Lotto winner's on air fall sparks safety review

The organisers of Lotto say they will review safety on the set of their Saturday night television show after a Whangarei grandmother called Janice took a tumble while spinning the wheel to win $200,000.

As the wheel slowed almost to a halt, it looked like it would stop on the $1 million prize mark but it wound over to the $200,000 instead.

Janice appeared to be startled and lost her footing when a shower of glitter fell from the ceiling.

She fell on to her side but was soon talking to an anxious friend who had accompanied her to Wellington.

Lotto spokeswoman Karen Jones said Janice was examined by a doctor and had not fainted.

"She is all fine and just wants to retire from the limelight now.

"She feels her fall was a combination of factors - it started when it looked like she was going to spin up the big prize - and she became overwhelmed and stepped back, lost her balance and then the glitter cannon went off."

Janice, who told Lotto organisers she did not want her surname revealed, was widowed 26 years ago. She is retired and has two adult children and four grandchildren.

The spokeswoman said spin-the- wheel contestants were always warned about the cannon and the sudden loud noise but a few still became startled. Use of the cannon had been suspended in further shows as an immediate response.

Lotto would hold a full review of the incident this week with the help of Janice.