Here’s What It Really Takes to Be Hallmark’s Leading Holiday Man

“Everyone has come to love and adore the Hallmark movies. They love all the tropes, and they love tuning in because they know what they’re gonna get,” Jonathan explained. “So, I thought, ‘what better way to create a hunk than by gamifying the process of becoming a hallmark hunk?’ And so that’s exactly what we did with Finding Mr. Christmas.”

Though the process of finding Hallmark’s next hunk may be unconventional, the contestants had a blast while going head-to-head.

“I love to compete,” Finding Mr. Christmas contestant Elijah confessed to E!. “And I thought this was such a cool and innovative way to find a leading man, rather than your traditional audition process.”

The contestants also cultivated a sense of brotherhood—something you won’t find on your average competition show.

“They walked in as 10 competitors, and they left a family,” Jonathan shared. “There are so many reality shows that have table flipping and drink throwing, and all the drama is created on-screen. Well, we don’t have any drama in our show, and yet, we were able to make a show funny, entertaining, compelling, have high stakes and we were able to do that with kindness and heart, which is exactly what you expect from Hallmark channel.”