Hollywood’s Hottest Rivalry: Consuelos vs. Beckham in ‘Sexiest Football Club Owner’ Poll
New York, NY – The annual PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Poll is once again igniting playful rivalries among Hollywood’s elite, and this year, Mark Consuelos is feeling the heat. The 54-year-old co-host of Live with Kelly and Mark, fresh off his 2024 win for Sexiest Talk Show Host, faces an unprecedented uphill battle in the 2025 ‘Sexiest Football Club Owner’ category, squaring off against a formidable lineup including sports legends and entertainment titans.
On a recent September 26th episode of his popular daytime talk show, Consuelos openly despaired over his chances. The category pits him, as co-owner of Italian Serie D club Campobasso FC since 2022, against a roster of globally recognized figures. The list includes seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, a minority owner of England’s Birmingham City F.C. since August 2023; the dynamic duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, whose 2021 acquisition of Welsh club Wrexham A.F.C. captivated audiences worldwide through their Emmy-winning documentary series; and, perhaps most dauntingly, David Beckham, 50, co-owner and president of soccer operations for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF, a club he was instrumental in founding in 2018 and notably attracted superstar Lionel Messi in 2023.
As his wife and co-host, Kelly Ripa, also 54, dramatically revealed Beckham as the final nominee, Consuelos humorously conceded, ‘Bye bye, Marky Mark.’ Ripa, ever quick-witted, quipped, ‘We finally found somebody who could knock Mark off his pompous podium of constantly winning.’
Recognizing the formidable competition, particularly against a global icon like Beckham, Consuelos made an earnest, if lighthearted, plea directly to the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star. ‘David! Let me win this one. David! Becks!’ he implored on national television, acknowledging the long odds. ‘If I’m going to lose to anybody, it’s gotta be David Beckham.’ His earlier suggestion to Ripa that they could use their platform to boost his votes was met with Ripa’s dry retort, ‘Beckham doesn’t have to talk, as far as I’m concerned.’
The segment took an even more entertaining turn with the appearance of The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, 51, who was Consuelos’s rival in the 2024 ‘Sexiest Talk Show Host’ poll. Despite their previous ‘heated’ competition, which included Fallon running a playful ‘smear campaign’ ad against Consuelos, the two quickly formed an unlikely alliance against the common, seemingly unbeatable, foe.
Fallon, dismissive of Beckham’s chances against Consuelos, dramatically waved off the soccer icon, declaring, ‘There’s no question, you got this. This is your win. Beckham? Out of respect to the competition, Beckham should bow out.’ The ex-foes then comically plotted, with Consuelos even asking Fallon if he could borrow his writing team to craft an ‘anti-Beckham’ campaign ad. Ripa and Fallon piled on the jest, with Fallon questioning, ‘He’s got enough awards. What does he want? We’ll talk to [his wife] Victoria.’ Ripa added, ‘He’s married to Victoria, for God’s sakes. What more does this man want?’
Reflecting on his past victory and the current contest, Consuelos maintains a grounded perspective. After winning ‘Sexiest TV Host’ last year – a win that surprised even him, given his family’s humorous support for Fallon’s campaign – Ripa had asked if he felt ‘sexier.’ His response offered insight into his priorities as a father of three: ‘No. I feel exactly the same… once you become a dad, you don’t really… you see yourself through your kids’ eyes, and that’s when the sexy just goes away, I think.’
As the PEOPLE’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Poll continues, the race for ‘Sexiest Football Club Owner’ promises to be one of the most talked-about categories, pitting charismatic personalities and their unique contributions to the world of football against each other in a lighthearted battle for bragging rights.
