Best of 2024
12 Hottest TV Couples of 2024, Ranked
Romance is back and hotter than ever before.
Throughout the year, plenty of couples graced the screen in our favorite shows. From old beloveds like Chicago Fire‘s Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Severide (Taylor Kinney) to newbies like Maxton Hall‘s James (Damian Hardung) and Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) to reality pairings like The Bachelor‘s Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson, love was plentiful across scripted and unscripted content.
As the Swooon staff looked back at 2024, we couldn’t help but want to celebrate the on-screen romances. We’ve narrowed it down to the 12 hottest TV couples of the year.
Do you agree with our ranking? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
12. Rick and Michonne, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Even after years off our TV screens and even more time apart from each other, it’s kind of incredible just how quickly Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) fell back into the chemistry that made the hottest couple at the end of the world in The Walking Dead. In AMC’s limited series spinoff, The Ones Who Live, they have each suffered traumas that have changed them since they last saw each other. But the only thing that has kept them going is the thought of finding the other. Risking life and limb to get back to someone is the kind of romantic gesture we all dream about, only with less zombies to dodge. Plus, nothing gets the blood pumping and the hormones raging like the constant threat of death from evil humans, flesh-eating zombies, and the perils of a world reverting back to its natural state. Rick and Michonne were a scorching hot couple before, but when it became these two against the world, we don’t envy any person, undead or otherwise, who tries to stand in their way. — Hunter Ingram
11. Garrett Josemans and Taylor Krause, Love Is Blind Season 7
Since its inception, Love Is Blind has been more known for the drama that goes on during the experiments than its love stories — but there are a few exceptions. Each season usually has one couple so sweet that it makes the audience believe love can be blind. Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton started the trend, but this time around the torch was passed to Taylor Krause and Garrett Josemans.
The couple bonded in the pods through somewhat matching tattoos and a love for science. Taylor has a hydrogen symbol, and Garrett has a quantum equation permanently inked. Always working through their differences, this item truly blossomed in their first year of marriage. Fans were convinced Taylor was responsible for his glow-up before they officially confirmed that they tied the knot — and they were right! — Lauren Dehollogne
10. Blaise and Scott, Cruel Intentions
Frat brothers experimenting with each other is hardly groundbreaking storytelling, but Blaise (John Harlan Kim) and Scott (Khobe Clarke) aren’t just merely acting on carnal urges within the walls of Alpha Gamma. In the world of Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions, where sex is worth more than money, Blaise understands what having the son of a congressman in the palm of his hand can do for his future. Ambition can be quite the aphrodisiac, if you know what we mean. But for Scott, experimenting with Blaise is more than just a play for his future. Scott is actually realizing in real time that he’s into guys, and the connection he feels with Blaise is what brings things into focus for him. After all, Scott isn’t the brightest bulb in the box. Unfortunately, the scorchingly handsome pair couldn’t be more at odds about their reasons for hooking up. At least it was hot while it lasted! — Hunter Ingram
9. Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson, The Bachelor Season 28
Joey Graziadei’s number one fan is Kelsey Anderson.
This was proven throughout his time on Dancing with the Stars. Not missing a single show, his significant other cheered for him and his partner Jenna Johnson when they won the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy. Over the course of The Bachelor Season 28, it was clear Joey only had eyes for Kelsey, even as Daisy Kent and Maria Georgas emerged as Bachelor Nation favorites. The Louisiana beauty became infatuated with the charismatic Joey, and the feelings were mutual. Kelsey stole his heart, and Joey happily proposed on the beach in Tulum. From living together with roommates in New Orleans to their own Los Angeles pad, this couple is ready for everything that lies ahead. — Lauren Dehollogne
8. Maud & Declan, Rivals
Maud (Victoria Smurfit) and Declan (Aidan Turner) may have their problems, but there’s a reason that they make their daughters (Bella Maclean‘s Taggie and Catriona Chandler’s Caitlin) uncomfortable: They are never shy about their passion for one another or giving into it in any room in the house. That includes how hot for each other they are even after parties where other men can’t keep their eyes off her. (Taggie and Alex Hassell‘s Rupert might have the best slow-burn romance of the show, but Maud and Declan have the fieriest.) Honestly? It’s part of what makes me root for them to make it work. Those sparks, that love, and their drama are the perfect combination for a must-watch couple. — Meredith Jacobs
7. Maya and Carina, Station 19
Maya (Danielle Savre) and Carina (Stefania Spampinato) became the beating heart of Station 19, and they certainly kept our blood pumping. In the show’s final season, there were plenty of hot moments between these two, but it was their commitment to each other as they fought to expand their family that stuck with us the most. There’s something so sexy about supporting your partner through everything. Maya and Carina aren’t just one of the hottest couples of the year; they’re one of the hottest couples in TV history. — Avery Thompson
6. James and Ruby, Maxton Hall — The World Between Us
James Beaufort and Ruby Bell’s love story took the globe by surprise. Maxton Hall — The World Between Us, a German-language Prime Video series based on Mona Kasten’s book, gave us the romantic teen drama we’d been craving in 2024. Ruby is the straight-laced academic on a scholarship, while James is the privileged rich kid. The opposites-attract and enemies-to-lovers energy went into overdrive here. Slowly but surely, Ruby and James fall in love, with plenty of romantic moments to chronicle their love story along the way. (The way he holds her when he saves her in the pool!) The yearning was top-notch here, with Herbig-Matten and Hardung fully leaning into the slow burn. When these two finally kissed, it was an explosion of passion and longing. The show had largest first week global viewership for an international title in Prime Video history. Ruby and James have the world in the palm of their hand. — Avery Thompson
5. Pope and Cleo, Outer Banks
Nothing is sexier than stability, and that’s what Cleo (Carlacia Grant) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) bring to the chaotic Pogue family in Netflix’s Outer Banks. John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) have always been on shaky foundations (and a baby isn’t likely to help matters), while Kiara (Madison Bailey) and JJ (Rudy Pankow) were always going to be at the mercy of his volatility. But Pope and Cleo are solid as a rock. She understands he is the intellectual with a shred of common sense, while he embraces that she is the muscle with the know-how to keep them safe. They balance each other out, and give the other space when they need it. Plus, they are just an insanely attractive couple that can lean on each other without even asking when the going gets tough. And with the Pogues, the going is always tough. — Hunter Ingram
4. Stella & Severide, Chicago Fire
Sparks fly whenever these lieutenants (Taylor Kinney‘s Kelly Severide and Miranda Rae Mayo‘s Stella Kidd) are on screen together — and what better way to show that than for the first time we see them in 2024 to be in the shower? They didn’t need the hot water to steam up that room! The passion these two have had for each other has never faltered, even when things have gotten tense between them. (Then, it’s just a different kind of fire between them.) But also (though not equally as) hot? The trust they have in each other, especially with Severide working arson cases away from Chicago. — Meredith Jacobs
3. Penelope and Colin, Bridgerton
If you went into Bridgerton Season 3 wondering how Netflix‘s Shondaland hit was going to turn Lady Whistledown gossip writer Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and third-eldest Bridgerton son, Colin (Luke Newton) into a sizzling hot couple, you were probably not alone, but that was half the joy of watching their epic evolution onscreen. Sure, they’d had their pitfalls over the seasons, one being her secret identity and his fault being blindness toward her feelings, but Colin and Penelope proved they’re more than capable of taking the lead in through their friends-to-lovers romance. After offering to help Penelope find a husband, Colin soon realizes he’d like to fill that role leading to one of the show’s steamiest moments: a carriage ride set to the tune of Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything,” with Penelope declaring she’d like to be “so much more” than friends. Once the friendship barrier disappeared, Penelope and Colin were revealed to have a fiery chemistry we couldn’t get enough of in 2024. Here’s to hoping there are more moments for them in the upcoming fourth season that will focus on Colin’s older brother Benedict (Luke Thompson). — Meaghan Darwish
2. Noah and Joanne, Nobody Wants This
Few things are hotter than good banter, opposites attracting, and genuinely sweet first dates—a hard-to-come-by pairing in the wild of dating in the 21st century. But that’s just what Noah (Adam Brody) and Joanne (Kristen Bell) bring to the Netflix rom-com series Nobody Wants This. The unlikely pairing of a hot rabbi and a sex/relationship podcast host added just enough tension to their onscreen chemistry as this pair that’s seemingly perfect for one another must combat all of the forces in their life telling them why they’re not. Bell and Brody bring their charisma and wit to their respective roles—Brody, in particular, reminding us all why he is the ultimate heartthrob with his sweet boy-next-door attitude paired with his charming sense of humor. While this pairing kind of came out of nowhere for me, their quips and well-maintained eye contact had me at the first episode. — Katie Song
1. Jane and Guildford, My Lady Jane
My Lady Jane was just too good for this world. The Prime Video romantasy series was unjustly canceled after the first season, preventing us from witnessing Jane (Emily Bader) and Guildford’s (Edward Bluemel) love story in its entirety. A real shame considering Bader and Bluemel had the best onscreen TV chemistry since Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on Scandal. (Yes, I went there.) The way Jane and Guildford stared at each other all the time could make even the biggest cynic blush. They constantly looked like they wanted to just ravage each other (respectfully). Jane and Guildford bottled up so much sexual tension until they detonated. And when they did, there was no turning back. These two were willing to die for each other in a blaze of glory. That kind of profound, all-consuming love is what romance is all about.
