People has bestowed its 2025 Sexiest Man Alive title on Jonathan Bailey.
In an interview with the outlet published on Monday, the Wicked star called the title “a huge honor.”
“Obviously I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd,” he said. “It’s been a secret, so I’m quite excited for some friends and family to find out.”
Asked if he had told anyone about the honor ahead of this week’s announcement, Bailey said, “I told my dog Benson. … But no, I haven’t. How do you spell … NDA?”
He added that he expects “a lot” of his friends to give him grief about the title, saying, “They’ll be furious that I haven’t told them. And then they’ll just squeal with delight. They’ve seen me grow up. Behind the mask of being identified as a sexy man are other truths that they know and they’ve witnessed. They know the secrets.”
Bailey’s newest resume builder marks the 40th anniversary of People‘s Sexiest Man Alive franchise, which first began back in 1985 with Mel Gibson earning the inaugural title.
Bailey succeeds last year’s winner, John Krasinski, as well as Patrick Dempsey, who nabbed the cover in 2023.
Bailey is known for an array of roles both onstage and onscreen. His top billing included the hit series Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers, before breaking out on the big screen in 2024’s Wicked alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as well as 2025’s Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Bailey can be seen next in Wicked: For Good, in theaters Nov. 21.
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