Bernie Sanders has said whoever wins the California primary has an “exceptional” chance of becoming the Democratic presidential nomination at a raucous rally in front of more than 10,000 supporters in Los Angeles.

The Vermont senator and democratic socialist called on high profile supporters from Hollywood and the music industry to help gee up his backers just 48 hours before the state, and 13 others, go to the polls.

Members of the rap group Public Enemy bear-hugged Mr Sanders on stage before urging the crowd to raise a fist as they sung “Fight the Power”, a message that the Sanders campaign adopted for the night.

Actor Dick Van Dyke, the 94-year-old star of Mary Poppins, made fun of concerns about Mr Sanders’s age, joking that he probably “got married or something” on the day the 78-year-old politician was born.

Comedian Sarah Silverman mocked critics of the senator’s policies from the stage, saying at one point: “Free education and healthcare for all. What an a*******. Can you believe the nerve of this guy?”