Jonathan Bailey reacts to Sexiest Man Alive honor, says it's ‘completely absurd’

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey is the first openly gay Sexiest Man Alive honoree

Jonathan Bailey made history as the first openly gay Sexiest Man Alive. In his cover interview for People magazine, the 37-year-old expressed gratitude for the coveted title. “I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd,” he said.

Jonathan Bailey in a still from Bridgerton Season 2 (Bridgerton)

Jonathan Bailey reacts to People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive honor

The Bridgerton star was announced as the 2025 Sexiest Man Alive during Monday's episode of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. However, Bailey received the news earlier this year while starring in Shakespeare's Richard II at The Bridge Theatre in London.

“For those of you who don’t know, it’s not a comedy,” he said of the production. “I think we were 30 shows into 103 shows. I was in the zone. So you go slightly mad, and the only thing madder than doing Richard II is being invited into this,” he added, referring to the People magazine honour.

Bailey hilariously told host Jimmy Fallon that before the official announcement, he drunkenly told some friends about it. “They were like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, do your affirmations,'” he recalled.

The Wicked star further said that he was “thrilled” that the magazine “invited someone in to bestow this honour on someone who can really cherish the value of a sexy man.”

“It’s an honor of a lifetime,” he gushed, before joking, “Jimmy, thank you so much for turning it down so that I could be here.”

Elsewhere in his cover interview, Bailey was asked if he was ready to take on the title of the “internet's boyfriend.” “I don’t know about that. There’s so many of them, right?” he replied.

Bailey also explained how he stays grounded despite being aware of the online craze about him. “I think sometimes you get really sucked in,” he said of the social media comments about him, adding that he might read them “once a month. I might dive in.”