Skip to content
Opinion
Link copied to clipboard

Duh, Idris Elba is People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ | Elizabeth Wellington

Idris Elba — the man that I've asked Santa Claus for Christmas every. single. year since his days as HBO's The Wire's criminal genius, Stringer Bell — was named People's Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

FILE – In this Jan. 21, 2018, file photo, actor-director Idris Elba poses for a portrait to promote his film "Yardie" at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. On Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, Elba was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE – In this Jan. 21, 2018, file photo, actor-director Idris Elba poses for a portrait to promote his film "Yardie" at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. On Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, Elba was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)Read moreTaylor Jewell

I fell asleep last night on my living room couch with the news on, so my dreams were dotted with Election Day anxiety.

Enough. Enough.

At 4:30 a.m., I was wide awake. I reached over to my coffee table, grabbed my phone, and began to mindlessly scroll through my Facebook feed. Them I saw what I have known to be true for more than a decade.

Idris Elba — the man I've asked Santa Claus for Christmas Every. Single. Year. since his days as  The Wire's criminal genius, Stringer Bell  — was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. With this manly moniker comes an Idris Elba emoji for Twitter that appears when you use the hashtag #sexiestmanalive. (I know, I tried it at 5 a.m. I want to use this as a hashtag on everything.) Finally, People has listened to me. Finally, they've listened to every woman I know. Finally.

Elba is only the third man of color to get People's Sexiest Man Alive blessing. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was deemed such in 2016, and 20 years before that, in 1996, Denzel Washington got the ultimate hot boy love.

Jimmy Fallon announced this duh news last night on The Tonight Show and showed America the cover. Scrumptious.

Was there really another choice?

The delicious 46-year-old Elba (who is also the star of Luther and plays the dark Heimdall in Thor)  tweeted his cover at midnight. He was "honoured" and thankful (gotta love the British spelling). He also reminded us to get out there and vote in Tuesday's midterm elections. That's right, Dris, tell them. I'm on my way.

Also on this year's list: Black Panther Chadwick Boseman as Sexiest Superhero. Check. Prince Harry as Sexiest Royal. Is there any competition? And Shawn Mendes as Sexiest Teen Idol. Uh-huh.

Last year, People named country singer Blake Shelton its Sexiest Man Alive. Really? Seriously? I even lamented that, sure, Shelton looks good in Buffalo plaid, but how could he win before Idris?! I mean, Idris Elba looks good in everything, especially that cozy cardigan he was wearing on his cover.

I'm such an Elba fan that when I found out in August he was likely coming to North Philadelphia next year to film an urban equestrian movie called Ghetto Cowboy, my friends swore to keep an eye on me. My editor told me she would not bail me out of jail. Yeah, whatever. I'll be ready.

I'm not alone in my early-morning gushing. Twitter, as we all know, can be biting. But it was unanimous in exulting #BritBoyJoy. No criticizing and not a salty comment, just a collective sigh of beautiful man relief.

And after I do my duty at the polls, I'm going to start my campaign to get actor Michael B. Jordan the 2019 Sexiest Man Alive honor.

Who is with me?