John Legend, former Sexiest Man Alive, has some advice for this year’s honoree. In an interview with PEOPLE, the 45-year-old “All of Me” singer, who held the title in 2019, recounted his experience ahead of this year’s November 12 announcement.
“Don’t take it too seriously, but enjoy it,” he said. “It’s an interesting thing to win because you get a lot of love and then you get a lot of questioning like, ‘Why did he get it?’ Don’t read your social media too much, but just enjoy it. It’s fun. Just don’t take yourself too seriously with it though.”
In his November 2019 cover story interview for PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, Legend gave an insight into the pressure he felt after winning the title, particularly following actor Idris Elba, who had been crowned the previous year.
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“I was excited, but I was a little scared at the same time because it’s a lot of pressure,” he told PEOPLE. “Everyone’s going to be picking me apart to see if I’m sexy enough to hold this title. I’m [also] following Idris Elba, which is not fair and is not nice to me!”
Legend also recounted his early days of upbringing, sharing valuable lessons he learned from his father, Ronald.
“My father taught me about character. He taught us by example. He always conducted himself with such grace and dignity,” he said. “My parents always taught me that if you’re going to succeed in life, part of success is having humility. It’s a good way to live life, treating other people the way you want to be treated.”
The singer credits his humble childhood and supportive family for shaping him into the person he is today.
