If you’ve ever dreamed of starring in your very own Hallmark holiday movie, Finding Mr. Christmas is here to make your sleigh bell fantasies come true — with a side of gingerbread, glitter, and good-natured chaos, of course.
The hit Hallmark Channel competition series is back for Season 2 TONIGHT (October 27) 8PM ET, and this year’s search for Hallmark’s next leading man promises even more “hearts, hunks, and happiness,” according to lead judge Melissa Peterman and host Jonathan Bennett, who bring the perfect blend of sass, sparkle, and sentimentality to the snowy set.
“We take ten hot hunks who all want to be the next Hallmark movie star,” Bennett tells Celeb Secrets host Juliet Schroder about the series. “We put them in one house, they compete in acting challenges, and the winner who is left standing gets crowned Mr. Christmas — and gets a leading role in a Hallmark Christmas movie that airs the following week. So you get immediate gratification from watching the show.”
From present wrapping and gingerbread decorating to dance-offs and on-screen kisses, the contestants are tested on every skill that makes a Hallmark heartthrob shine. And while the competition may be fierce, the show’s tone stays delightfully merry and bright.
“I can’t wrap at all,” Peterman laughs. “My gifts look like I chewed the paper instead of cutting it — so I’d be going home for the holidays on that challenge. But I’d totally crush the kissing challenge.”
Bennett chimes in with a grin: “Oh, she would! And I’d crush the photo shoot one, because I like a good photo shoot and I don’t have to talk — that’s my forte. Everyone’s happy when I don’t talk.”
“The one scene I would do very bad at would be designing the Santa Claus outfit. I have horrible taste in design and I wouldn’t know how to do anything.”
Their witty banter is exactly what makes the show such a cozy watch. Off camera, the duo’s chemistry is just as warm and chaotic as a Christmas movie fireplace scene. “We’re the same person,” Bennett admits. “Sometimes I set her up, and she punches the line, and sometimes it’s the opposite. We’re bit queens — if one bit works, ten will.”
Peterman agrees. “He’ll whisper to me between takes, ‘You’re so dumb,’ but that’s his love language. If he calls you dumb, it means he thinks you’re hilarious.”
Beyond the laughs, Finding Mr. Christmas taps into something deeper for longtime Hallmark fans — the magic of discovering the next face of Christmas before they become a household name. “Hallmark fans truly get invested in their stars,” says Peterman. “I think what’s so great about this show is that the fans get to be the ones that can say, ‘oh, I loved him way before I found him there.’”
For Bennett, the series is also a love letter to Hallmark’s devoted audience. “We’re showing people how the magic’s made,” he explains. “You see the meet-cutes, the audition process — it’s not just a competition show, it’s for anyone who loves Christmas movies and wants to peek behind the curtain.”
And while the pair have plenty of favorite moments, they’re already brainstorming outrageous challenges for future seasons. “I want to put the guys on a dog sled — but the guys are the dogs,” Bennett jokes. Peterman counters: “I want to see them go down a chimney. That’s the ultimate Christmas challenge!”
The pair even joke about turning everyday life into competition material. “Every time I’m filming a Hallmark movie now, I’m like, ‘Could this be a challenge?’” Bennett laughs. “Even during interviews, I’m thinking, how do I turn this into a challenge?”
For Peterman, the show has made her even more grateful to be part of Hallmark’s festive world. “Everyone wants to be in that family,” she says sincerely. “To be part of someone’s Christmas tradition — that’s the coolest thing ever. They treat you so well, the fans are amazing, and no one does it better.”
So grab your cocoa, cue the twinkle lights, and prepare to unwrap a season full of laughter, love, and holiday hijinks. Both Bennett and Peterman put it best: “Hearts, hunks, and happiness — that’s what it’s all about.”
For more on season two of Hallmark’s Finding Mr. Christmas, make sure to watch our full interview with Jonathan and Melissa below, and don’t forget to let us know if you’re excited for the new premiere by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
Interview quotes have been condensed and edited for clarity. For more coverage from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas, click here.
