5 Fun Revelations from the PEOPLE VIP Sexiest Man Alive Editor Chat (Including the Sexy Guy Who Gifted Our Editors Crates of Wine!)

Some titles are chosen in a boardroom. Sexiest Man Alive was not. In a PEOPLE VIP live chat, the editors who have shaped the franchise over four decades shared how it really happened — by accident, by generosity, by a stray dog, and by a cover star who arrived with a teapot and a plan. The chat, held on Thursday, October 22, brought together Editor-in-Chief and General Manager Charlotte Triggs and former Executive Editor Elizabeth Sporkin, moderated by Senior Editor of Special Integrated Projects Ana Calderone, and it produced five revelations that explain why this title still matters.

The franchise began in 1985 and now spans a 41-year history, growing from a single cover story into a full annual issue with varied takes on sexiness. Here are the five moments the editors chose to share, in order.

1. The First Cover Happened by Accident

The very first Sexiest Man Alive cover was not planned as a franchise at all. In 1985, a Mel Gibson photo shoot produced striking pictures, but the accompanying interview could not be used. Rather than discard the feature, editors took up a suggestion to simply label him Sexiest Man Alive and run the pictures.

Gibson, described as the Braveheart star and now 70, thus launched the tradition. What started as a solution to a problem became an annual event, and Sporkin recalled the George Clooney issue in 1997 as one she worked on as a staffer.

2. Matt Damon Turned It Down — Then Sent Wine

Matt Damon, 55, was selected in 2007 and initially declined the title, sending editors a respectful letter explaining why he did not want it. Editors proceeded anyway, and he later changed his view after being touched by the honour.

What he did next is the part editors still remember. He sent every editor who worked on the issue a case of red wine. Sporkin said she checked the price and found it was $75 a bottle, and Triggs described the gesture as an elegant touch.

3. Ryan Reynolds Helped a Stray Dog Find a Home

Ryan Reynolds, 50, was the 2010 titleholder, and his shoot produced a story that had nothing to do with posing. During his shoot on a farm in Atlanta, the crew found a stray dog described as extremely thin. Although the farm owners had warned against feeding strays, the crew fed it.

A publicist on set decided to adopt it, and Reynolds gave her his own dog’s crate and leash to help. The dog was named Sam, a nod to the franchise, and lived about 15 more years.

4. Jonathan Bailey Arrived With a Full Creative Vision

Jonathan Bailey, 38, the Bridgerton star, was PEOPLE’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, and Triggs said he was highly involved creatively, to the point she could imagine him as an art director. The shoot was on a beach in southern England, involving the ocean, his dog Benson and styling choices.

He wanted a sensual tea-pouring shot and bought a small house-shaped teapot online for it. The approach produced memorable images, including two different covers, and Triggs said she hopes future cover stars will be similarly involved.

5. This Year’s Cover Star Is ‘Epic’ — But Still a Secret

The editors did not reveal the next cover star, and this blog does not invent one. What Triggs did say was that the upcoming edition will have six shoots, each showing a different kind of sexiness, including another centerfold, with each featured person standing on their own.

Her teaser wording for the cover star was, in brief: the cover star is epic, and she is very excited, believing most people will react very positively. She said the choice should capture the spirit of the year and represent that year, and that she believes the choice got it right this year.

The same section gave readers’ choice context: readers chose Belmont Cameli as favourite fictional hockey player, with heated comments, gave Dancing with the Stars pro Pasha Pashkov a perfect 10, named Craig Melvin Sexiest Morning Show Host, named Travis Kelce a sexy cat dad, and highlighted Stephen Colbert as an example of silver foxes improving with age.

That is the point of the chat, in the end. Sexiest Man Alive was never just a cover. It was an accident that became a tradition, a declined title that became a gift of wine, a stray dog that found a home, and a cover star who brought his own teapot to the beach. The next name is still secret, but the editors’ message was clear: this year, they believe they got it right.