Stand-up Having initially travelled to the UK at the age of 27 as a summer student at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, 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. 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. 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". 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. 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". 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".
Edinburgh Fringe 2024 incident In August 2024, during the
Gaza 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." During the 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. After his performance, Hunter referenced a review of one of his shows in
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 (CAA) criticised the joke, and mentioned previous jokes that Hunter had made about the
Holocaust. The
East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure organisation said it had cancelled a planned show at the Eastwood Theatre in
Giffnock because of "a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion". 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". 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 of
Likud-Herut UK. Blumenthal was a founder of, and "leading figure" in the CAA, sitting on its committee, and Lewis is a longstanding patron.
Legal proceedings The CAA brought a
private prosecution against Hunter alleging three offences under section 127 of the
Communications Act 2003, relating to posts he allegedly published on
X in September 2024. Hunter failed to appear at the initial hearing at
Westminster Magistrates Court on 30 May 2025, and a
summons was issued by the court requiring him to attend at a future date. On 23 December 2025, District Judge Michael Snow overturned the summons and dismissed the case against Hunter. Snow stated that the CAA had misled the court in their application, falsely leading him to believe Hunter's messages were anti-Semitic, and had failed to comply with
disclosure obligations, He further stated: "[...] my view of the conduct of the CAA is consistent with them as an organisation which is not “playing it straight” but is seeking to use the criminal justice system, in this case, for improper reasons."
Broadcast Audio Hunter was one of the hosts of the
E4 Laughs at Edinburgh podcast, showcasing the best comedy talent from the
2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has had numerous appearances on the
BBC Radio 4 comedy show
The Unbelievable Truth. He also appeared on
Midweek (BBC Radio 4) on November 15, 2011.
Television Hunter made his TV debut on Channel 4's ''
The 11 O'Clock Show'' in 1998. He has since appeared many times.
Awards Hunter was nominated for the
Perrier Award in the 2003 and 2004
Edinburgh Festivals. He won the
Writers' Guild Award for Comedy in 2006 for his show
Pride & Prejudice... & Niggas. ==Personal life==