Luke Mockridge: Second chance botched – and he carries on as always

Jokes about disabled people
Second chance missed: How Luke Mockridge is playing with his career

Because Luke Mockridge made fun of disabled people, Sat.1 has put a planned show with him on pause. The comedian apologized and wants to do penance – and not for the first time.

This time things are getting serious for Luke Mockridge, or at least it seems so: A new show with him was actually supposed to start on Sat.1 this week, but the station doesn't want to broadcast “What's in the Box?” for the time being. The reason for this is a viral video showing a podcast excerpt with Mockridge. In it, the entertainer made fun of the Paralympics and people with disabilities in a crude way. “The statements about disabled people and para-athletes, which many people are rightly outraged about, do not fit with our values,” Sat.1 explained the decision. For Mockridge, it is not the first time that his game of crossing boundaries could also become a game with his own career.

It started out rosy: With a comedy program and numerous TV appearances, he has risen steeply since 2013. He won the German Comedy Prize six times alone, was awarded a Bambi and a Grimme Prize. He also hosted his own late-night show – according to his own statements, Mockridge's production company temporarily made a turnover of 18 million euros a year. Then came this, in 2024 he was interviewed by the star as an “acid attack on my picture”.

2021 tells the story of Luke Mockridge’s career faltering

In 2021, an ex-girlfriend accused him of attempted rape. The investigation against him was dropped, but the hashtag #KonsequenzenfürLuke spread rapidly online. An article in “Spiegel” made additional headlines; the news magazine reported at the time that it had spoken to more than ten women who described Mockridge as “aggressive” and “reckless.”

At the time, Sat.1 stuck with him, but the broadcaster demanded that Mockridge publicly comment on the matter. In a video, he denied all allegations. After minor scandals, it was the first time that Mockridge's career really faltered. But he was still self-determined, took a break of his own volition, wanted to “understand, learn and heal”. Only to go on tour again a few months later at the beginning of 2022 – and even make fun of his own regret clip in an announcement video.

Luke Mockridge: “I was an asshole”

Nevertheless, the time did not pass without leaving its mark on him, as he said in an interview with star from April 2024. Because of an acute risk of suicide, he said he had been in a psychiatric facility for a time. With the conversation, he prepared his comeback, admitting that he had previously exploited women and feigned love for them. “I was an asshole and I'm sorry for that,” he said remorsefully.

Luke Mockridge has gotten away with it so far. But it's still astonishing that he now has to apologize again. It's still unclear whether Sat.1 hasn't simply started his show at a later date. The back door remains open because the 35-year-old has released an obligatory apology statement following the violent reactions to the clip. But the negative reactions – including from prominent colleagues – make it clear that it won't be quite as easy this time as it was the first time.