5 surprise celebrity Brighton and Hove Albion fans

Among those on the edge of their sofas are several celebrity supporters.

And, while some may have been vocal about their love of Albion over the years, others have somehow slipped under the radar.

Here are five famous faces who you may, or may not, have realised have their hearts at The Amex:

Fatboy Slim

1. Fatboy Slim

OK, we'll start easy, The superstar DJ, real name Norman Cook, has made no secret of his unwavering support of the Seagulls.

The Right Here, Right Now hit-maker has followed the club since his friends took him to a game, five years after he moved to Brighton to go to college.

He had just been "dumped by his wife", but going to see the Seagulls proved to be the perfect pick-me-up.

Norman was hooked instantly and did not miss a home game for the next two seasons.

Touring commitments mean he has not been able to watch his beloved Albion as much as he would like, but he still makes as many trips to the Amex as he can and was among the revellers as the club secured promotion to the Premier League in 2017.

Read more on Fatboy Slim's affinity with Albion>>>

Cold Feet star Robert Bathurst

2. Robert Bathurst

In 2009, a disenfranchised Robert Bathurst entered the Withdean to watch Gus Poyet take the reigns for his first game in charge of Albion.

The Cold Feet actor had fallen out of love with the money-driven modern game.

But Gus's Seagulls soon saw to that.

He left with a rekindled affinity with the beautiful game (as well as an “Hola Gus” T-shirt) having watched the Seagulls defeat Wycombe 2-1 in the FA Cup.

“I adored the spirit of the club,” Robert said, “it reminded me why I loved the game.”

More than a decade later, the actor has admitted his weekend moods were still very dependent on the Albion result.

Read more about how Robert Bathurst became an Albion aficionado>>>

Sky Sports golf supporter James Haddock

3. James Haddock

Life on the road can make it hard to follow a football team, but Sky Sports golf reporter James Haddock manages to take a little bit of Albion with him wherever he goes.

He was born in Hastings and grew up idolising the likes of Jimmy Case and Steve Foster.

“That permed haircut, the headband, he was the player who always stood out,” he said.

He first visited the Goldstone in 1985, "when the club was still basking in the glory of its FA Cup Final appearance a couple of years earlier".

Albion squeezed past Huddersfield in a 4-3 thriller, and James was "instantly addicted".

After becoming a golf reporter for Sky Sports in 2008, he admitted the travel made it hard to find weekends where he could get to The Amex. But he found his own way to show his true colours.

He makes sure to always have a club shirt, training top, flag or scarf with him wherever he travels. And he has passed on his passion for Albion, with his eldest daughter Evie already a “fully-fledged Albion fan”.

Find out more about how James Haddock manages to follow the Seagulls from across the glove>>>

Heart DJ Jamie Theakston

4. Jamie Theakston

The Heart Radio national breakfast show host is broadcast into the cars, living rooms, kitchens and offices of millions.

But many of these listeners might not know the Cuckfield-born presenter is an avid Albion fan.

As an impressive Seagulls performance saw off Spurs 1-0 last night, he could not stop himself from Tweeting: "Feels damn good being a Brighton fan today."

The former Top of the Pops presenter has also showcased his own footballing abilities in the past, impressing during an appearing in goal for England as part of the charity event Soccer Aid.

The now annual "friendly" football match is organised by Robbie Williams and aims to raise money for UNICEF UK, with profits from the matches, along with donations and sponsorship, donated to UNICEF programs in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Rag'n'Bone Man

5. Rag'n'Bone Man

The Uckfield-born musician is best-known for his soulful vocals.

His hit, Giant, was revealed as the most-played song of 2019 and reached the top of the UK charts, with some of his other tracks such as Human and Skin also spending time in the top ten.

But the singer, real name Rory Graham, is also a Seagulls supporter.

When Albion faced Manchester City in the semi final of the 2018/19 season FA Cup, The Argus spotted him at the game with his nephew, Daniel.

Despite slipping to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Wembley, the 36-year-old was positive about the day.

At the game, he told The Argus: "The day has been amazing.

“Ultimately we’re lucky to be here and playing against one of the best teams in the world.

“I’m not a die-hard old-school fan so I’ve been getting a little bit of stick online.

“But I became a fan before I got into music and I was working as a carer.

“While I was doing that I looked after a lovey autistic guy who was an Albion fan and I started supporting them then.

“That was about 2008 when we were playing at Withdean.”