Whether you’re single, dating or married, managing a love life has been an even taller order this past year. Maybe that’s why we’ve all collectively turned to the small screen as a portal to another dimension for an all-too-brief magical time after the kids have finally gone to sleep. It’s been especially enticing getting lost in the boob tube when handsome leading men are just a click away in a land where no one is wearing masks and the love flows freely.
So do yourself a favor and let these TV heartthrobs help keep the home fires burning. Bonus: They won’t leave the toilet seat up, and they’ll always be there, waiting for you to turn them on.
Paul Mescal/Normal People (Hulu)
Hulu’s Normal People was streamed over a whopping 62 million times, and it was by far BBC iPlayer's most popular series of 2020. I alone am responsible for about 50 million of those streams because I can’t get enough of Paul Mescal. This newcomer steams up the screen like no other as the brooding, sensitive, and aloof intellect Connell Waldron. The love scenes between Paul and his equally captivating co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones are unmatched in their tender depiction of the physical yearning and insatiable desire that transpires between first loves.
Mescal’s Irish accent will make you swoon, and his generosity and consideration as a lover will set your heart ablaze. There’s even an Instagram account dedicated to the chain Connell wears around his neck. Connell’s Chain has 175K followers if that tells you anything.
Regé-Jean Page/Bridgerton (Netflix)
Regé-Jean Page, as Bridgerton’s sexiest ever Duke of Hastings, is aptly referred to as Your Grace — and he certainly graces the small screen with his big presence. Bridgerton is Netflix’s “biggest series ever,” as it made its way into 82 million households.
Women everywhere are swooning over the hard-to-get Duke whose sealed-off heart is stolen by Daphne Bridgerton. Their passion for each other is played out everywhere, from open meadows to castle gardens to a library ladder (insert me fanning my blushing face here). They simply can’t keep their hands off each other during their honeymoon phase, and their chemistry and lust is palpable. It’s downright glorious having a bird’s-eye view into this relationship, and the Duke’s smooth moves will have your heart skipping a beat more than a few times.
Jacob Elordi/The Kissing Booth (Netflix)
Who says a grown woman can’t indulge in the guilty pleasure of watching a rom-com made for teens? It’s impossible to resist Australian hunk Jacob Elordi puckering up in The Kissing Booth and The Kissing Booth 2. Elordi plays Noah Flynn, the quintessential high school hunk/bad boy/forbidden fruit whose biceps even manage to bulge under a leather jacket.
No wonder he and co-star Joey King fell for each other in real life while filming. His coy grin, luscious locks, and puppy dog eyes make him simply irresistible. Thank goodness The Kissing Booth 3 is on its way.
Lucas Bravo/Emily in Paris (Netflix)
Gabriel (played by actor Lucas Bravo) on Emily in Paris is a chef, and he seriously sizzles in every scene as Emily’s oh-so-friendly neighbor in Paris. He even makes the mundane task of cooking up an omelet look sexy. Sparks fly every time the French charmer locks eyes or lips with Lily Collins' Emily. Also a model in real-life, Lucas' effortless good looks, sense of humor, and dreamy blue eyes will have you saying, “Oui, oui.” His last name really says it all: bravo.
Jason Sudeikis/Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
Not since Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I., or as Monica’s boyfriend Richard on Friends for you younger readers, has anyone been able to rock a bushy mustache as alluringly. Jason Sudeikis’ instantly lovable character Ted Lasso isn’t your typical sex symbol, but his doe-like enthusiasm to see the best in people, his endless one-liner wisdom, and his utter naïveté at the cruelty that surrounds him, makes him refreshingly attractive.
You root for him in every way as the professional soccer coach who knows nothing about the sport and the sad husband whose wife wants a divorce, much to his dismay. You’ll want to lasso Ted for yourself by the end of this highly bingeable series.
