In a shocking twist, People magazine did not choose a movie star for its annual Sexiest Man Alive cover, which was revealed Tuesday night. Instead, for the first time ever, the magazine went with a professional athlete: British soccer superstar David Beckham.
Beckham won the honor because ... OK, honestly? Besides the fact that he’s known as one of the more attractive people on the planet, we have no idea.
Sexiest Man Alive is about more than looks. Generally, the magazine chooses someone who just had a big year, or needs some image repair or has upcoming projects to promote. Beckham, 40, retired from soccer a couple years ago. These days he makes headlines when he plays in a UNICEF charity match with his kids.
Fittingly, People only focuses on Beckham’s family for its cover, as the headline reads “He’s a romantic husband, a devoted dad – and he vacuums!” It goes without saying that his wife is pop star/fashion icon Victoria Beckham. Even the preview of People’s cover story simply notes that he’s a proud father to three sons (Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz) and a 4-year-old daughter, Harper. Then there are the usual quotes about how he is surprised that he’s considered sexy. That’s it.
Beckham didn’t even have anything to plug when he appeared briefly via video on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” as the late-night host announced the honor for the third year in the row.
“It’s the best moment of my career – I can’t believe it,” Beckham said, with the required embarrassed grin. “I would obviously like to thank my parents for bringing me into this world, of course.”
Still, as the New York Times wrote when Beckham announced his retirement in 2013, “Beckham was not merely an athlete; he was an international brand that smartly fused a handsomeness that bordered on beauty with athleticism, marketing savvy and an eager embrace of the role of pop idol.” For Sexiest Man Alive, maybe that’s all it takes.
Here’s every winner since People started awarding the prize:
1985: Mel Gibson
1986: Mark Harmon
1987: Harry Hamlin
1988: John F. Kennedy Jr.
1989: Sean Connery
1990: Tom Cruise
1991: Patrick Swayze
1992: Nick Nolte
1993: Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford (sexiest couple)
1994: No one – possibly a lack of sexiness that year.
1995: Brad Pitt
1996: Denzel Washington
1997: George Clooney
1998: Harrison Ford
1999: Richard Gere (again)
2000: Brad Pitt (again)
2001: Pierce Brosnan
2002: Ben Affleck
2003: Johnny Depp
2004: Jude Law
2005: Matthew McConaughey
2006: George Clooney (again)
2007: Matt Damon
2008: Hugh Jackman
2009: Johnny Depp (again)
2010: Ryan Reynolds
2011: Bradley Cooper
2012: Channing Tatum
2013: Adam Levine
2014: Chris Hemsworth
