United Kingdom, Nov. 7 -- Jonathan Bailey believes "nothing's sexier than progress" after being crowned People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

The Wicked actor became the first openly gay man to claim the publication's annual honour and accepted the accolade "without a second thought" as he knew it would benefit the LGBTQ+ community.

In an interview with Forbes, Jonathan said: "There's nothing sexier than progress.

"Of course, there was no way I wasn't going to step into that corner this year when the opportunity arose.

"There's something about knowing when that invitation came in, it's amazing to be able to accept it without a second thought, knowing that it's meaningful and impactful, as well as just an incredible and hilarious honour...