Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey has been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, winning the 2025 edition of the prize. “It’s a huge honor,” Bailey, the first openly gay man to win the award, told People. “Obviously, I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd.” Speaking to Jimmy Fallon about the news on Monday, Bailey, 37, told the host he first discovered he’d won the award while starring in a production of Shakespeare’s Richard II at the start of the year. “The only thing madder than doing Richard II was to be invited into this,” he said. “And also in 2025, I’m sort of thrilled that People magazine has invited someone in, to bestow this honor on someone who can really cherish the value of a sexy man.” The actor also joked that his dog, Benson, was the only one who knew about the news prior to the announcement, and that he was expecting grief from his friends for hiding the news from them. “They’ve seen me grow up,” he said. “Behind the mask of being identified as a sexy man are other truths that they know and they’ve witnessed. They know the secrets.” When asked if he expects to be treated differently after winning the award, the actor bluntly quipped, “I f---ing hope so!”
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