Channing Tatum named 'sexiest man' by People magazine

The 32-year-old has been married to wife Jenna for three years

Actor Channing Tatum has topped People magazine's annual list of the sexiest men alive.

The US magazine put him ahead of other heart-throbs like Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, who came third, and Ben Affleck (fifth).

The former model has appeared in films such as 21 Jump Street and Step Up and is now training to play an Olympic athlete in next year's Foxcatcher.

Previous winners of the award include George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Channing told People magazine he didn't believe that he'd won.

He said: "My first thought was, 'Y'all are messing with me.'"

"[My wife] calls me the sexiest man alive now. And who can blame her?"

The Alabama-born actor has been married to dancer and actor Jenna Dewan for three years.

Last year's winner of the award was The Hangover star Bradley Cooper, while Ryan Reynolds won in 2010.

People Magazine has been criticised for only picking one non-white star as the winner in its 26-year history, which was Denzel Washington in 1996.

However, the title says race isn't a factor and that the list includes a diverse group of men.