German comedian apologizes after outrage at remark about Paralympics

German comedian and presenter Luke Mockridge has apologised after making a rude remark about para-sport that caused outrage nationwide.

Mockridge said it was never his intention to ridicule people with disabilities, especially during the Paralympic Games, in a post on Instagram.

He caused dismay some three weeks ago in the podcast "Die Deutschen" (The Germans), when he said, "there are people without legs and arms, who are thrown into a pool - and the last one to drown is the winner."

Mockridge expressed regret for failing to convey his humour properly and for hurting people.

Earlier, the German Paralympic Committee (DBS) invited him to watch para-sport in response to his offensive statement.

"We would like to encourage people to watch para-sport live to experience the impressive performances that people with disabilities are capable of - and to understand what an asset they are to our society," DBS told dpa on request.

Mockridge said he "very gladly" accepted the invitation and looked forward to learning from the experience. He acknowledged that his attempt at comedy did not work out and took responsibility for it.

Before Mockridge apologized, Özcan Mutlu, president of the Berlin Association for Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports, demanded an apology, calling the comments "an extraordinary derailment" and "absolutely unacceptable."

Former track cyclist Kristina Vogel, paralysed since a training accident, said she was horrified at his initial comment.

"There are still some who talk such inhuman sh** and just put people with disabilities down like that. Here's just one example, it's unbelievable," Vogel wrote on her Instagram channel and shared Mockridge's quotes.

Shot put world champion and Paris silver medallist Niko Kappel also criticized Mockridge in response to a dpa inquiry, stating that Mockridge and his colleagues were lucky that contempt for humanity, ignorance and tastelessness were not Paralympic disciplines.

Swimming is regarded as the figurehead of the DBS at the Paralympics in Paris. German athletes Taliso Engel and Elena Semechin, among others, set world records and won gold medals at this summer's event.

Vogel's Instagram post may have brought the comments to public attention after she called for people to address inhumane remarks and shared a brief clip with further comments from Mockridge.

Mockridge was once one of the faces of German broadcasters Sat.1. In August 2021, however, he announced that he would be taking a break and has barely appeared on television since then.

From mid-September, Mockridge is to host the Sat.1 show "Was ist in der Box? Das Comedy-Quiz" ("What's in the box? The comedy quiz).