Reginald Hunter in 10 questions

• What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this interview?

Listening to music, looking at notes, thinking about how last night’s performance went. I have eclectic musical tastes. I know what I like when I hear it from jazz funk to soul, 80s rock, French rap. All sorts.

• What is your motivator? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Fear of failure.

• What is your pet hate?

If I’m travelling on a plane and I’m supposed to be picked up at the airport and they are more than 15 minutes late I get annoyed.

• Best advice you have been given?

You know when you make popcorn there are those fluffy, white kernels that are fun and good to eat but there are also those burnt, black kernels that don’t pop. You know why they don’t pop? Because they have integrity.

That was a quote from American comedian Mark Maron. He is great. Worth looking up online.

• Best advice you would give to people

Whenever I’ve found I need to make a decision and I don’t have enough sense or know how to deal with it I look at the people I despise... and do the opposite.

• Who is your comedy hero?

So many. In particular Bill Hicks and Dave Allen.

• If you could give 16-year-old Reginald D Hunter one piece of advice what would it be?

Relax – it’s just girls.

• Your job is pretty cool but what you be doing if you weren’t a comedian?

Probably an actor or a chef. I was into cooking before it became the big thing to be into cooking.

• You have said recently you have learnt to deal with anger. What are your views on anger?

Anger can be a good fuel – there is so much fear of anger and yet it is part of who we are. If you learn to deploy it accurately it can be a good thing.

There’s a new generation of people who think anger is wrong but that can lead to self-hate. Anger is very powerful but if it’s toxic it’ll burn you out.

• Do audiences change across the regions of the UK? How are audiences in Peterborough for example?

They are basically the same. It doesn’t change much across the regions. I have been to Peterborough several times at comedy clubs. I’ve only ever arrived at night so cant make a judgement on the city but I certainly don’t have anything bad to say about either it or the audiences.