A hairdresser and his wife who won almost £5million on the National Lottery are splitting after he met another woman.
Barry Chuwen and partner Jenny are going their separate ways after he admitted “developing a relationship” with someone he met through work.
The pair collected a cheque for £4.6 million in 1997, becoming two of Scotland’s biggest ever winners.
Barry, who was 27 at the time, gifted his Glasgow city centre salon to his staff and embarked on a career as a property investor and estate agent.
However, the credit crunch of 2008 decimated his £30 million empire.
And the Sunday Mail revealed last month that charity regulators were examining the finances of The Teddy Bear Foundation - a charity set up by the couple aimed at helping children with special needs.
Chuwen, 52, said: ”We are doing everything we can to co-operate with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
“Discussions over this have caused a great deal of stress for Jenny and I, on top of pressures related to business and a protracted period of ill health.
“I also acknowledge that during this difficult time in our lives, I developed a relationship with someone who I met through work.
“I have apologised to Jenny and our children and hope to continue to be a loving father to them as they grow up.”
Barry and Jenny, 54, are parents to son Harvey, 15, and daughters Kelly, 17 and 21-year-old Lois.
The split forces the sale of their plush villa, one of the most-admired properties in Glasgow’s south side.
Sitting in substantial manicured grounds in the Whitecraigs area of East Renfrewshire, the detached five-bedroom property offers stunning views across the city.
The house is being marketed by Mr Chuwen’s own estate agency, MQ Estate Agents and Lettings Ltd, at offers over £1.75 million.
He once told friends that he vowed to buy it as soon as he saw it, during an early morning stroll with Jenny more than 20 years ago.
One friend said:”Everyone thinks winning the lottery is a guarantee of happiness but many winners know to their cost that it’s not always plain sailing.
“Barry and Jenny have enjoyed the good times but, just like everyone else, problems can emerge that prove insurmountable.
“They have a lovely family and have helped lots of people along the way but, unfortunately, this is one challenge they have not been able to overcome.”
Barry and Jenny are sole trustees of The Teddy Bear Foundation.
The organisation has funded hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of trips to the panto, specialist playground equipment for special needs schools and even an outing to the 2012 Olympics.
In 2008, the charity stepped in financially to help the family of a young Canadian girl with a brain tumour, who fell ill during a holiday to Scotland.
However an investigation was launched last year into payments made by the charity to a company connected to one of its trustees.
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