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 has done this, as of 2011, almost 500 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. Nowadays, he is forced to give out his passport and other important documents before football games, as a way to ensure he won't be streaking at these events.
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.
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.
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, Mark 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 Mark was seen sporting a cat-shaped mask over his privates at Crufts.
In 2011 the artist Benedikt Dichgans hired Mark Roberts to streak in Tate Britain and at the Turner Prize.
Famous quotes containing the words mark and/or roberts:
“Now mark me how I will undo myself.
I give this heavy weight from off my head,
And this unwieldy sceptre from my hand,
The pride of kingly sway from out my heart.
With mine own tears I wash away my balm,
With mine own hands I give away my crown.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The fetish of the great university, of expensive colleges for young women, is too often simply a fetish. It is not based on a genuine desire for learning. Education today need not be sought at any great distance. It is largely compounded of two things, of a certain snobbishness on the part of parents, and of escape from home on the part of youth. And to those who must earn quickly it is often sheer waste of time. Very few colleges prepare their students for any special work.”
—Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958)