The winning number for Spain's Christmas lottery jackpot was finally selected more than four hours after the draw began.
This made it the most delayed announcement in the event's 260-year history.
Crowds in the audience of Madrid's Royal Theatre were sent into a frenzy on announcement of the top prize known as "El Gordo", meaning 'The Fat One', which rewards many winners across the country as the same number is sold multiple times.
The standard ticket, called "decimo" (tenth), costs €20 and can come with a top prize of €400,000 for each winning ticket holder, before taxes.
This year's jackpot went to ticket number 88008.
On average, each Spaniard spends €70 on Christmas lottery tickets.
The draw which dates back to 1812 captures the attention of most of the country every 22 December when the children of San Ildefonso school call out the winning numbers.
This year, the total prize pot is €2.59 billion, slightly more than last year's €2.52 billion.
