Lori Loughlin returns to acting for first time since being implicated in college admissions scandal

Disgraced actress Lori Loughlin is making her acting comeback after being embroiled in the college admissions scandal two years ago.

The former Full House star is set to return to TV in the two-part special When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, a spin-off of the Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart in which she previously starred.

The episodes will premiere on December 18 in the US, seeing the 57-year-old reprise her role of Abigail Stanton.

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Loughlin previously starred on the original series' first six seasons, but was written off the show in 2019 following her arrest in March 2019. 

"We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations. We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped development of all productions that air on the Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin including Garage Sale Mysteries, an independent third party production," read a statement from Hallmark parent company Crown Media Family Networks.

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The actress and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, 58, were subsequently charged with a series of fraud-related offences and jailed for bribing college officials in return for enrolment for daughter, Isabella Rose, now 23, and Olivia Jade, now 22.

Loughlin was sentenced to two months jail time, a US$150,000 fine (approx. $200,000), and 150 hours of community service, while Giannulli served five months in jail, copped a US$250,000 (approx. $335,000) fine, and carried out 250 hours of community service.