As a two time winner of People’s Sexiest Man Alive award, George Clooney knows what’s involved to clinch the title.

Now he’s throwing his weight behind a campaign to get Hail, Caesar! co-star Channing Tatum the double accolade – but he joked: “It’s a lot of work”.

George Clooney Channing Tatum
Two-time Sexiest Man Alive George Clooney wants to pass the crown to Channing Tatum (Richard Drew/AP/PA)

Speaking to People, he reminded Channing – who won in 2012 – that he’d taken on this challenge successfully before with Matt Damon, getting him that coveted front cover in 2007.

“Remember, I worked with Matt Damon and got him over the hump,” George said.

“It was hard because he ran a good campaign but I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for you my friend, I’m going to take you under my wing, I’m going to bring ya home and next year I see a two timer coming in.”

Channing Tatum Magic Mike
George joked Channing might have to take his top off to win. Has he not seen Magic Mike? (Claudette Barius/AP/PA)

Either George has a brilliant poker face or he hasn’t been keeping tabs on Channing’s career because his ideas for how Chan could make himself a contender seemed a little deja vu.

“You have to do a few things, maybe wear a baseball cap sideways, [take your] shirt off, some sort of a dance-type thing, I’ve got some ideas,” George told the star of Step Up, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike.

“Sort of a dance-type thing?’” Channing laughed. “I don’t know if I’m ready for the work that’s going to be involved.”

“It’s a lot of work,” replied George.

George Clooney in Hail, Caesar!
The pair are starring together in Hail, Caesar! (Glasgow Film Festival/PA)

George won in 1997 and 2006. If it took George a whole nine years to win again, we’ll be looking at 2021 for Channing.

If you can’t wait that long to see his face, both are starring in the new Coen Brothers’ movie Hail, Caesar! about a set fixer trying to smooth out the problems on the set of a Roman epic in Hollywood’s Golden Era, including the kidnap of the film’s leading man.