Overview
- The row began with a late‑April heute‑show sketch about artificial intelligence and care robots in which Welke told a purposely bad joke that named Schlager star Howard Carpendale.
- Howard Carpendale posted a social‑media video condemning the gag as picking on people who cannot defend themselves and his son Wayne backed him in an Instagram message saying, “Schäm dich, Oliver!”
- Welke told Bild that the line was meant as an intentionally poor joke inside the AI sketch and that his team chose a well‑known singer’s name for that purpose.
- On June 11 Welke returned to the topic on the Apokalypse & Filterkaffee podcast, making ironic remarks about the reaction and saying the dispute felt overstated while acknowledging the strong public response.
- The incident has no reported apology or legal action and highlights how a single televised gag can be amplified across social media and tabloids, raising fresh questions about the limits of satire and the risks for public figures and comedians.