Camilla Jessen
He calls it an “honor of a lifetime.”
The Bridgerton and Wicked star was named PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, marking the 40th anniversary of the iconic title.
Jonathan Bailey made the big reveal on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, walking out to wild applause as a giant version of his shirtless cover appeared behind him.
“The honor of a lifetime”
Bailey, 37, joked that he was “still giggling” about the whole thing and called it “the honor of a lifetime.”
He even teased Fallon for “turning down” the title so that he could win. But when Fallon asked if the title would change how people treat him, Bailey didn’t miss a beat: “I f—ing hope so!”
The actor admitted he found out about the honor while performing Richard II on stage, a serious, Shakespearean role far from his current title.
“You go slightly mad doing that play,” Bailey said. “The only thing madder than Richard II is being invited into this.”
Bailey tried to leak the news to friends during a night out, but they brushed it off as self-help affirmations.
Now, it’s official.
Still, he calls the title “absurd” and says he tries not to read the thirst online — “maybe once a month.”
But with costar Phoebe Waller-Bridge calling him a “chemistry machine,” it’s no surprise the world’s finally caught up.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
