Will Ferrell couldn’t resist cracking a joke about PEOPLE’s choice for 2024’s Sexiest Man Alive after losing to John Krasinski. While promoting his new film You’re Cordially Invited on Today, the comedian reflected on his own lighthearted campaign for the title. Ferrell’s playful reaction to Krasinski winning the title has also captured significant attention.

Here’s what Ferrell said.

Will Ferrell’s joke about John Krasinski explained

Will Ferrell had high hopes of winning PEOPLE’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive, but things didn’t go as planned, especially since the winner was John Krasinski.

During an appearance on Today to promote his new comedy You’re Cordially Invited, Ferrell was reminded of his lighthearted campaign for the title last year. He said, “Yes, it started here, and maybe this was the wrong place to start. I got zero votes.” Co-host Savannah Guthrie tried to console him and said she would have voted for him. 

Ferrell then asked who actually won, momentarily forgetting the recipient. The co-hosts also struggled to recall before Craig Melvin finally remembered that it was Krasinski. When asked if he was okay with losing to Krasinski, Ferrell responded, “OK. Alright. I don’t know. I don’t get it.” Co-host Craig Melvin playfully added, “You don’t see what they see.” The comedian also humorously suggested that he needed to invest in a photoshoot or billboards to get more attention for next year’s race.

Ferrell has shared the screen with Krasinski before, making a memorable guest appearance on The Office as Deangelo Vickers, Michael Scott’s replacement. The comedian first pushed for the title at the Despicable Me 4 premiere in June 2023. He argued that comedians are often overlooked. He told PEOPLE, “You guys never have comedians.”

At present, Ferrell is keeping busy. He stars alongside Reese Witherspoon in You’re Cordially Invited, which premieres on Prime Video on January 30.