'I'll never stop': Prolific streaker has stripped-off at 568 events

'I'll never stop': Prolific streaker has stripped-off at 568 events

By Tom Gillespie, news reporter

A prolific streaker who claims to have stripped-off at more than 560 events around the world has said he has no plans to stop.

Mark Roberts, 53, has been a "performance artist" for more than 25 years despite his children begging him to "pack it in" when they were teenagers.

The father-of-three, who lives in Sefton Park, Liverpool, has streaked at major sporting events including the Super Bowl, the Olympics, a UEFA Champions League final and Usain Bolt's last 100-metre race.

The trouser-dropping pitch-invader has also stripped-off at the dog show Crufts, the 2011 Turner Prize, and the Cannes Film Festival.


Mr Roberts, who claims to have streaked 568 times across 24 countries, says only 25 of them have led to an arrest.

Image: David Beckham smiles as Mark Roberts streaks during an 'El Clasico' match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain in 2005

The skin-baring sports-lover, who works as a painter and decorator, insists that he is a "true entertainer" who likes to "create something visual for people to laugh at".

When he stepped onto the ice in a break during the curling final at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Mr Roberts was clutching a mop, had clothes pegs in ears, and a rubber chicken over his "nether regions".

He told Sky News: "I pretended to brush the ice and the crowd went nuts.

"All the skaters were laughing their heads off.

"I like to make a performance out of it - I don't just run on naked and wave."

Image: Mr Roberts is escorted away after entering the course during a break in the curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino

Mr Roberts added that the Italian police said they wouldn't charge him if he agreed to leave the country immediately.

The exhibitionist says he only ever streaks during breaks in the action, and never interrupts play out of respect for the athletes.

He said: "People have trained for years to reach these finals, and I fully appreciate that.

"I'm not out there to scupper their chances or take anything away from them."

Mr Roberts' first streak was at the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in 1993.

Image: The streaker is chased by security at the Crufts dog show in 2010

He said: "It was the most liberating experience of my life.

"I felt euphoria from running naked in front of 65,000 people and knowing I had the bottle to do it.

"The reaction from the crowd will live me forever.

"That's why I'm still doing it after 25 years."

Mr Roberts, who has been engaged for four years, said his fiancee Suzi knew what she was getting into before she agreed to marry him.

It took his grown-up children a little longer to accept their's father's unconventional pastime.

Image: Mr Roberts jumps over the net during a break in the men's single final between David Nalbandian and Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2002

Mr Roberts said: "When they were teenagers they would see me on the telly and stuff, and they were saying 'dad pack it in'.

"They would say 'all my mates see it on TV'.

"I would say 'well what do they think?'.

"My kids would simply reply - 'they love it'."

Mr Roberts adds that his daughters, aged 30 and 21, and his son, aged 25, have since become "accustomed" to his streaking.

He continued: "Now they're older they love it.

"They know exactly what it's about, it's just a bit of a fun."

Image: Mr Roberts hopped onto the showjumping course during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

Mr Roberts says he used to streak with his genitals exposed but now covers them up because the world is "less accepting".

The events he has bared his skin at include the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona in 1993, the World Snooker Championships final in 2004, and the Ryder Cup in 2010.

Mr Roberts said none of his previous relationships have suffered because of his unusual hobby, and added if anything they had been "enhanced".

After he had a few successful streaks under his belt he found himself attracting sponsorship deals.

The online gambling form Golden Palace paid him to streak at UEFA Cup Final in Seville in 2003 and the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2006.

Mr Roberts didn't want to to reveal how much he was paid but says he gave all the proceeds to charity.

Image: The streaker donned a cape and hat for his appearance at the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament

Golden Palace also sponsored him to carry out perhaps his most daring streak, when he made it onto the pitch during the Superbowl in Texas, in 2004.

Mr Roberts, who planned the streak for a year, wrote to the NFL and asked them to send him a referee outfit he would later use to fool security guards.

The dedicated nudist then handed the garment over to a seamstress who alters clothes for him so they are easier to rip off

The exhibitionist flew out to Texas with a friend and the pair had front row seats at the Reliant Stadium.

Mr Roberts, who had his tailor-made referee outfit on under his clothes, was able to make onto the field during a break in the game.

He said: "It got to the middle of the football pitch just before the guy's going to kick the ball.

Image: Mr Roberts streaked during a match between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins at Wembley in 2007

"An American footballer said 'what's up ref man?'

"I ripped all my clothes off and said - sod all is wrong mate.

"Then I started to river dance."

Mr Roberts then ran down the pitch before he was knocked over by one of the players and then carried away by police officers.

The running nudist says his only punishment was a $1,000 (£790) fine after he was found guilty of criminal trespass in Texas.

Mr Roberts says he has appeared in court 11 times due to his streaking and has been convicted three times.

The exhibitionist was handed a small fine after running naked at an event in Matthew Street, Liverpool, in the '90s.

Mr Roberts said he cannot remember what he was convicted of.

The third time he was convicted was after he streaked at the 2001 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium.

Image: The streaker danced in a tutu during a synchronised swimming event at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona in 2003

He was handed a £100 fine after his arrest.

The streaker added that he is usually held by police for one or two hours after his exploits and then released without charge.

In the past he has faced counts of harassment or causing alarm and distress to the public.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) states every potential criminal case of nudity in public should be "considered according to its own facts and merits".

It adds: "In the absence of any sexual context and in relation to nudity where the person has no intention to cause alarm or distress, it will normally be appropriate to take no action unless members of the public were actually caused harassment, alarm or distress".

The CPS also states that it needs to be considered whether "a prosecution is in the public interest" in a case of streaking.

Mr Roberts says the reason he has rarely been convicted is because he doesn't cause alarm or distress to the public.

Image: Mr Roberts is escorted away after streaking at the World Snooker Championships in 2004

A year after his FA Cup appearance, he streaked during the Champions League final between Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.

He said: "I was wearing a tartan hat with a ginger wig, and 'Brave Tart' written on my back because the final was played in Glasgow."

Six year later Mr Roberts entered the course during a showjumping event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

He said: "I cleared a few fences and did the water jump.

"All they did was throw me out, I thought I was going to get deported."

Earlier this year he appeared on the ice wearing nothing but a tutu and a "monkey pouch" to cover his genitals after the speed-skating at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Image: A wig-wearing Mr Roberts streaks during the 2002 Champions League final between Bayern Leverkusen and Real Madrid

Mr Roberts hit the running track in August 2017 when he streaked during Usain Bolt's farewell run at the World Athletics Championships.

He was pictured being escorted off the track by security with "Peace And Love" written across his chest.

The streaker claims he wasn't arrested because there are no laws in athletics governing pitch invasions like there are in football.

Mr Roberts planned to retire in 2018 and streak for the last time at the World Cup final between France and Croatia in Russia.

He says he managed to get a ticket and arranged to stay in an apartment Moscow, but his plan fell flat because he forgot to arrange a visa to enter the country.

The streaker said: "I couldn't believe it, how could I have been so stupid?"

Mr Roberts said has not yet picked the next event he will streak at, but added: "I don't think I'll ever stop.

"I've actually written in my will that I want to be buried naked a perspex box so I can streak my own funeral."