Famous Newcastle Fans: Actors, Musicians, Sport Stars and Politicians Who Cheer on the Magpies

Prior to the takeover of Newcastle United by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which was done in order to sports-wash the nation’s appalling human rights record, it is fair to say that the Magpies hadn’t enjoyed a wealth of success. In fact, the club hadn’t won the top-flight title in England since 1927 and went 70 years between its success in the FA Cup and the winning of the League Cup in 2025. Not everyone who supports a football team does so because of the glory, of course, but it is also fair to point out that without some success, winning over fans is difficult.

Even so, the people of Newcastle are fiercely loyal and it is a one club city, so it isn’t a shock to learn that more than a few people have followed the club through thick and thin. The club has also won over a fair few famous faces because of the passion of the fanbase, with even the sight of an overweight Geordie with the top off not enough to put some people off. Although many have been happy to ignore how the club has been able to enjoy its success since the arrival of Amanda Staveley and PIP as owners, it has also caused at least some of the well-known fans to ask questions about the morality of it all.

Here is a look at some of the most famous people who have taken Newcastle United to their hearts, although the list is obviously far from exhaustive. Even so, it will give you a sense of which people are massive fans of the Magpies:

Ant & Dec

Do Ant & Dec count as one person or two? It is almost impossible to think of one without thinking of the other, with the pair originally making their names as young actors in the Newcastle-set TV series Byker Grove. They made a perfect duo when hosting the likes of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and Britain’s Got Talent, amongst countless other things, but they have never lost sight of their love for Newcastle United. When the Magpies eventually won that first domestic trophy for 70 years when they won the League Cup in 2025, both were in Wembley to witness it.

Jimmy Nail

It isn’t all that usually to get black and white crocodiles, so it probably isn’t the case that Jimmy Nail ever had a pair of shoes in those colours. Then again, his real name is James Michael Aloysius Bradford, so who knows what to believe? The actor and singer was born in Newcastle in 1954 and became well known thanks to his appearance as ‘Oz’ in the TV show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. As a Newcastle lad, it was always likely that he was going to go on to support the club and he has often been spotted in St James’ Park, cheering on the players.

Alan Shearer

In some ways, it feels like a bit of a cheat to say that a former footballer is a famous fan of a football club. Even so, Alan Shearer takes the claim on account of the fact that he turned down the opportunity to have a more successful career in order to play for his boyhood club. Born in the city in 1970, he actually began his career at Southampton before moving to Blackburn Rovers, with whom he won the Premier League title in 1995. He might well have gone to Manchester United and won a load more, but instead chose to move to St James’ Park to see out his career before becoming a broadcaster.

Sting

Born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner in Wallsend in Northumberland in 1951, Sting would go on to become globally famous thanks to his work as the lead singer with The Police. He has also enjoyed a hugely successful solo career, whilst also being an activist for numerous causes over the years. There might well have been a few points at which he considered being an activist for his boyhood club, having had to endure years of little success for Newcastle United. He grew up in North London, supporting the Magpies when all of his friends were Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur fans.

Brian Blessed

There might well be some who have heard Brian Blessed exclaim ‘Anthony Gordon’s alive’ in previous seasons, after seeing the winger get up off the ground after appearing to have been killed by a tackle. Born in the South Yorkshire town of Mexborough, the actor is one of those rare breeds that actually has a place in his heart for not one but two different major English clubs. He has always been considered to be a Manchester United supporter, but has also admitted to having a soft spot for Newcastle United during an acting career that has spanned six decades.

Matt Hancock

It isn’t always the case that football fans would like to disown people who claim to support their club, but just as Liverpool supporters aren’t delighted when images of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s children wearing the famous red shirt do the rounds on social media, so too is Matt Hancock not a name that is easily taken to heart. He was actually born in Cheshire, being educated at Oxford and Cambridge before entering the world of politics and becoming the Health Secretary at the worst possible time. He had a signed Newcastle shirt auctioned for charity in 2020, only to film himself wearing it three years later.

Tony Blair

It isn’t just Tory MPs who many would like to pretend had nothing to do with their football club. Tony Blair was a Labour Prime Minister for ten years but has been a Newcastle fan all of his life. This is in spite of the fact that he was born in Edinburgh in 1953. Although his party did a lot of good whilst in power, his decisions that led to the Iraq War mean that he will forever be remembered for. There was a time that he was mocked by Newcastle supporters for claiming that he watched Jackie Milburn play, even though he was four-years-old at the time, but he later clarified that this was misreported.

Asim Chaudhry

Although Asim Chaudhry was born in London, thereby making him an ideal candidate to support a club like Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal, the comedian, actor and writer actually ended up supporting the Magpies because he loved zebras when he was a youngster. That might seem like a bit of a bizarre reason to develop a life-long love of a football club, but Chaudhry has been a Newcastle fan ever since. He even hosts an occasional podcast called Adopted Geordies, which focuses on the lives of people from outside the city following the St James’ Park club.

Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie is someone who might well appear on Asim Chaudhry’s podcast at some point, given the fact that the tennis player was born in the South African city of Johannesburg in 1995. The fact that his father is from Glasgow and his mother from Cardiff doesn’t help to explain why he became a Newcastle fan either. Then again, he also follows the Australian rugby league side the South Sydney Rabbitohs and represents Great Britain as a player, so it’s best not to overthink it. Regardless, his love of the club has been enough to see fellow Magpies get behind him at Wimbledon.

Robson Green

One of the most surprising things about the actor and singer might well be the fact that his real name is Robson Golightly Green. He was born in the Northumberland market town of Hexham in 1964, becoming known as an actor thanks to his work in Casualty before shooting to fame playing the role of Dave Tucker in Soldier Soldier. You might well know him as one half of the musical duo Robson and Jerome, which saw the pair hit the number one spot with a cover of ‘Unchained Melody’. His first love has always been Newcastle United, however.