English actor Jonathan Bailey has been named People magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, the outlet announced Monday.
The 37-year-old “Wicked” star called the recognition “a huge honor” and admitted he found it “completely absurd.” Bailey revealed he had kept the news a secret, joking that the only early confidant was his dog, Benson.
“They’ll be furious that I haven’t told them. And then they’ll just squeal with delight,” he said of friends and family.
Bailey succeeds last year’s winner, John Krasinski, and Patrick Dempsey, who held the title in 2023. This marks the 40th anniversary of People’s Sexiest Man Alive franchise, first launched in 1985 with Mel Gibson.
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Known for his roles on stage and screen, Bailey starred in Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers, and made his big-screen mark in 2024’s Wicked alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as well as 2025’s Jurassic World: Rebirth. He began acting at age 7 and won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2019 for his performance in Company. In 2024, he earned an Emmy nomination for Fellow Travelers, winning a Critics’ Choice Award in the same category.
Jonathan Bailey will next appear in Wicked: For Good, which hits theaters on Nov. 21.