Noah Wyle might be having the biggest year of his career, but not everyone thinks he deserves Hollywood’s most famous title for handsome men.
The Pitt star has become the clear favorite to win People magazine’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive title, leaving many people online questioning how he ended up at the top.
The title has been a major part of Hollywood for decades, turning actors into heartthrobs and giving fans a chance to celebrate their favorite stars.
While the magazine makes the final decision, reader polls and betting odds have already fueled the conversation.
“Being the sexiest man alive used to mean something,” one wrote, while another questioned the choice, saying, “going from Jonathan Bailey to this is just…”
Noah Wyle becomes the clear favorite for People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2026
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Wyle’s sudden rise has surprised many.
According to Kalshi, the 55-year-old actor had a 79% chance of winning the title, followed by Bad Bunny at 3%, Clavicular at 3%, and Timothee Chalamet at 2%.
People was expected to reveal its 2026 cover star at the end of October, after announcing its Reader’s Choice Poll results on October 20. However, the readers’ poll and the main Sexiest Man Alive title are separate, and betting odds do not confirm the final winner.
Wyle’s popularity has grown significantly since he returned to medical dramas with The Pitt. His performance as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch earned him major awards, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Still, his career success hasn’t convinced everyone he should take home the title.
One person questioned the selection, writing, “genuinely worried about us as a society.” Another commented, “They just be handing this out to any man these days.”
Some of the strongest reactions came from viewers who believe Wyle is not even the most attractive man on his own show
His co-star Shawn Hatosy, who plays Dr. Jack Abbott, became a particular favorite among those who disagreed with Wyle’s position. One viewer argued, “He’s not even the sexiest man on The Pitt. Shawn Hatosy deserves the award.”
Another person claimed that Wyle had some serious competition on the medical drama, writing, “he has to be paying for this; absolutely no way anyone with eyes thought he was the sexiest man in media this last year or even in his own show (there are 3 men that immediately come to mind ahead of him on The Pitt itself).”
One more commenter wrote, “I know like 3 dudes in my neighborhood who mog this dude. Who they polling?”
The backlash also brought in internet personality Clavicular, known for his focus on appearance and facial aesthetics. One commenter joked, “all that bone smashing and clavicular still got mogged by a 55-year-old TV doctor lmao.”
“What a joke, Noah Wyle on top just edging out Clavicular?!” said one more.
This is not the first time Wyle has faced intense backlash over his looks
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While attending the 2026 Emmy Awards with his wife, Sara Wells, Wyle faced intensified backlash, as reported by Bored Panda.
Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in The Pitt.
However, some social media users paid more attention to his hair, claiming it looked fuller than it had at the previous year’s ceremony. Their comments quickly turned into speculation that the actor might have undergone a hair transplant.
The jokes centered on the phrase “Turkey trip,” a common online reference to people traveling to Turkey for hair transplants and other cosmetic procedures.
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One person commented, “He definitely took a trip to Turkey,” while another wrote, “His hairline is screaming for release.”
A third critic went further, saying, “He and that turkey hairline are a scam.”
The speculation also resurfaced after the first teaser for The Pitt Season 3 came out. One viewer joked, “Robby’s hair looks like a turkey he visited on his vacation.”
Others used the rumors to question Wyle’s recent award success.
One social media user wrote, “Paid for that Emmy like he paid for that hair transplant.”
In April 2026, some of The Pitt viewers questioned his comments about the show and his character’s behavior
During the second season, Dr. Robby frequently shouted at female colleagues, including Dana, Mohan, and Javadi. Some viewers felt that the character treated women more harshly than his male colleagues. The criticism extended to Wyle after he defended Robby’s behavior in interviews.
Speaking to GQ after the season finale, Wyle explained that Robby’s outbursts came from his own frustrations and feelings of inadequacy.
He said the female doctors were “rock stars” and suggested that Robby struggled to watch them fail to reach their potential.
“It’s not cruelty, it’s certainly not ab*se. If anything, it’s pure projection,” he said.
But the explanation didn’t settle the debate.
One viewer argued, “I’d argue getting screamed at by your boss in front of your colleagues is in fact cruelty and ab*se, but okay.”
Another wrote, “Robby may have an understandable way of behaving that way, but it doesn’t make it not nasty behavior!”
Other viewers continued to praise Wyle’s acting, even as they criticized his comments. One fan wrote, “Hate Noah Wyle all you want, but man, can that dude act his a*s off.”
Wyle faced another round of backlash after appearing on Jonathon Buckley’s podcast in May 2026
During Buckley’s A Lot More podcast, the actor discussed the possibility of a night-shift spin-off for The Pitt. He argued that night shifts in emergency rooms were generally less eventful than daytime shifts, as reported by Bored Panda.
Wyle also said, “You know who works mostly night shift? Mothers. Because they like to be free for their kids (and) to be home during the day.”
Some viewers took issue with the remark, arguing that it made unfair assumptions about working mothers and overlooked the women already featured in the show.
One person sarcastically wrote, “Least misogynistic Noah Wyle quote.” Another called the remark “wildly offensive and weird on multiple levels.”
The podcast clip also revived criticism of Wyle’s sarcastic response to negative comments about him.
When discussing a post that described him as “aggressively annoying,” “patronizing,” and “pretentious,” he replied, “That’s all true. And I still don’t think you need more Night Shift.”
“This award is very known to be for sale to the highest bidder,” wrote one netizen
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