John Legend is officially PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive — and his Voice colleagues can’t help but rib him about it.
The music superstar’s TV family, including Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani, were in fact the first to help him share the news with the world, revealing PEOPLE’s new Sexiest Man Alive cover on Tuesday night’s show, to the cheers of the live audience.
Given Shelton’s status as a former titleholder, it fell to him to do the honors and induct Legend into the most elite of clubs.
“As you may remember, I was the 2017 PEOPLE Magazine Sexiest Man Alive. Because of that, it is my duty to formally introduce the next Sexiest Man Alive, and he just so happens to be here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, the man, the myth, the legend! 2019 People Magazine Sexiest Man Alive, John Legend!”
But that wasn’t all. He also had an extra special gift for the newly crowned Legend — a pair of jean cut-offs, bedazzled with the word “VEGOTSMA” on the booty.
John Legend’s “VEGOTSMA” shorts. NBC
John Legend and Blake Shelton. TRAE PATTON/NBC
“You already came into this show as an EGOT,” Shelton explained, referencing Legend‘s impressive quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. “Then you won The Voice so it became a VEGOT. Now you have a ‘VEGOTSMA.’ You’re the only one.”
Legend seemed genuinely touched by the unorthodox gift, and expressed his appreciation and gratitude for his fellow coach.
“I don’t know what to say. I want to thank, of course, PEOPLE magazine, but mostly I want to thank Blake Shelton, because I sat next to him for the last few months and I learned his sexy ways. I observed every move he made, every utterance that came from his mouth and I think some of it rubbed off on me. I think that has everything to do with why we’re here today.”
TRAE PATTON/NBC
John Legend and Blake Shelton. TRAE PATTON/NBC
How did wife Chrissy Teigen react to the honor? “She’s proud of me. You know, she makes fun of me almost all the time, but she hasn’t even been snarky about this,” he says. “She’s, like, legit proud of me. I finally impressed my wife!”
Teigen, 33, took the opportunity to gush about the news on Twitter. Though obviously great for Legend, the honor had the added bonus of helping her achieve a lifelong goal.
“I have fulfilled my dream of having boned PEOPLE‘s sexiest man alive!! an honor!!!!!” she joked, before doing her part to make “#EGOTSMA” trend.
John Legend. DOUG INGLISH
The Voice is where Legend, 40, first voiced his hope for landing the coveted title. When he was new to the coaching team, which then consisted of himself, Shelton, Clarkson and Adam Levine, Legend joked back in February, “I realized I’m the only man up here that hasn’t won Sexiest Man Alive. I feel like if I’m on The Voice, that means I’m gonna get it.”
Levine chimed in, “That’s the EGOTSMA,” tacking on SMA to the Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony-award-winning star’s EGOT acronym. And from their lips to PEOPLE’s ears. Though in truth, the “All of Me” singer has earned the distinction for so much more.
DOUG INGLISH
On top of his smoldering good looks, Ivy-league education and swoon-worthy talent, the winning Voice coach is also a doting father to kids Luna, 3½ , and Miles, 18 months. And if that weren’t enough, the impassioned activist has a heart of gold.
As he puts it, “Treating people with respect, no matter where you are, if you can treat people with kindness, it goes a long way.”
Asked how he’ll wear the crown differently than his predecessor pals, he jokes, “I’ll just try to have a little more grace than Blake would ever have and a little more humility than Adam would ever have.”
Hopping on Twitter during a break in the show, Legend wrote, “1995 John would be very perplexed to be following 2018 @IdrisElba as #SexiestManAlive. Hell, 2019 John is about as equally perplexed but thank you @People for finding me sexy. I’ll take it 🤓”
For more on the Sexiest Man Alive – and all the hottest guys in Hollywood – click here and pick up this week’s issue, on stands Friday, Nov. 15!
