Mark Roberts (streaker)
Mark Roberts is a British streaker who has run naked during several international events. A father of three, Roberts' streaking began when he saw a female streaker run naked down a 1993 Rugby Sevens game in Hong Kong. After a bet in a bar, he went naked in front of the crowd himself the next day.
Roberts lives on unemployment benefits and has only ever had one job, which ended in arrest.[1][2]
Roberts has done this, as of 2013, 518 times, targeting such events as Hamilton Race Course, a Mr. Universe contest, a Miss World contest, tennis matches, the bull run in Pamplona, the synchronized swimming world championship in Barcelona, and his specialty, association football matches.[3] Nowadays, he is forced to give out his passport and other important documents before football games, as a way to ensure he will not be streaking at these events.[4]
Arguably his most famous streak was on a live 1995 broadcast of This Morning, where he swam onto Fred Talbot's floating weather map and proceeded to emulate Talbot's trademark leap from Scotland to Ireland.[5]
A 2002 advertisement created by the ad agency Dimension (Spain) for Spanish sportswear company Athletico Bilbao featured Mark Roberts streaking fully clothed during a nude football game.[6] It won a bronze award at the 2003 Cannes Festival.[7]
In January 2003, Roberts flew to San Diego, California, United States, where he planned to streak at the Super Bowl XXXVII. He was unable to get tickets to that game, but succeeded next year on Super Bowl XXXVIII, in Houston, Texas. Just before the start of the second half, he ran onto the field disguised as a referee, undressed, and performed a little dance wearing only a thong. Tackled by members of the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, as well as by police and security, he was taken into custody. In June 2004 he was given a fine of $1000 for trespassing.[8]
Roberts planned on retiring by streaking at the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, but was stopped before he entered the stadium. Later on, in 2007 Roberts ran out on the field of Wembley Stadium during the NFL's first regular season game outside of North America between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. The very next year, Roberts struck again, this time in the final of the World Snooker Championship 2008 between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ali Carter. He did so previously at the same venue in 2004.
In March 2010 Roberts was seen sporting a cat-shaped mask over his genitals at Crufts.[9]
In 2011 the artist Benedikt Dichgans hired Roberts to streak in Tate Britain and at the Turner Prize but it ended in arrest.[10][11] He was also featured in the 2011 Banksy-produced documentary, The Antics Roadshow.
In 2013, he was subject of the Channel 4 documentary 'Streak! The Man Who Can't Keep His Clothes On'. He announced his forthcoming retirement but not before one last streak.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Streaker at posh North art bash revealls all". Sunday Sun. 11 December 2011. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012.
- ↑ www.museumstreak.com
- ↑ Mark Roberts, Professional Streaker, accessed 23 November 2007
- ↑ "FA Cup Final 2001". Mark Roberts. May 2001. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- ↑ "TV streaker Mark Roberts makes nude protest over Sir Fred Goodwin...". Daily Record. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- ↑ "Athletico Bilbao Advertisement 2002". The Streaker. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ↑ "Events, Festivals, Awards › Cannes Lions". Coloribus Advertising Archive. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ↑ Streaker Avoids Jail, Sky News, 22 July 2004
- ↑ "In pictures: Crufts Dog Show". BBC News. 15 March 2010.
- ↑ "Streaker at posh North art bash revealls all". Sunday Sun. 11 December 2011.
- ↑ museumstreak.com
- ↑ Dugan, Emily (10 February 2013). "Mark Roberts: A compulsive streak". The Independent. London.