WITH its close links to London, thriving nightlife and beautiful countryside, Brighton has been home to a surprising number of celebrities.

If the city had its own wall of fame, these actors, musicians, Youtubers and sporting stars would definitely top the list:

Norman Cook / FatBoy Slim

The Argus:

Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, is to stage a free concert in his home town of Brighton for thousands of emergency services workers (Yui Mok/PA)

The DJ, Fat Boy Slim, made his name on the Brighton club scene and cemented his superstar status with his Big Beach Boutique gigs.

Norman Cook is a fantastic ambassador for the city, frequently headlining Brighton Pride and being a proud supporter of Brighton & Hove Albion football club.

In April, Cook released to put on a free gig on Brighton beach inOctober to say 'thank you' to key workers after the coronavirus. 

Rudyard Kipling

The author of popular classics including The Jungle Book and the Just So stories as well as poems such as If... lived in the picturesque village of Rottingdean just on the outskirts of Brighton & Hove.

Chris Eubank

The Argus:

(Adam Davy/PA)

The former professional boxer is also the self-proclaimed 'Lord of the Manor of Brighton' having bought the title at an auction.

Chris Eubank has claimed Brighton as his hometown after marrying his then wife, Karron in the city in 1990. Eubank has also raised his children in Hove. 

Peter James

The Argus:

Peter James - Image courtesy of Diana Frangi Wikimedia Commons.

Peter James is an international bestselling author. 

The Brighton residents novel series, Roy Grace,are all based in Brighton. James works closely with the Sussex Police department while researching his crime novels. Fans can join the Walking Dead tour to see some of the sights featured in the Roy Grace stories.

Zoella 

The Argus: YouTube vlogger Zoella's real name is Zoe Sugg (PA)

YouTube vlogger Zoella's  real name is Zoe Sugg (PA)

Zoe Elizabeth Sugg is a vlogger, businesswoman and author. She is also known by her YouTube username, Zoella.

In 2014, she launched Zoella Beauty, a brand of beauty products that was described as the "biggest beauty launch of the year".

Zoella and partner Alfie have been living together in Brighton for over six years, moving here in January 2014.

The Prince Regent

The Prince Regent (later George IV) is a key figure in Brighton's history as he gave us the fabulous Royal Pavilion. The Prince Regent put Brighton on the map as a place to come to escape the humdrum of everyday life and where else in England could you get away with building an Indian palace!

David Gilmour

The Argus:

David Gilmour (Zak Hussein/PA)

David Gilmour  is an English musician who was a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1968 shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett.

The Pink Floyd guitarist and his wife, the novelist Polly Samson, are building a home in Hove. They bought a Victorian building five years ago but had to have it demolished in 2018 after it was found to be beyond repair.

The couple are now rebuilding the property to echo the original building - a 19th century Turkish bathhouse. 

Nigel Kennedy

The Argus:
(Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Nigel Kennedy was born in Brighton and is a violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and has more recently performed in jazz, klezmer and other music genres. He’s best known for injecting elements of punk into the orchestral music genre.

Lesley Manville 

The Argus:

Lesley Manville (Ian West/PA)

Also born in Brighton, Lesley Manville is a famous actress best known for her roles in the hit series Mum and The Crown where she played Princess Margaret in the fifth series.