Idris Elba named Sexiest Man Alive

Although the news cycle has been a bit preoccupied with the US midterm elections, People magazine had another result to share: The name of the 2018 Sexiest Man Alive.

On Monday night, the magazine declared Idris Elba, the beloved British actor, the winner of this year’s title. Jimmy Fallon broke the news on The Tonight Show, as he revealed the cover to Elba, who appeared via satellite from London.

“Congratulations on being the sexiest man alive. We have the cover here,” Fallon said. “It refers to you as a sweet, smouldering superstar. Can we see a little smoulder?”

Elba, 46, showed off his sweet and smouldering looks, to the delight of the studio audience. He also caught his first glimpse at the cover, and was very pleased.

“It’s amazing, I’m really, really happy with that. Thank you so much, People magazine, for making me sexiest man in the world,” Elba said, flexing a bicep. “My mum is going to be very, very proud.”

Unlike past Sexiest Men Alive (the cover has been a tradition since 1985), Elba doesn’t have a big upcoming project to promote. Elba, who became a star in America after HBO’s The Wire, had a memorable part in Avengers: Infinity War this year, reprising his role from the Thor franchise.