It was a wild night at the Hallmark Christmas Experience for fans of Hallmark’s long-running series “When Calls The Heart” (WCTH). On December 12, 2025, as the third weekend in a row of festivities kicked off in Kansas City, Hearties packed the Century Ballroom at the Westin Hotel to hear from a panel of the show’s biggest stars.
Series regular Jack Wagner hosted the panel, which featured stars Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry, Pascale Sutton, Kavan Smith, Viv Leacock, Chris McNally, and Ben Rosenbaum. By the time the stars took their seats on stage, the first big surprise of the night had already been announced: a WCTH prequel, “Hope Valley: 1874,” will premiere on Hallmark+ in March 2026 with Benjamin Ayres and Bethany Joy Lenz leading the cast.
But the crowd was in for another big surprise when Krakow announced Lori Loughlin, whom Hallmark recently announced will return to the show for season 14, was backstage.
Erin Krakow Cries as Lori Loughlin Takes the Stage at Hallmark Christmas Experience
After the cast members fielded a host of questions from Wagner — with Krakow frequently rubbing her baby bump as her real-life husband, Rosenbaum, sat behind her — he asked which cast member would be most likely to eat all the vanilla cookies from the WCTH set’s catering crew.
There was a knowing murmur in the audience, as many Hearties are aware Loughlin used to love getting the treats from craft services when she was on the show, from 2014 to 2019.
“I think it would be one of our favorite friends and co-stars, who we are so lucky is joining us for season 14,” Krakow replied. “And, do you think maybe we should bring her out?”
Loughlin then walked out onto the stage as the audience erupted in screams and applause, overcome with joy to see her hugging her former castmates and taking a seat next to Krakow, who has remained a close friend. As Krakow wiped tears from her eyes, someone in the audience yelled, “We love you Lori!”
“I love you too,” Loughlin beamed back, holding Krakow’s hand. “Thank you so much. Thank you. It is so nice to be here, thank you so much for that warm welcome.”
Lori Loughlin Says She Was Invited Back to WCTH Within the Last Couple of Months
When Wagner asked Loughlin to describe how her return to WCTH feels and when she got news, Loughlin replied, “It feels amazing. And my girl here has been championing this for a long time.”
Krakow, who plays series lead Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton, has often said in interviews that she hoped Loughlin would be brought back to the show in her role as Elizabeth’s dear friend Abigail Stanton.
Loughlin continued, “When did I find out? Maybe a month ago? Or two months ago? And I just want to thank everyone at Hallmark for being so loving and so welcoming, and I’m so glad Michelle Vicary is back in the house.”
After multiple executive changes at Hallmark Media, Vicary — who was part of the cable channel’s launch in 2001 but left in 2021 — rejoined the company in August as head of programming. Part of her legacy at the network was introducing “When Calls The Heart” in 2014.
“It just feels incredible,” Loughlin said. “I mean, you guys all know it — we have such a special cast and such a special bond, and it’s just so nice to be back with my family.”
Later in the panel discussion, Krakow said she couldn’t quite think straight because she was basking in the joy of having Loughlin, her “first-ever scene partner” on WCTH, with them on stage, calling herself “thrilled and over the moon.”
Why Was Lori Loughlin Let Go From ‘When Calls The Heart?’
HallmarkLoughlin, who first rose to fame as Aunt Becky on “Full House,” co-starred on WCTH from 2014 to 2019. However, Hallmark cut ties with her during season six and removed her from the cast following her arrest and eventual jail sentence for her involvement in the largest college admissions scandal in U.S. history.
Following their 2019 arrests, Loughlin and her now-estranged husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty in 2020 to charges of mail and wire fraud, per Us Weekly, after they and dozens of other parents were charged with paying to help ensure their teenage children were admitted to the colleges they wanted to attend.
In early October, Loughlin was back in the headlines as news broke of her splitting from Giannulli, her husband of 25 years. Weeks later, her “Full House” castmate and longtime friend John Stamos called Loughlin an “angel” and slammed Giannulli during an appearance on Peck and Ben Soffer’s “Good Guys” podcast, claiming the actress “put up with a lot over the years of this guy.”
Stamos declared, “I’m not going to debate whether she had much to do with (the college scandal) or not. I know she didn’t.”
In recent years, many fans and former castmates have expressed hope that Loughlin would be forgiven and allowed to return to Hope Valley. As recently as November 8, Krakow told Us Weekly that Loughlin’s return to WCTH was “something I’ve been hoping for for years and years.”
Season 13 of WCTH will premiere on Hallmark Channel on January 4, 2026. The cast is expected to film season 14 later in the year, with Loughlin on board.
It’s Pascal Hutton, not Sutton.
I am beyond thrilled that Lori Laughlin is back at WCTH…She paid her dues, did her time, and was totally ostracized by so many. Our own president who had 37 convictions and owes millions of dollars, got off scot free. I truly believe people make mistakes and deserve a second chance…not another conviction! Hooray for Lori! She makes the show even better than it was!!!
good news… everyone deserves a second chance. She will make a great return to the show. Good luck to all.