owned a horse and I want one now. I live on my own again and I live in a halting site, so there is room for a horse in my garden and stable.

“I’d like to raise up either a horse or a pony.”

But while he’s celebrating his winnings, he’s also rueing failing his driving test just hours earlier, having first applied for it in July 2020.

“I don’t actually like driving but want to be able to do it,” he adds.

“So, after 10 years I decided to take my driving test to be able to legally drive and I can’t believe it, I actually failed it. I thought I was completely ready, but I made two mistakes and one is instant fail.”

He will now redo the test in a fortnight’s time.

“At least I know for next time. I actually hate tests with a passion,” he complains.

Single Hughie also discloses he plans to have no more plastic surgery.

"I wanted a better hairline and I got a hair transplant in October," he confirms. "I've had lipo twice, I've had my bum made bigger, I've had my teeth done. All of those things I was never massively insecure about.”

Hughie, who hails from Ballymun in Dublin, also recently appeared for a second time on First Dates.

His appearance with Scottish hairdresser Paul Smith on the TV show last year led to a war of words between the couple.

Paul accused Hughie (27) of being "too short, camp, fake-looking and an attention seeker" while Hughie branded Paul "a plank" who had "the personality of a doorknob, one of the rudest people I've ever met and not as good looking as me".

He said of his second time around: "I was paired this time around with a very nice English guy called Jason. It was a big difference to the guy I was paired with the last time. It was a really nice experience, because the last experience was horrific.

"I think I was so heartbroken around that time that I didn't realise how bad it was until afterwards. It was a really good experience the second time around."

He tells us now: “I’d love to meet someone now as I’m nearly 28 and getting older.”

Hughie was previously in a relationship with Englishman Ryan Ruckledge, who he met when they both appeared on Big Brother in 2016.

The Dubliner finished second, having survived 48 days in the house.

Initially, Hughie’s dad Hughie snr was worried about his son – who only told his family he was bisexual after he left for England to take part in the then Channel 5 show and broadcast in Ireland on then TV3 (now Virgin Media).

When Hughie came out of the house he told his family he is actually gay.

Hughie also recently started an Only Fans account, which is a platform used to share explicit photos for subscribers.

He also famously entered Dancing With The Stars in 2017, when his fake tan caused his skin to go orange. He lasted just one episode.