Los Angeles, CA – History just got a whole lot hotter. Jonathan Bailey, the 37-year-old British heartthrob who melted screens as the brooding Viscount Anthony Bridgerton and is set to slay as Fiyero in Wicked, has been crowned People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2025 – and he’s the first openly gay man to claim the iconic title in its 40-year run. The bombshell dropped Wednesday on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where Bailey laughed: “I blushed like Anthony at the opera – but this? This is a revolutionary milestone for LGBTQ+!”
Fallon handed over the red sash; Bailey draped it like a Regency rebel, quipping: “From kissing on the sidelines to dancing in Wicked – this guy is not only HOT, he’s a game changer!” The announcement detonated X with #SexiestManBailey surging to 3.1 million posts in hours. Fans lost it: “He had me at ‘Your Grace’ – now he’s Sexiest Man? I need a fainting couch!” Memes flooded timelines: Bailey’s shirtless Bridgerton fencing scene spliced with the People cover, captioned “En garde, straight culture.”
Bailey’s journey is pure fire. From his Emmy-nominated, soul-baring turn in Fellow Travelers – where he locked lips with Matt Bomer in raw, era-defying passion – to stealing scenes in Bridgerton Season 2 with Simone Ashley, he’s redefined desire. Out since 2018, Bailey told Variety: “I grew up thinking shame and love were the same. This says they’re not.” His 2024 Olivier Award for Cock and upcoming Wicked role opposite Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo only amp the glow.
LGBTQ+ advocates are screaming. GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called it “a cultural earthquake – visibility isn’t just representation, it’s revolution.” Bailey, engaged to artist Simon Bailey, posed for the 10-page spread in a linen-open shirt, wind-swept hair, and that knowing grin – plus a cheeky “Sexiest Knitwear” nod to his off-screen hobby.
From Shondaland slow-burns to People‘s throne, Bailey’s reign is just beginning. One viral tweet sums it: “He didn’t just win Sexiest Man – he redefined it.” Bow down, diamonds. The Viscount is king.
