When the 13th season of Hallmark Channel’s hit series “When Calls The Heart” premieres in 2026, at least two past guest stars will return to Hope Valley — Melissa Gilbert, who first joined the cast in 2024, and Brooke Shields, whose character hasn’t appeared in a decade.
That begs the question: could Lori Loughlin be close behind? On November 7, 2025, series lead Erin Krakow gave Us Weekly an intriguing four-word answer: “I sure hope so.”
Erin Krakow Says She’s Been ‘Hoping For Years & Years’ That Lori Loughlin Will Return to Hope Valley
HallmarkLoughlin, who first rose to fame as Aunt Becky on “Full House,” played beloved “When Calls The Heart” character Abigail Stanton from 2013 to 2019. 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.
But in recent years, many fans and former castmates have expressed hope, like Krakow, that Loughlin will be forgiven and allowed to return to Hope Valley.
Krakow, whose new movie “Christmas Above the Clouds” premieres on November 8, told Us Weekly, “I love Lori Loughlin, and I love the character she created, Abigail Stanton.”
Noting that Loughlin’s return is “something I’ve been hoping for for years and years,” Krakow told the outlet, “I’m very much a fan of hers and a friend of hers, so I really hope that it’s happening.”
Erin Krakow Advocated for Lori Loughlin’s Return in 2024, Too
HallmarkThis is not the first time Krakow has publicly advocated for Loughlin’s return. In 2024, she and her “When Calls The Heart” co-star Kevin McGarry both said they’d welcome her back with open arms.
“She’s an incredible person, a very dear friend,” Krakow said at the time. “She’s got a real good heart. People don’t even know how special a person she is, and it would be wonderful to have her back in Hope Valley.”
McGarry weighed in, “I think there’s been lots of people that (have) said we’d love to have her back. It’s not our decision of course.”
Even show co-creator Brian Bird said in 2023 that he was open to bringing Loughlin back on the series, stating on the “When Calls The Heart Aftershow” podcast that there had been “good conversations” about her potential return.
He said in that interview, “Our attitude always has been, you know as the producing team and the writing team around ‘When Calls the Heart,’ that what better place for second chances than Hope Valley. And so in theory, it should work, right? But again, can’t fully promise it but we’re working on it.”
Lori Loughlin is Navigating Split From Her Husband 5 Years After Serving Time for College Scandal
GettyFollowing their 2019 arrests, Loughlin and her 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. Loughlin and Giannulli’s daughters — Bella and Olivia Jade — were accepted by the University of Southern California.
In 2020, Loughlin served two months and Giannuli served five months in jail, per Us Weekly, and tried to move past the scandal together, with Loughlin slowly returning to acting, including two movies on Great American Family.
But in early October, after nearly three decades of marriage, TMZ reported that Loughlin and Giannuli had separated and were no longer living together.
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Erin Krakow’s Intriguing 4-Word Response to Whether Lori Loughlin Will Return to ‘When Calls The Heart’