Mr Machin, who works as a steeplejack, said he had been playing the Health Lottery since it began but he initially dismissed his winning email alert as spam. It wasn’t until the following day that the realisation set in that they might actually be the lucky winners.
Mark’s wife Nicky, a call centre worker, said, "He just kept reading it and checking it again and again."
When asked what it was like to land such a huge sum she joked, "We were just trying not to think about it” and her husband added, "it didn't really sink in until the money was in the bank."
The couple say they plan to spend the winnings wisely and are keen to pay off a chunk of their mortgage. Along with the money given to their children they are also planning their first holiday overseas in a long time, with Tenerife the preferred destination.
Mrs Machin said, "It's not life changing in terms of packing in our jobs and living a jet-setting lifestyle. But it will make life a lot easier.
"We've always struggled, with raising six kids. We've constantly been robbing Peter to pay Paul. But now we can start with a clean slate."
Mimi Turner, director of sales and marketing at The Health Lottery, said, "I am so happy for Mark and Nicky and I hope they have a fantastic family holiday with all their children.
"It is always lovely to hear how life-changing winning our jackpot can be, and how much happiness it brings. Every Health Lottery ticket sold helps to raise money for a British charity, so communities up and down the country are winners too. "We've helped to raise more than £53 million pounds for good causes already, and players have won over £82 million pounds."