{{Short description|British television presenter (born 1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Mik Scarlet | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}} | birth_place = Luton, Bedfordshire, U.K. | occupation = Inclusion and equality trainer }}
'''Mik Scarlet''' (born 1965) is a broadcaster, journalist, actor and musician, as well as an expert in the field of access and inclusion for disabled people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44354287|work=BBC News|title=Britain's Got Talent: Is Lost Voice Guy's win a watershed moment for disability?|first=Steven|last=McIntosh|date=4 June 2018|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> He has been voted one of the most influential disabled people in the UK, and was one of the first television presenters in the world with a physical disability.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/mik-scarlet|work=HuffPost|title=Mik Scarlet {{!}} Broadcaster, Journalist, Disability Equality Campaigner|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/writers/mikscarlet.shtml|work=BBC Ouch!|title=Mik Scarlet|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref>
== Early life == Scarlet was born in Luton, Bedfordshire.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Scarlet |first1=Mik |title=About Mik |url=https://mikscarlet.com/about-mik/ |website=Mikscarlet.com |publisher=Mik Scarlet |access-date=26 November 2025}}</ref> He is a wheelchair user due to the consequences of cancer during infancy.<ref name="normal">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/mik-scarlet-i-dont-want-a-normal-life-why-does-that-shock-you-5367859.html|work=The Independent|title=Mik Scarlet: I don't want a normal life. Why does that shock you?|date=14 November 2000|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> At six weeks old he was found to have a large malignant tumor, called an Adrenal Neuroblastoma. He was part of the first clinical trial for the drug Vincristin Sulphate, an American chemotherapy medication, and together with surgery and radiation therapy survived childhood cancer. However, these aggressive treatments left him with a paralyzed right leg, and he wore a metal leg brace consistently as a child and young adult.<ref name=":0" />
At age 15, he underwent another series of surgeries to address a vertebrae deformation, caused as a side effect of earlier cancer treatments, that had collapsed and crushed the nerves that controlled Scarlet's right leg. After these surgeries he became a full-time wheelchair user.<ref name=":0" /> It was during this period he began teaching himself to play keyboard and program electronic music.<ref name=":0" />
== Career ==
=== Musical Career === Scarlet attended Luton Sixth Form College in the 1980s and was active in the local punk music scene, playing in multiple bands with a revolving cast of siblings and schoolmates, until eventually forming the band Freak UK.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Mik |url=https://mikscarlet.com/about-mik/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=mikscarlet.com}}</ref> Freak UK toured across the UK and supported the artist Gary Numan on the 1991 Emotion Tour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Support Acts to Gary Numan |url=https://www.numandiscography.co.uk/htdocs/support_acts/support_acts.php |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=numandiscography.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=FREAK UK - prayer |url=https://soundcloud.com/mik-scarlet/freak-uk-prayer |access-date=2025-11-26 |language=en}}</ref>
=== Broadcasting Career === As one of the first generation of disabled television presenters, Scarlet is best known for presenting the 1992 Emmy Award winning and BAFTA nominated children's television programme ''Beat That'' on Channel Four. He won a UNICEF award for work with disabled children.
He has also played several cameo roles in shows such as ''Brookside'' and ''The Bill'', and was a presenter for BBC2's ''From the Edge''. He has appeared in numerous television programmes including ''2point4 Children'', and ''Wham! Bam! Strawberry Jam!'' (BBC 1995) which also featured Rik Mayall.
Scarlet is a regular correspondent for ''HuffPost''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/mik-scarlet|work=HuffPost|title=CONTRIBUTOR {{!}} Mik Scarlet|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> He wrote an article for ''The Independent'' in 2000 about social rights<ref name="normal"/> and was quoted in ''The Independent'' about the 2016 Summer Paralympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/paralympics-rio-2016-disability-hate-crime-increase-youre-wrong-a7233926.html|work=The Independent|title=Think the Paralympics improve life for disabled people like me? You're wrong|first=James|last=Moore|date=9 September 2016|access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> In 2012, he wrote an article for ''Time Out'' about accessibility in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/08/27/accessible-london-mik-scarlets-favourite-spots/|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052808/http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/08/27/accessible-london-mik-scarlets-favourite-spots/|archive-date=2 February 2017|publisher=Time Out London|work=Now.Here.This|title=Accessible London: Mik Scarlet’s favourite spots|date=27 August 2012}}</ref> That year, he performed in the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and presented coverage of the wheelchair rugby for The Paralympic Games.
Scarlet has appeared on various news and current affairs programmes, such as ''The Wright Stuff'', ''Good Morning Britain'', ''This Morning'' and ''Sky News'', both as a commentator and reporter. Scarlet also is an occasional reporter for ''Channel Five News''.
He is an ambassador for Parallel London, the inclusive, disability-led push/run event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gilbert-archercox-0du8.squarespace.com/ambassadors|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213200121/https://gilbert-archercox-0du8.squarespace.com/ambassadors|archive-date=13 February 2018|work=Parallel London|title=PATRONS AND AMBASSADOR {{!}} MEET THE PARALLEL LONDON AMBASSADORS|date=3 September 2017}}</ref>
In 2018, Scarlet was named on The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list, an annual publication of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://disabilitypower100.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Power_100_2018.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502000225/https://disabilitypower100.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Power_100_2018.pdf|archive-date=2 May 2019|publisher=Shaw Trust|work=Disability Power 100|title=Power 100 {{!}} 2018}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.mikscarlet.com Mik Scarlet website] * [https://soundcloud.com/mik-scarlet Mik Scarlet Soundcloud] * {{IMDb name|3776424}} * [https://the-ndaca.org/collection/?uniqueID=ARC2279 Mik's handwritten lyrics] on a copy of Gary Numan's 1991 tour support paperwork via the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scarlet, Mik}} Category:Living people Category:Male actors from Luton Category:1965 births Category:English writers with disabilities Category:British television presenters Category:Television presenters with disabilities Category:Musicians with disabilities