Stranger Things Star Named Sexiest Man Alive 2025? Here’s the Real Story
People crowns Wicked star Jonathan Bailey Sexiest Man Alive 2025, but the internet has other ideas—Stranger Things fans are mounting a viral campaign to hand the crown to Joe Keery.
Quick one: People magazine handed the Sexiest Man Alive 2025 crown to Jonathan Bailey, and the internet immediately did what it does best — made a whole other story up about Joe Keery. If your feed suddenly told you Keery snagged a title too, here is what actually happened.
Wait, did Joe Keery win something from People?
Not officially. The confusion comes from People running some reader-voted extras alongside the main Sexiest Man Alive reveal — including a category called 'Sexiest Green Flag Fictional Character.' That one celebrates the good guys: emotionally mature, respectful, the 'will text you back' types. A post started flying around claiming Steve Harrington, Keery's Stranger Things character, won it.
'Steve Harrington voted PEOPLE's Sexiest Green Flag Fictional Character of 2025'
Fun for fans, not accurate. The actor himself was not named anywhere in People's poll, and Steve wasn't the winning character. The internet basically promoted Keery on its own, because of course it did.
What People actually announced
- Sexiest Man Alive 2025: Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Wicked)
- Readers' Choice category 'Sexiest Green Flag Fictional Character': Conrad Fisher from The Summer I Turned Pretty
- Conrad is played by Christopher Briney
- Joe Keery was not named in People’s poll, and Steve Harrington did not win the category
Why Conrad Fisher took the green-flag win
If you missed the show, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Belly Conklin, a teen who spends every summer at Cousins Beach with her mom's best friend's family — which includes Conrad Fisher and his brother Jeremiah. The coming-of-age stuff collides with a love triangle, and Conrad settles in as the brooding-but-gentle, steady presence who actually listens and communicates like a human. Christopher Briney plays him with a soft touch that makes the character feel like a real person, not a trope. The win tracks with where viewers are right now: less 'bad boy,' more 'emotionally available adult.' Shocking concept, I know.
So where does that leave Steve Harrington (and Joe Keery)?
Fans basically held their own coronation. And honestly, fair. Keery has been serving green-flag energy since the Hawkins High days. But officially? No title this time. The only crown that exists on the record is Bailey's, and the only green-flag winner People named was Conrad.
Bottom line
Jonathan Bailey gets the big honor, Conrad Fisher wins the 'kind men are hot' category, and Joe Keery remains the people's champ on social media. Think the Stranger Things star should snag something next year? Drop your pick in the comments.