Is Jonathan Bailey dating anyone? What People’s first gay Sexiest Man Alive said in 2023

Jonathan Bailey, a star of the Bridgerton world, is People’s Sexiest Man Alive, scripting history as the first openly gay man to hold the title in the annual magazine ritual that began in 1985.

The British actor catapulted to global stardom for playing the role of Anthony Bridgerton. Five years down the line, the actor doesn’t need an introduction anymore and has become one of the admired actors who can dominate headlines with a single statement.

Before scripting history as the first openly gay Sexiest Man Alive, the Wicked actor, who has successfully made a mark in the West End, had garnered the tag of "internet boyfriend," had talked about coming out and how he shared his sexuality with his loved ones.

Speaking to British Vogue, Bailey discussed his sexuality, sharing that it was more of a gradual realisation. He mentioned that he had gone out on a date with a girl for over two years in his early 20s.

“It’s interesting with the binary,” he says, “where you’re perceived to be either this or that. That’s how I saw it at the time, but there are so many nuances to it. My experience of that relationship was not that I was in the shadows. She remains one of my best friends.”

As an openly gay man, Bailey has never shied away from speaking about his sexuality.

However, once he had an awkward moment when in one of the sleepover nights, the actor talked about his sexuality, but what he got was the only silence.

“‘Guys, guys, who else thinks they’re gay? Do you? I do. I do,’” he recalled. “It was a conversation I really, really wanted to have, to see if everyone else was on the same page. But, everyone went quiet.”

While he has swooned the world with his portrayal of a straight character, he's a proudly gay man and doesn't shy away from speaking about his sexuality. However, for many years, he struggled to come out publicly.

In 2022, he told GQ, “Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.”
“I reached a point where I thought, F**k this, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part,” he shared.

Speaking about his love life, the actor said, “there’s a lovely man,” adding, “It’s not secret, but it’s private.”

Is Jonathan Bailey dating anyone?

While the actor, who has described himself as “a confident hand-holder in relationships.” But he's quite private when it comes to sharing his romantic life.

In 2023, the actor told The Evening Standard that he was dating a “lovely man," without revealing the identity of his partner.

“It’s not secret, but it’s private,” Bailey explained. “Having a private life is, for me, completely critical. I don’t know if I would be able to be as confident to speak out on other things if I felt that my whole life was up for grabs.”

However, the actor's name was previously linked to James Ellis, and the two even shared a kiss at the Olivier Awards in 2019. But his current relationship status is still unknown.