My Edinburgh: Reginald D Hunter, comedian

'I’ve had people react badly to my stand-up. I’ve been called sexist, racist and misogynist'

My first trip to Edinburgh as a stand-up was in 1998 for the So You Think You're Funny competition. I couldn't wait to win awards, but I had to find my own standard of excellence. I've only taken a year off since.

As a performer, it's a long grind. As high and low as it may get, you are essentially lifting weights, so no matter how August goes, by September you will have improved. My worst experience was a couple of years ago, when I woke up at 8.15pm. My show was at 8pm. I don't know if I can convey to you the level of alarm I felt. I had never been late before. I finally got on stage at 8.30pm.

In 2004 I had the wrong address for my apartment, but the key was still good enough to let me in. The owner happened to be away and I stayed four nights in this apartment with three cats. I thought, 'Wow, this place is unusually cluttered with animals for a rental'.

This year I'm bringing my show In the Midst of Crackers to Edinburgh. I've been touring it, but I've started to hate about 70 per cent of the jokes – so I'm changing the material for Edinburgh.

I've had people react badly to my stand-up in the past. I've been called sexist, racist and misogynist. As with the PFA awards, when I was called racist after using the N-word. It's not true that I'm any of those things – it's when something I've said is lifted out of context. Luckily, audiences in Edinburgh are more liberal than in other parts of the country.

Reginald D Hunter's Must-Sees

Glen Wool's This Road Has Tolls (George Square Theatre, 9.50pm). The ideas in Glenn Wool's jokes have always been years ahead of everyone else around him. Brendon Burns Hasn't Heard of You Either (The Stand, 9.40pm). When I see Brendon, I know it'll be a sublime mix of head, heart and balls.

Reginald D Hunter: In the Midst of Crackers, Pleasance Courtyard, to 24 August (0131 556 6550); then touring (reginalddhunter.co.uk)