Warren Zeiders Reveals Why He Wasn't 'Too Surprised' to Make PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive Issue

Warren Zeiders' blockbuster 2024 included an appearance in PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive issue — and you won't hear him complaining.

The country music star appeared in the issue's "Sexy at Every Age" list, holding it down in the 25-year-old spot. Zeiders reacted to the title while on the Zach Sang Show podcast on Jan. 10, pointing out that "it doesn't hurt my career."

“I was a little surprised, but not too surprised,” Zeiders told podcast host Sang about learning he’d won People’s Sexiest 25 Year Old. “I was like, I’ll take the crown for 25. It’s not bad.”

But he’s not stopping there! Zeiders has his eyes on the ultimate prize: “Let me know when I get the cover.”

So to what does the singer attribute his appeal? “It feels like a tough question to answer, because it comes off as ..." he began, before saying, "I’m a very confident individual and I take pride and I work out. I eat healthy. I am very regimented and everything.”

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Sang pressed the “Pretty Little Poison” singer a little more on the topic: “But like to be fair, people can find you sexy, that doesn’t necessarily mean you feel sexy.”

“I feel sexy,” Zeiders said with a laugh.

Sang then asked if Zeiders' viral interview with Kelly Clarkson, in which she got flustered by a shirtless photo of Zeiders playing lacrosse, helped to get him named to the sexiest men list.

(“Oh s---,” Clarkson said in the now-viral clip posted on Oct. 18. “I didn’t know that was coming. I need to be prepared for that! Well, that’s nice.”)

“That didn’t hurt,” Zeiders recalled. “That definitely helped in pole position, I wanna say, for winning that.”

Zeiders admitted he was “so nervous” and even “flustered” before going into his first TV interview with Clarkson. However, the host's response to the photo gave him the confidence boost needed in the moment.

Related: Warren Zeiders Likes His Life and His Whiskey to Be Super Bold: 'Paved My Own Path' (Exclusive)

“And that’s how the interview opens up, and I’m like ‘Ah, this is gonna be a piece of cake, man. This is gonna be like riding a bike,’” Zeiders said. “No worries, I just flustered her in the first 10 seconds of the interview, this is great. And that definitely helped with winning for PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive at 25."

Zeiders goes on his European Relapse tour beginning Jan. 24 - February 15 before returning for his U.S. tour. His Relapse, Lies & Betrayal album comes out March 14.

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