NEED TO KNOW
Romance is always in the air on Hallmark — especially at this time of year — but it’s getting real in the new year.
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that real-life couple Chilli and Matthew Lawrence, who have been dating since 2022, are co-hosting Hallmark+’s new unscripted series Second Chance Love, which will see five couples have the chance to reconnect in Sardinia, Italy. The show will premiere on New Year’s Day on Hallmark+.
“Is love in the air? We’re about to find out,” Lawrence, 45, says in the first trailer for the new show. “Five unique couples from across the country are about to join us to find out if a lost relationship might just be the love of a lifetime.”
Later, Chilli, 54, adds, “The next two weeks will be filled with romantic adventures and relationship-renewing activities. I mean, how could you not fall in love in a place like this?”
Hallmark
“At the end of this experience, five couples will have a big decision to make: Will they be leaving separately or will they be leaving together?” Lawrence explains. “This series could definitely be a Hallmark love story for these couples.”
The five couples range in age from their 30s to their 70s and dated between five and 40 years ago. Their two-week journeys will be filled with nostalgia, emotional reflection and intimate dates. Led by the TLC singer and the Boy Meets World star, they’ll revisit their pasts, confront unfinished business and build new memories.
“Forty years later, we’re just going to have to see if there’s that special magic,” one of the women says in the trailer. Another woman notes, “I’m here to see if I can possibly have a second chance with my high school sweetheart.”
The Real Chilli/ Instagram
“This project is special to both Matthew and I for several reasons,” Chilli says in a statement. “As executive producers and hosts, we can’t wait to share the inspiration behind the pursuit of true love. Working with Hallmark is a dream come true. … I’ve always been very specific about brand alignment because representation matters in every aspect of partnership.”
“Studies show that nearly 80 percent of reunited first loves stay together for years, often for life,” David Stefanou, head of unscripted programming at Hallmark Media, says in a statement. “There’s something undeniably powerful about a love that endures, even across time and distance. It’s a theme that has defined so many of Hallmark’s most cherished stories, and with Second Chance Love, we’re bringing that magic into the real world. We’re giving couples the chance to rediscover a connection that may have never truly faded.”
John Parra/Getty
Second Chance Love also marks Chilli and Lawrence’s first professional project together.
The pair became Instagram official in late 2022 with a post of them dancing in matching pajamas and lip-syncing to A-ha’s “Take on Me.” That same day, Chilli wrote, “God has perfect timing,” Chilli wrote at the time. “Never early and never late. It takes a little patience and a lot of faith.”
Last year, Chilli shared her favorite gifts she’s received from Matthew over the years. “It is a letter,” she said. “I have two actually, but they’re my favorite. In fact, I love it so much that it is framed next to my bed where it will stay forever. It’ll stay framed for our whole lives.”
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Second Chance Love premieres on Thursday, Jan. 1, on Hallmark+.
