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HE became an honorary Geordie and Kevin Keegan’s star striker. But could the Honey Monster have been a secret Mackem all along?

A new video advertisement sees the yellow monster in a spoof gym workout, and at the end he strips off his tracksuit top to reveal the red and white stripes of Sunderland AFC.

Few fans will forget the mid-90s ad campaign that saw former Toon manager Keegan and the Honey Monster become the faces of Sugar Puffs.

Keegan is seen sitting in a television studio at the old Wembley Stadium saying: “The game was heading for extra time. I just had to get the big man off the bench.”

Then the Honey Monster comes on in the famous black and white shirt to score the winner and the pair exchange high-fives as they leave the pitch.

The advert became a classic but caused regional controversy which saw sales of Sugar Puffs plummet in Sunderland, as Black Cats fans boycotted the breakfast favourite in protest.

Makers of the cereal, Honey Monster Foods, are now hoping Wearsiders will embrace the brand 16 years after the Keegan campaign with the internet ads.

Ben Jun-Tai, of Frank PR, which handles advertising for Middlesex-based Honey Monster Foods, said: “Honey Monster didn’t expect the reaction that came after his advert with Kevin Keegan in 1993.

“By wearing his Sunderland shirt in his workout video he just wanted to show that he wasn’t taking sides.

“Honey Monster does not support any one team, he just loves football.

“He spends lots of time in the North East so tries to catch a game when he can . . . Tyneside or Wearside.”

Despite the apparent switch in allegiance, life-long Newcastle fan John McKeown said the Honey Monster, with his catchphrase “Tell them about the honey, Mummy”, will always be a Geordie.

The dad-of-two, from Heaton, Newcastle, said: “It’s political correctness gone mad, but he is still one of us.

“Even the best Geordies go astray sometimes so we can forgive him this moment of madness.

“Honey Monster’s gone the same way as Michael Bridges, who played for Sunderland. But we still love them.”

The Sugar Puffs ad was not Keegan’s first off-pitch appearance on the small screen.

Going back in time to 1976, a flared trouser-wearing Keegan starred in a Green Cross Code advert.

When stars took to the screen

TOON legend Paul Gascoigne is famous for his tearful outburst on an advert selling Walkers crisps.

In 1995, Gazza joined former England team mate Gary Lineker in a spoof of the Geordie midfielder’s crying in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany.

With the pair on the terraces at a football match, Lineker crushes Gazza’s fingers when he tries to steal a crisp, bringing on the waterworks.

Gazza also filmed an ad for McDonalds, left.

Rocky Robin starred in a string of adverts for the Rocky bar, made by biscuit manufacturer Fox’s.

The Geordie bird was an instant hit with his famous catchphrase “They’re choc-a- block, man”.

In 1999, Alan Shearer took a break from football to shoot an advert for the fast food chain McDonald’s.

The ad featured various shots of Shearer pacing the streets he grew up on, and the most famous was Big Al pounding across the High Level Bridge.

The advert, which poked fun at Shearer’s dull image, ended with the former Toon striker walking out of McDonald’s into Newcastle city centre as two lads turned to each other and said: “He’s a bit boring, isn’t he?”