People are loving People Magazine's pick for "Sexiest Man Alive."

Joining the roster of A-list stars who have earned the coveted moniker is "Wicked" star Jonathan Bailey, who is also the first openly gay man to hold the title.

Bailey's recognition comes as the magazine celebrates 40 years of declaring the honor, which began in 1985 with Oscar winner Mel Gibson.

It didn't take long for the news about Bailey, which was announced on "The Tonight Show," to migrate to social media, where fans of the "Bridgerton" heartthrob and members of the LGBTQ+ community shared their reactions: elated but not surprised.

"It's the honor of a lifetime," the 37-year-old said to "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon. "I want to say, Jimmy, thank you so much for turning it down so that I could be here."

After catapulting into the limelight with his performance as Anthony Bridgerton, Bailey recently starred as the cute, if clueless, Prince Fiyero in the "Wicked" franchise and Tim Laughlin in “Fellow Travelers."

See how fans are reacting to the news.

'A pop culture milestone': GLAAD praises People's pick

GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ advocacy organization, called the pick a "pop culture milestone" that reflects "just how far LGBTQ visibility in Hollywood has come."

"For decades, LGBTQ actors were excluded from conversations around leading-man appeal and blockbuster film franchises," Anthony Allen Ramos, GLAAD's vice president of communications and talent, said in a statement.

"Seeing an out gay actor star in some of the most successful movies of recent times and celebrated by People in this way sends a powerful message to the industry that audiences everywhere know that authenticity is attractive," Allen Ramos added.

Social media is elated, but not surprised

Since the news was announced on Monday, Nov. 3, Bailey's fans and fellow "Wicked" co-stars, including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, have taken to social media to give the "Jurassic World Rebirth" star his flowers.

The entire "Wicked" crew, all donning t-shirts featuring images from Bailey's "Sexiest Man Alive" cover shoot, "got together" to show him some love.

Fans of Bailey followed suit, with some noting the significance of having the first openly gay man to grace the cover of People's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue.

"jonathan bailey being the first openly gay man to ever be named the sexiest man alive in the big year of 2025 is actually so special and lovely… in this political climate it’s things like this that keep my spirits lifted," one X user wrote.

See how some fans are reacting to the news:

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Bailey is People's Sexiest Man Alive. Social media is not surprised.

Reporting by Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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