The new celebrity crush era belongs to F1 racers, chefs, and athletes

There was a time when celebrity crushes came with movie premieres and hit TV shows (remember the Ian Somerhalder craze). We fell for actors because they were everywhere, from magazine covers to red carpets. But somewhere along the way, the internet rewrote the rules of attraction.

Ask any twenty-something who their celebrity crush is today, and chances are it won't be an actor, because that obsession with actors feels a little outdated now. Instead, it'll be an F1 driver, a tennis player, a chef who films himself in a hoodie, or even a chess champion. The internet's biggest heartthrobs aren't winning us over with scripted romances anymore. They're doing it with a perfectly timed overtake, a match-winning point, or a recipe filmed in their own kitchen. 

Take Formula 1, for example. What was once a niche sport your dad watched every Sunday has now become a Gen Z fandom with a soundtrack. Carlos Sainz is the internet's moodboard boyfriend: calm, dry-humoured, and effortlessly stylish in the paddock. Charles Leclerc is the emotional counterpart, celebrating wins with tears, laughing at his own mistakes, married now but somehow still the internet's collective crush. Neither of them is trying to be a heartthrob, and that's precisely why it works.

But it's not just Formula 1. Tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff have become fan favourites because they feel refreshingly real. They banter with fans online, celebrate each other's wins, and share moments that don't feel overly polished. Footballers like Jude Bellingham have a similar appeal. They're undeniably brilliant at what they do, but also relatable enough that the internet can convince itself they'd be fun to grab a coffee with.

Then there's food. Nick DiGiovanni took a Harvard degree and turned it into a social media cooking empire, and somewhere along the way, became one of the internet's biggest crushes. He cooks with grandmas, breaks world records for giant snacks, and somehow makes chopping an onion look cinematic. It turns out watching someone confidently make fresh pasta or explain exactly why a steak needs to rest is, for many people, unexpectedly attractive.

Writers are having a moment too. The rise of BookTok has transformed authors into celebrities in their own right. Fans don't just obsess over the stories anymore. They want to hear the people behind them speak on podcasts, share writing routines, and appear at book events. Authors like Emily Henry have developed dedicated fan communities that are just as invested in their personalities as they are in their novels.

Even chess has entered the chat. Teen grandmaster D Gukesh becoming the youngest world champion made an entire generation pay attention to a sport that used to feel like homework. Genius has quietly become the new attractive.

None of this is really about looks, though that helps. It is about watching someone excel at something difficult in real time, without a script telling them what to say next. Unlike actors who play characters, these people are being themselves, doing what they do best, and somehow that feels more honest and attractive. 

Of course, actors aren't going anywhere, but they are no longer the only people dominating the celebrity crush lists. Today, your biggest crush could just as easily be a racing driver, a chef, an athlete, a scientist, or an author. Because talent, personality, and being really good at your job might just be the hottest combination of all.

Lead image: Getty Images

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