Having initially travelled to the UK at the age of 27 as a summer student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[4] Hunter became a comedian after performing his first comedy set as a dare, for which he received £100. Realising that he enjoyed performing comedy, and that it might be profitable, he turned his attention from acting to stand-up.[5]
In 2006 and 2008, Hunter participated in Project X Presents events.[citation needed] In 2013 he toured Ireland with his show In the Midst of Crackers.[6]
Hunter often uses variations of the term "nigga" in the titles of his shows. In 2006, Reginald D Hunter: Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas attracted some controversy, and the poster was banned from the London Underground.[7] His tour with Steve Hughes, called Trophy Nigga, played 55 venues around the UK, but not all the venues used the tour title. Hunter joked that this was because promoters didn't like the word "trophy".[citation needed]
In April 2013, Hunter performed at an engagement for the Professional Footballers' Association. Following the event, PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle accused Hunter of racism, as he had used the word "nigger" during his set. Carlisle also said that some of those present had found Hunter's material "highly offensive". In response, Hunter posted to his Facebook page many photos of himself taken after his set with people attending the event, with most smiling.[8][9]
Reviewing Hunter's 2024 stand-up tour in The Standard, Bruce Dessau wrote that Hunter "moves elegantly from big topic to big topic, concisely skewering each subject", describing him as "a truly talented comedian".[10] Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News, Kevin Quinn described Hunter in his most recent performances as "still not for the faint-hearted and easily offended," commenting that "he does seem a lot more reflective in middle-age".[11]
Edinburgh Fringe 2024 antisemitism incident
In August 2024, during the Israel-Hamas war, Hunter made a joke referencing a Channel 5 documentary about domestic abuse, telling the audience: "When I saw that, I thought, my God, it’s like being married to Israel."[12] During one performance, a British-Israeli couple in the front row objected to the joke, telling Hunter it was "not funny", after which they were booed by fellow audience members, some of whom shouted, "You're not welcome". The couple then left.
Later in his performance, Hunter referenced a review of one of his shows in the The Jewish Chronicle which was behind a paywall, saying, "Typical fucking Jews, they won’t tell you anything unless you subscribe. It's just a joke". Campaign Against Antisemitism criticised his antisemitism, while also referring to his 2006 joke about freedom of thought and the banning of Holocaust denial in some countries.[13][12][14] A planned show at the Eastwood Theatre in Giffnock, which has Scotland's largest Jewish congregation, was cancelled by the East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure organisation because of, they said, "a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion".[13]
Police Scotland concluded that "no crime was established."[15] Hunter commented after the event that he is "staunchly anti-war and anti-bully", saying that "as a comedian, I do push boundaries in creating humour".[16] British comedy news website Chortle later named the couple as Mark Lewis, a lawyer who came to prominence representing the victims of newspaper phone hacking, and Mandy Blumenthal, the national director Likud-Herut UK. Lewis is a longstanding patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.[17]
