After ten years in the capital Berlin, multi-talented Hape Kerkeling (59) moved back to Cologne with his husband a few years ago. As early as 2023, he mentioned a worrying reason for returning to the Rhineland in 2017 on the ZDF program “Maybrit Illner”. “The atmosphere has become significantly more homophobic. And accordingly we decided to leave Berlin with a heavy heart and go back to Cologne, which we have not regretted so far,” he explained to the moderator at the time, according to “Tagesspiegel”.
Kerkeling now repeats this reason in an interview with the tabloid “Bild”. “I actually had the impression that the atmosphere in this beautiful city was becoming a little more homophobic,” says the comedian, author, presenter, actor, director, singer, audio book and voice actor.
But he adds another, more current reason: “It doesn’t just have to do with Berlin, but also with a very unfortunate situation in the world. But I didn’t want to expose myself to that anymore as a prominent face,” he says. Nevertheless, he will still visit the city “often and with pleasure,” but he no longer wants to live there.
Soon the entertainer will at least be heard on the big screen again. This year, for the fourth time, he lends his voice to the famous panda “Po” in the animated film “Kung Fu Panda 4”. The new part of the children’s film series starts in German film theaters on March 14th.
Hape Kerkeling explains possible similarities with the cartoon character: “I don’t want to praise myself too much, but like Po, I’m a good-natured person.” And he adds: “Just like Po, I hold no grudges and am open to new things.”
