Okay, so today I’m gonna tell you all about my little adventure trying to get on that Hallmark+ show, “Finding Mr. Christmas.” Yeah, you heard that right. I really went for it.
It all started when I saw this ad online for a new reality show. I figured, why not? I watched a bunch of those Hallmark Christmas movies, and this one sounded kind of fun. A competition to find the perfect “Mr. Christmas”? Seemed like a good time. Plus, the winner gets to be in a real Hallmark Christmas movie! I saw that Jonathan Bennett was hosting and there was a lead judge named Melissa, and I was like, “Okay, this is legit.”
I filled out the application, sent in some photos, and even made a little video introducing myself. Honestly, I didn’t think anything would come of it, I did it more for my own fun, but a few weeks later, I got an email saying they wanted to do a video call interview! I was stoked, like, you wouldn’t believe. Cleaned up my place, put on a nice shirt, and tried to look all “Mr. Christmas-y,” whatever that means.
The interview went pretty well, I think. I talked about my love for the holidays, my family traditions, and how I’m basically the king of gift-wrapping. They seemed to like me, or at least they laughed at my jokes, so that’s gotta count for something, right? The initial judge was pretty cool, and I felt good walking away from that.
The first round of challenge
After that, it was a waiting game. Then, BAM! Another email. I made it to the next round! This time, they wanted me to come out to some Christmas-themed house to film some challenges. Can you believe it? It was exciting. I got invited to participate in the first Festive Face-Off, which I thought was pretty cool.
I packed my bags, told my family and friends, and flew out there. The house was insane, decked out in Christmas decorations from top to bottom. Met the other guys who made it, and they were all pretty cool. We were all pumped and ready to show off our Christmas spirit. The challenges were wild, too. One day we had to decorate gingerbread houses, another day we had to sing carols, and there was even a gift-wrapping challenge where we had to wrap the most awkwardly shaped presents you can imagine.
I gave it my all, but man, the competition was tough. One guy, Daxton Bloomquist, was super good at everything. It was crazy. But I held my own, made some friends, and had a blast filming. During one of the tapings, Daxton said he felt something was wrong and he knew when his eye went blurry. He had to leave the set and FaceTimed us later from his home. Said he had to have emergency surgery for a detached retina. Bummer.
The final round
Then, one day, out of the blue, I started feeling off. I couldn’t see straight, my eye hurt, and everything was blurry, my retina was torn. I knew immediately that I wouldn’t be able to continue in the show. I called my family, packed up, and scheduled an emergency surgery. The next day, I went straight to the hospital. I was so upset that I didn’t get a chance to finish what I set out to do. I went on FaceTime to tell the guys what had happened. They were all super supportive, but it still sucked. I so wanted to win and be in that Hallmark Christmas movie!
So, yeah, that’s my “Finding Mr. Christmas” story. I didn’t win, but hey, I got pretty far, right? It was an amazing experience, even though it didn’t end the way I wanted. I heard that Ezra Moreland ended up winning. I saw a commercial on the Hallmark Channel the other day, and they said to watch out for him in a new original movie, “Happy Howlidays.” Good for him, man. At least I can say I was on a reality TV show, even if it was just for a little while. And who knows, maybe I’ll try again next year. You never know!
- Applying for the show
- Getting the first interview
- Making it to the next round
- The challenges
- Having to leave due to a medical emergency
- Reflecting on the experience
