Celebrity Patrick Dempsey Has Finally Earned the Title of 'People''s Sexiest Man Alive He made the big announcement during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! By Tessa Petak Tessa Petak Tessa Petak is a Brooklyn-based writer who helps to cultivate InStyle's illustrious news coverage across a wide range of topics including celebrity, fashion, and entertainment. She also produces and composes celebrity profiles and features for the site and InStyle's digital issues. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on November 8, 2023 @ 09:51AM It's the most wonderful time of the year — and no, I'm not talking about the holidays (or the arrival of the Christmas cups at Starbucks). People magazine's annual Sexiest Man Alive issue is just around the corner, and the leading man has finally been revealed as none other than (drumroll, please) Patrick Dempsey. getty The former Grey's Anatomy star was crowned with the honor during a Tuesday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the talk show host had the audience guess his identity while giving a series of clues. In Dempsey's accompanying People cover story, the heartthrob opened up about what it's been like to earn the title at this stage in his career. "I'm glad it's happening at this point in my life," the 57-year-old actor shared. "It’s nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive." "I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing," he later explained of learning the news, adding that he asked People, "This is a joke, right? I've always been the bridesmaid!" In the very sexy cover photo, Dempsey smiled while modeling a blue denim Thom Sweeney button-up shirt and a Tag Heuer watch. Is the Beefcake Back? Other sexy men featured in the issue as a result of the publication's annual Reader's Choice Poll included James Marsden as the Sexiest TV Star, Pierce Brosnan as the Sexiest Grandpa, and, of course, Travis Kelce as the Sexiest Athlete. getty Last year, the oh-so-sexy Chris Evans (aka Captain America) graced the cover of the magazine, and before him, it was the ageless Paul Rudd. Other men to headline the longstanding franchise include Michael B. Jordan, John Legend, Idris Elba, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, David Beckham, and more. The publication first handed out the title in 1985, when it crowned Mel Gibson as the inaugural Sexiest Man Alive. Since then, People has released an annual issue that also includes an extensive list of runners-up and tons of gorgeous thirst traps for us to drool over. Yesterday, People teased the 2023 issue by dropping a sneak peek of this year's star-studded roundup of men, which included Usher, Lenny Kravitz, Timothée Chalamet, Jamie Foxx, Pedro Pascal, and NFL star (and Travis Kelce's brother) Jason Kelce.