Increasingly, Mockridge events are being called off by event organizers.
After his insensitive remarks about the Paralympic Games, comedian Luke Mockridge had planned a new comedy tour for mid-September, with 30 shows to entertain his fans. However, following his comments, some event organizers have decided to call off shows, and many more are considering doing the same.
By the late morning, five shows had been canceled on Mockridge's "Laugh it up" tour, with organizers in discussions about the fate of other planned events. The comedian's management had not yet responded to request for comments.
Mockridge's tour was set to begin in East Westphalia on a Thursday, with over 30 shows scheduled across Germany and Austria until November, with many of them already sold out.
Recently, some organizers have acted upon the heavy criticism towards Mockridge's insensitive comments about athletes with disabilities. Two shows in Gelsenkirchen and Bonn, as well as one show each in Siegen and Mainz, have been canceled by local organizers.
The venue in Mainz announced the cancellation of Luke Mockridge's "Laugh it up" tour show on September 14, 2024, at the Frankfurter Hof in Mainz, by organizer (Konzertbuero Schoenberg GmbH). No reasons were given for the cancellation. Ticket sales in Rheine, Münsterland, have also been halted, as reported by city hall spokesperson.
Industry backlash
"Luke Mockridge shows a total lack of respect for the achievements of Paralympic athletes and people with disabilities in general. We find his remarks disrespectful and abhorrent," wrote show organizer Emschertainment in Gelsenkirchen as their reason for canceling the event.
Prior to this, Sat.1 TV station had removed a planned new TV quiz with Mockridge from its schedule. A spokesperson for the station explained that Mockridge's statements did not align with the station's values.
Criticism continues
The controversy began with an episode of the "The Germans" podcast, hosted by Nizar and Shayan, featuring Mockridge, which also touched upon the Paralympic Games. In the episode published in mid-August, Mockridge made crude jokes about people with disabilities. Former track cyclist and two-time Olympic champion Kristina Vogel, who became paraplegic following an accident in 2018, publicly criticized Mockridge's remarks as "disrespectful and invalidating".
After significant backlash for his remarks, Mockridge apologized to the athletes. "Of course, I never intended to make fun of people with disabilities, especially during these great Paralympic Games," Mockridge wrote on Instagram. However, many users expressed skepticism towards his apology, feeling it was insincere.
Despite the apologetic statement on Instagram, Sat.1 TV station still chose to remove a planned television quiz featuring Luke Mockridge due to his insensitive comments about athletes with disabilities not aligning with the station's values. In light of the controversy, many venues have decided to cancel shows on Mockridge's "Laugh it up" tour, including the Frankfurter Hof in Mainz, causing ticket sales in certain cities to be halted.
