Sat.1 stops TV show with Mockridge

Comedian Luke Mockridge is causing a stir again with his disparaging comments. His apology doesn't help at the moment, and Sat.1 is taking action against the comedian's new TV show.

His podcast mockery of para-athletes cost comedian Luke Mockridge a planned TV show on Sat.1. The comedian's mocking statements caused a stir shortly before the end of the Paralympics in Paris, and the private TV station then decided not to launch the new TV format “What's in the Box?” with the long-controversial 35-year-old, which was planned for September 12th.

Even an attempt to apologize didn't help Mockridge. “Of course, it was never my intention to ridicule people with disabilities – especially during these great Paralympic Games,” the comedian said on Instagram.

Sat.1 spokesman Christoph Körfer said that Mockridge had “publicly and credibly apologized for his inappropriate words.” However, the broadcaster hopes that the comedian will find a way to “follow his apology with actions and continue to work on the issue in the interests of all people with disabilities and in the interests of all para-athletes who impressed and enchanted us in Paris with their achievements.”

Olympic champion Vogel: Statements unbelievable and inhumane

Mockridge's statements do not reflect the sender's values, said Körfer. The mocking sentences come from the podcast “Die Deutschen,” which was broadcast in August but only attracted greater attention shortly before the closing ceremony of the Paralympics. “There are people without legs and arms who are thrown into a pool – and whoever drowns last wins,” Mockridge said, among other things.

Two-time Olympic track cycling champion Kristina Vogel, who is in a wheelchair after a training accident, posted an excerpt from the podcast on Instagram and described Mockridge's words as unbelievable and inhumane.

Shot put world champion and Paris silver medalist Niko Kappel told the German Press Agency: “Luke Mockridge and his two fellow competitors are unlucky that contempt for humanity, ignorance and bad taste are not Paralympic. Otherwise they would have been able to experience these great games as athletes and would have been hot gold candidates.”

Mockridge: Disabled people have a dark sense of humor

At the exuberant medal party in the German House on the eve of the Paralympics closing ceremony, the conversations only revolved around Mockridge in passing. But at home, the debate about the comedian and his TV future gained momentum. In his new show “What's in the Box?” other comedians were asked to guess the mysterious contents of a mysterious box. Sat.1 initially wanted to broadcast eight episodes by the end of October.

Mockridge tried to capture the discussions about his TV future with a remorseful statement. “From my own experience of working with disabled people, I have always experienced a sharp, black sense of humor that I have celebrated. I am truly sorry that I failed to convey that properly and that I have hurt people,” he wrote. “I am also disgusted that at the end of these Paralympic Games, the media are talking more about me and not about the tournament.”

Association recommends Mockridge to watch para-sports

Before the apology, the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) responded with an invitation to Mockridge. “We would like to encourage people to watch para-sports live in order to experience the impressive achievements that people with disabilities are capable of – and to understand what an enrichment they are for our society.”

The comedian assured that he would “very gladly” accept the invitation. He was looking forward to “the change of perspective and to actively learning. Comedy and sport should be fun – always! Today that didn't work out and that's on me,” he concluded in his statement.

Before Mockridge's statement, the president of the Berlin Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association spoke of an “unprecedented derailment. This cannot be dismissed as comedy or mere stupidity,” said Özcan Mutlu. “Such derogatory statements are absolutely unacceptable and deserve strong condemnation.” Mockridge should be deeply ashamed.

Trouble in the TV garden

Mockridge had already caused a stir in the past, including with an irritating appearance on the “ZDF-Fernsehgarten”. “However, the jokes that Luke Mockridge told today were neither to our sense of humour nor that of the audience. Unfortunately, there is nothing more to say, the performance speaks for itself,” ZDF said at the time.

The comedian Mockridge was once one of the faces of Sat.1. In August 2021, he announced a break and has hardly appeared on television since then. The planned relaunch on Sat.1 has now been canceled, at least for the time being.

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