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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Jonathan Bailey is PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive 2025. Announced on November 3 during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the honor capped a year in which Bailey moved between Bridgerton, Wicked: For Good, Jurassic World Rebirth and Emmy-recognized drama. His reaction was appreciative—but, in his words, “completely absurd.”
Jonathan Bailey is PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive 2025. The English actor received the magazine’s annual title on November 3, 2025, during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He succeeds 2024 honoree John Krasinski.
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Bailey’s response was characteristically self-deprecating. He called the selection a “huge honor” and said he was “incredibly flattered,” before adding that it was “completely absurd.” He had reportedly kept the news secret, telling ABC News that only his dog, Benson, knew in advance.
Why Jonathan Bailey was chosen in 2025
PEOPLE’s title is an editorial honor, not a formal competition judged by an independent panel. But Bailey’s selection arrived after a year in which he occupied several of popular entertainment’s most visible lanes at once: prestige television romance, a major musical-film franchise, blockbuster action and awards-season conversation.
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ABC News and the Associated Press connected the recognition with Bailey’s performances as Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton, Prince Fiyero in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, his Emmy-nominated work in Fellow Travelers and his appearance in Jurassic World Rebirth, which arrived in theaters in July 2025.
That combination matters. Bailey was not visible in only one type of project. He had the devoted audience of a period romance, the reach of a global musical adaptation and the scale of a mainstream franchise film. PEOPLE’s announcement effectively formalized a broader pop-culture moment that had been building across all three.
Anthony Bridgerton made Bailey a romance phenomenon
Netflix identifies Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount Bridgerton. His central love story with Kate Sharma—later Kate Bridgerton—drives the second season of the series.
Anthony’s appeal is more complicated than simple rakish charm. He is burdened by family duty, frightened of loss and determined to treat marriage as an obligation rather than an emotional risk. Bailey’s performance gradually exposes the vulnerability beneath that control, particularly as Anthony’s relationship with Kate forces him to confront what he actually wants.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Netflix Tudum has highlighted the character’s emotional development, his fear of losing the people he loves and the much-discussed lake scene from Season 2. Those details help explain why Bailey’s appeal extended beyond the conventional “handsome leading man” label: Anthony combines aristocratic confidence with visible uncertainty and emotional restraint that eventually begins to crack.
Bailey also returned as Anthony in Season 4, according to Netflix’s updated character guide. For readers who want to explore the story that inspired the television romance, The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn is the novel identified by the author’s official site as the basis for Bridgerton Season 2. The book and the series are related, but they are not identical retellings.
Fiyero connected Bailey to the biggest musical-film conversation
Universal’s official synopsis for Wicked: For Good identifies Bailey as Prince Fiyero, alongside Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang and Jeff Goldblum. The film is the concluding chapter of the two-part screen adaptation of the stage musical, and Fiyero sits at the center of Glinda’s public storyline.
Bailey had already played Fiyero in the first Wicked film, released in 2024. The 2025 follow-up kept him in one of the year’s most prominent movie-musical casts while allowing audiences to follow the consequences of the characters’ choices. That role broadened his profile beyond viewers who knew him primarily as Anthony Bridgerton.
For fans who want to keep the film rather than rely on its theatrical or streaming availability, Wicked: For Good 4K Blu-ray is the most directly relevant physical-media search. The film has documented 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD formats. Editions, retailers, prices and stock can change, so buyers should confirm the specific release and region before ordering.
His 2025 profile extended beyond romance and musicals
Bailey’s year also included Jurassic World Rebirth, released in July 2025, giving him a place in a major action-adventure franchise. Meanwhile, his Emmy-nominated performance in Fellow Travelers kept attention on his dramatic range and ensured that the conversation around him was not limited to his most photogenic roles.
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- Country/Region Of Manufacture: United Kingdom, Language: English
- Publication Name: ALL ABOUT HISTORY MAGAZINE
- Subject: Miltary History
- Year Published: 2017
- Issue Type: Annual
That range is central to the timing of PEOPLE’s choice. Bailey could be discussed as the star of a glossy period romance, a performer in a high-profile musical and an actor moving through serious dramatic material. The “Sexiest Man Alive” label is playful, but it arrived during a year when his visibility was unusually broad.
What “Sexiest Man Alive” actually means
The title belongs to PEOPLE’s annual franchise and should be understood as a magazine editorial designation rather than an objective measurement or competitive award. The franchise reached its 40th anniversary in 2025. ABC News identified Mel Gibson as the inaugural honoree in 1985.
That distinction is worth making because the phrase can sound more official than it is. PEOPLE selects the honoree as part of its entertainment coverage; there is no publicly described universal standard by which every actor is measured. The significance comes from the franchise’s visibility and cultural familiarity, not from a formal judging body.
Some secondary reports have described Bailey as the first openly gay person to receive the title. That claim has circulated, but the strongest source material available for this announcement establishes Bailey’s selection and public identity without supplying a definitive PEOPLE franchise-history statement proving the superlative. It is therefore safer not to present it as settled fact.
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Jonathan Bailey’s Sexiest Man Alive timeline
- November 3, 2025: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon announces Bailey as PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive.
- November 4, 2025: Associated Press and ABC News reports detail the announcement, his reaction and the career context behind the selection.
- November 21, 2025: Universal press materials identify the physical-media window for Wicked: For Good, including 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD formats.
- January 20, 2026: Secondary physical-media listings identify the home-video release date for the 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD editions.
- March 3, 2026: Netflix Tudum publishes an updated Anthony Bridgerton character deep dive covering Bailey’s role and Anthony’s continuing story.
A playful title attached to a serious career moment
Bailey’s “completely absurd” comment captures the tone of the honor without rejecting it. He described the recognition as a huge honor and an honor of a lifetime, then undercut the grandeur with a joke. That combination—gratitude wrapped in disbelief—made the announcement feel more like Bailey than a carefully rehearsed acceptance speech.
PEOPLE’s 2025 choice was not simply a judgment about appearance. It reflected a year in which Jonathan Bailey was unusually difficult to avoid: Anthony Bridgerton remained one of television’s most recognizable romantic heroes; Fiyero placed him inside a global movie-musical event; Jurassic World Rebirth expanded his franchise reach; and Fellow Travelers reinforced his dramatic credibility.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSo, is Jonathan Bailey the “sexiest man alive”? In PEOPLE’s deliberately subjective annual tradition, yes. In Bailey’s own amusingly skeptical assessment, the whole thing is also “completely absurd.” Both interpretations are part of why the choice landed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Jonathan Bailey named Sexiest Man Alive?
PEOPLE announced Jonathan Bailey as its 2025 Sexiest Man Alive on November 3, 2025, during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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What did Jonathan Bailey say about being named Sexiest Man Alive?
Bailey called the selection a “huge honor,” said he was “incredibly flattered” and added that it was “completely absurd.” He reportedly kept the news secret, telling ABC News that only his dog Benson knew.
Is Sexiest Man Alive an official award?
The title is an editorial honor selected by PEOPLE for its annual franchise. It is not a formal competitive award judged by an independent organization.
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What is Jonathan Bailey best known for?
Bailey played Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s Bridgerton and Prince Fiyero in Wicked and Wicked: For Good. He also appeared in Jurassic World Rebirth and received an Emmy nomination for Fellow Travelers.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: PEOPLE named Jonathan Bailey its 2025 Sexiest Man Alive on November 3, 2025, after a breakout year spanning Bridgerton, Wicked: For Good, Jurassic World Rebirth and Fellow Travelers. Bailey accepted the honor warmly—but still called it “completely absurd.”
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