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Rylan Clark got everyone’s hopes up when he said he was in a ‘full-on romance’ with his BFF Rob Rinder after viewers loved watching them on Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour – but it seems he might be holding out for someone else entirely.
Rylan Clark teased fans with talk of a ‘full-on romance’ with his best mate Rob Rinder after their chemistry on Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour was a hit. But it seems he’s now got his eye on someone else. At the JustGiving Awards in London’s Roundhouse on Wednesday night, hosted by Rylan himself, he joked that his ultimate celeb crush is none other than Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey.
The dashing actor, known for his role as Anthony Bridgerton in the steamy Netflix series, has won over countless fans since the show’s debut in 2020, and Rylan joked about being eager to join the ranks of admirers, reports OK! quipping: “Sadly, Jonathan Bailey couldn’t make it. Maybe it would be best if he could; I would’ve gotten down on one knee.”
The 36-year-old Wallingford-born actor Jonathan came out as gay in his early 20s but didn’t comment on the issue publicly until a decade later. Jonathan has remained reasonably tight-lipped about his love life but told the Evening Standard in December 2023 that there was “a lovely man” in his life. “Having a private life is, for me, completely critical,” he declared. “I don’t know if I would be able to be as confident to speak out on other things if I felt that my whole life was up for grabs.” Although he keeps his personal life under wraps, the actor is delighted to leverage his fame for charitable efforts, which was celebrated at the 2024 GoCardless JustGiving Awards
He scooped the Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year award for his impressive fundraising for Just Like Us, a charity supporting schools and LGBT+ youth nationwide. His commitment included running a half marathon in May, netting a whopping £33,000 for the cause. On receiving the accolade, Jonathan expressed: “I feel so honoured to be someone championing the charity, Just Like Us, and the noble work they do to empower young people from the LGBT+ community to grow up feeling proud of who they are. I’ve met some of their young ambassadors who go into schools, talk about their personal journeys with coming out and ally-ship. They inspired me to become a patron of the charity, and I’m honoured to be accepting an award in recognition of their work and the money people so generously donated.”
The actor is also currently lighting up the screen in the new musical film adaptation of Wicked. This two-part cinematic rendition of the popular stage musical draws its inspiration from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book.
