(CNN) – People magazine named actor Patrick Dempsey the “sexiest man in the world” this year.
The news was revealed on Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after members of the public asked questions of Dempsey, whose voice and face were hidden, to try to identify him.
“I’m glad they made a decision and that it was me this year,” Dempsey told Kimmel.
Dempsey joked that his family was amused when they found out about his new title: “They laughed a lot. They said, ‘No, seriously, who is that?'”
As for how the Grey’s Anatomy actor reacted when he heard the news, he said he was “completely shocked” in an interview with People published on Tuesday.
“And then I started laughing, like, ‘This is a joke, right?’ “I’ve always been the maid of honor!” she said. “I had completely forgotten about it and had never even thought about being in that position. So my ego is fine.”
Dempsey is known for his role as Dr. Derek Shepherd on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.
In the film biography “Ferrari,” which will be released in December, he plays the Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi.
Dempsey takes over from Chris Evans, who was named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2022.
When Kimmel asked Dempsey on Tuesday if Evans had called him yet to “recognize him,” Dempsey said they hadn’t spoken yet.
“I hope to get a call when I leave the stage tonight,” he said.