Two years after launching Romance University, an ever-growing community of rom-com fans who’ve raised thousands of dollars for charities through merchandise sales and fan events, Hallmark star Benjamin Ayres is spilling the tea on the network’s movie-making magic.
After interacting with thousands of Hallmark fans online and in-person, Ayres has not only heard first-hand how meaningful his movies are to them, but he’s also noticed how curious they are about the inner workings of making those movies.
So, the actor kicked off 2025 by launching a new YouTube series called “The Professor’s Lounge,” in which Ayres — Romance University’s “Chancellor” — shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and answers fans’ questions. He told EntertainmentNOW he plans to bring other Hallmark stars — affectionately called “Professors” — into the mix, too.
Benjamin Ayres Plans to Release 3 Episodes a Week of ‘The Professor’s Lounge’
In 2024, Ayres did offer a series of online classes via Zoom for Romance University members who paid for access, but managing the logistics was too complicated in between filming, he told EntertainmentNOW. In 2025, he’s opting for a simpler route with access for everyone.
New episodes of the free “Professor’s Lounge” YouTube series, Ayres said, will typically be uploaded to Romance University’s new YouTube channel three times a week. Each video lasts less than 10 minutes, with Ayres answering questions that fans — whom he calls Romance University “Alumni” — can submit via a Google docs form.
In addition to series work in the U.S. and Canada, including recurring roles on “Family Law” and “Burden of Truth,” Ayres has appeared in over 20 Hallmark movies since 2016, including six in 2024 alone.
“You know, while the nuts and bolts are the same across the spectrum of film and television, (shooting for) Hallmark is very specific,” he told EntertainmentNOW. “I now have a lot of knowledge as far as what goes into these movies. So it’s kind of fun to get to answer those questions, which I get constantly, and and sort of host a little talk show.”
The first video, released on January 6, included his explanation of ADR (automated dialogue replacement) and a fascinating look at how the editing process impacted one of his scenes in 2024’s “The Santa Class.” In other episodes, Ayres has addressed a range of questions including how involved screenwriters are in each shoot, whether actors use their own cell phones or props in scenes (fun fact: both!), and if he ever gets to keep his movie wardrobes.
Benjamin Ayres Says Running Romance University Helped Him Realize How Much He Loves Hosting
Though Ayres loves improv comedy, he’s typically been most comfortable portraying characters and following a script, he told EntertainmentNOW, so he never expected that hosting his own YouTube series — or hosting anything, for that matter — would be part of his career path.
But realizing how much he enjoys hosting — including conducting red-carpet interviews for Hallmark Channel’s “Holiday Touchdown” premiere in November — has been a surprising byproduct of connecting with so many fans through Romance University, he said. Had he been offered that opportunity several years earlier, he quipped, “that would have scared the crap out of me.”
“I think in starting Romance University and getting really comfortable just chatting and being myself, I found a real freedom, kind of a new passion,” he told EntertainmentNOW. “Turns out it’s something that I actually really enjoy doing. I quite enjoy being myself!”
Ayres is the first to admit he never expected Romance University to become what it has. The initiative, which has nearly 6,000 Instagram followers, began on a whim in late 2022. Before heading to Christmas Con, a convention for fans of feel-good Christmas movies like the dozens Hallmark produces each holiday season, Ayres mocked up a tongue-in-cheek school emblem for an imaginary school called Romance University, and stuck it on some hoodies and buttons to hand out to attendees.
The designs were such a hit with fans and his fellow stars that he made them available to order online, with proceeds going to charity, thinking it would be a one-time event. But the response was so great and fans’ desire for more items — and more ways to support women and children in need — inspired Ayres to turn Romance University into an official entity, selling merchandise, raising funds, and hosting fan events and activities.
With the YouTube series, Ayres said he’ll keep filming it as long as it’s fun and fulfilling.
“It’s going to be a learning process,” he said. “I didn’t want to start it going, ‘I know exactly what it is.’ I know what it is right now, and I’m excited to see what it grows into.”
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Benjamin Ayres Spills Hallmark Movie Secrets in New Series (EXCLUSIVE)