For one reason or another, West Ham seems to have a number of high-profile celebrities supporting them. Here are 10 famous West Ham fans and how they came to pledge their loyalty to the Irons.

Last Updated: 16/06/23 at 12:40

West Ham may not be the biggest club in the world, definitely not on the level of Manchester City, Liverpool or Barcelona. Yet, they seem to have a great number of celebrity fans cheering them on alongside the other passionate West Ham fans.

Today we bring you 10 of those celebrity fans, some of which are even die-hard Hammer fans, and some are sure to surprise you.

Ray Winstone

Actor Ray Winstone is a lifelong West Ham fan, and has previously featured in the reveal for the 2009/10 season home kit.

The cockney hardman has spoken candidly many times about his love and support for the team through thick and thin.

Like Russell Brand, he appeared on TalkSport for an interview in December 2020 where he spoke about Declan Rice (it’s always about Declan Rice), and he made a bold statement in saying that Rice can be the new Bobby Moore.

Lennox Lewis

British former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis was born in West Ham, so understandably he is a West Ham fan, and comes at the top of this list as he is probably the biggest Irons fan to feature.

‘The Lion’ is one of Britain’s greatest boxers of all time, but he is also a diehard Hammer. He once gave a team talk prior to a game against Norwich, which obviously proved to have an impact as they went on to win 2-0.

Lewis is one of the greatest British boxers in history, alongside the likes of other West Ham fans Frank Bruno, Chris Eubank Sr, Joe Calzaghe, and Tyson Fury.

Keira Knightley

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Keira Knightley used to be a season ticket holder, with her seat situated in the East Stand.

These days, despite her busy life and career, she still finds time to watch her team.

In an interview with the Telegraph from 2005, after West Ham had gained promotion back to the Premier League, she proclaimed “The atmosphere there is amazing. The games are shown at 6 am, and the pub is always packed”.

Alfred Hitchcock

The legendary filmmaker/ director, Alfred Hitchcock, never let his love for his Irons die, even when he moved out to Los Angeles.

It is known that he would get various English newspapers to be sent to his LA home just so that he can keep up to date with his beloved team.

Russell Brand

Comedian Russell Brand’s love of West Ham was inherited from his father. He is said to often go to games when he is in the country, as he now resides in Los Angeles.

Earlier in 2022, in an interview with TalkSport, Brand cried out to Hammers captain Declan Rice, urging the midfielder to not leave for a bigger club as he is loved by all at West Ham.

His love for the Hammers even influenced his ex-wife, Katy Perry, who fully embraced being an Irons fan, wearing West Ham lingerie on stage at the 2009 MTV Awards to showcase her love for the side.

Brand did a stand-up tour in the UK earlier this year, performing at 33 venues across the nation. While his tour has come and gone, there are a number of other top British comedians who are or could be going on tour in 2023.

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)

Foo Fighters creator Dave Grohl took a liking to English football during an extensive tour of the UK during the early years of the band, and once spoke of his affection for the Premier League, mentioning West Ham in particular as the team he enjoys watching.

Barack Obama

No, this is no error. Barack Obama - former President of the United States, Harvard and Columbia University graduate, 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient - is indeed a West Ham fan.

The story of how he came to favour the Hammers is that his sister lived (or still lives, unsure of that fact) in East London, and she and her family support West Ham.

On one trip to London, Obama sat down with the family to watch a game on TV, and apparently was hooked from that one match.

We do doubt he is a diehard fan like Lennox Lewis or even keeps up as regularly as Keira Knightley. But that isn’t denying his affection for the club.

Danny Dyer

East-London-born actor and presenter, Danny Dyer, is a lifelong West Ham fan. In an interview with the club earlier this year, he spoke about how he came to love the club, profoundly saying he didn’t choose the club, the club chose him.

His connection to the club is closer than it has ever been, since his daughter, Love Island victor Dani Dyer, has been dating Hammers star Jarrod Bowen since October 2021.

James Corden

The living embodiment of Marmite that is James Corden has proudly displayed his love of West Ham on many occasions, especially when he was hosting A League Of Their Own, before leaving for America and handing the reins to Romesh Ranganathan.

Last summer, Corden jetted back from LA to attend a dinner with old friend and former Hammers captain Mark Noble, and his new friend, current captain Declan Rice, who he became pals with after chatting on FaceTime during England’s Euro 2020 campaign.

Bruce Dickinson & Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

Iron Maiden’s lead singer Bruce Dickinson and bassist Steve Harris are both West Ham fans, with Harris another local lad who grew up adoring the Hammers and still proudly supports his club to this day.

In 2019, the band released a range of Iron Maiden x West Ham merchandise that included the home shirt branded with Iron Maiden where the sponsor would go, with a promotional video that Harris narrates with a cameo from then-Hammer Pablo Zabaleta and features the 1983 song “Die With Your Boots On” (which, after researching, is not about football).