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Wicked: For Good star Jonathan Bailey is People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2025. The news was revealed on Monday night (Nov. 3) on The Tonight Show, where Prince Fiyero called the title the “honor of a lifetime,” jokingly thanking host Jimmy Fallon for turning it down so that he could take the crown.

“I’m sort of thrilled that People magazine have invited someone in — bestowed this honor on someone who can really cherish the value of a sexy man,” he joked as Fallon asked him to do the traditional cover signing.

The actor admitted he was still “giggling” about taking over from last year’s winner, Jack Ryan star John Krasinski. “At the beginning of the year I was doing Shakespeare’s Richard II — for those of you who don’t know, it’s not a comedy,” Bailey said, noting that he was very much “in the zone” doing the intense drama when he got word that he would be the cover star for the 40th anniversary honor. “So you go slightly mad, and the only thing madder than doing Richard II is being invited into this.”

Bailey got the assignment as evidenced by the two People covers he graces, snuggling with his adorable cockapoo puppy, Benson, shirtless, naturally, on one. On the other, he stares straight into the lens while being buffeted by chilly surf off a beach south of London in a dramatic shoot, both with the tagline: “Wicked-ly handsome & oh-so-charming. We know, we nailed it.”

The 37-year-old actor born in Oxfordshire, England, began his career as a seven-year-old child actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company and received the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for best actor in a supporting role in a musical in 2019 for his performance in a gender-swapped revival of Company. He rose to prominence a decade ago for his role in the crime drama Broadchurch, then became a heartthrob for his role as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the romance series Bridgerton before being cast as Prince Fiyero in the first part of the Wicked movie musical series in 2024. In addition to that role in the original and this month’s anticipated sequel, Bailey also co-starred in this summer’s hit movie Jurassic World: Rebirth.

Asked by People when he first realized that his star was rising, Bailey said it was in 2020 when Bridgerton rocketed him to fame. “I had the radio set for my alarm, and one morning it went off with, ‘Here’s the news at 7. But just before we go, can we talk about Jonathan Bailey?’ ” the actor said. “I was like, ‘Where is my journal? Is this real?’ It was wild.”

Bailey, who is openly gay, founded the Shameless Fund, which offers support to LGBTQ+ organizations and said he knows it’s important to be a beacon during difficult times.

“I know the LGBT sector is under immense threat at the moment,” said the actor known colloquially as “the internet’s boyfriend.” “So it’s been amazing to meet people who have the expertise and see potential that I could have only dreamed of.”

When Fallon suggested that fans are constantly trying to cast Bailey in sought-after roles such as James Bond or Batman, the actor humbly demurred, saying he would do it only if Fallon was his Moneypenny or Robin sidekick.

As with all previous Sexiest Men, Bailey struggled to keep the news a secret — and actually tried, and failed, to leak the news to some friends during a round of drinks where they teased him to keep doing his “affirmations” — but now that it’s out Fallon wondered if he thinks people will treat him differently now. “I f–king hope so!” Bailey said. All joking aside, he called the title a “huge honor… Obviously I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd.”

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on Nov. 21 with returning stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariaan Grande, as well as Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang.

Watch Bailey on The Tonight Show below.