A rising actor from Northern Ireland has disclosed that he is nearing the end of his life following a four-year fight with skin cancer that has now reached his liver and lungs.
Finnian Garbutt, 28, widely recognized for portraying Police Constable Ryan Power in the BBC drama “Hope Street,” announced the heartbreaking update to his followers on social media on March 1, 2026. Recent medical scans revealed that his melanoma has advanced aggressively throughout his body.
Garbutt stated in his post that he decided to reveal the news publicly rather than speaking to people one by one. “I hope now it’s in the open then I can enjoy the time with my amazing family and friends,” he wrote.
The Bangor native first detected a lump behind his ear in late 2020, assuming it was simply an ingrown hair. Once lockdown restrictions eased, his barber noticed the lump had grown considerably, prompting him to seek medical guidance. By December 2021, at age 25, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma. The cancer eventually spread to his neck, leading to a demanding 12-hour surgery in February 2022 where doctors removed 75 lymph nodes from his face and neck.
In August 2024, just two weeks before the birth of his daughter Saoirse, doctors gave him the devastating update that the cancer was terminal after reaching his liver and lungs. Even so, Garbutt continued pursuing his career and personal goals—appearing in 30 episodes of “Hope Street” between 2023 and 2025 and marrying his wife Louise Agnew in September 2025.
Since his diagnosis, Garbutt has celebrated significant personal and professional achievements: 30 episodes of “Hope Street,” a leading role in an upcoming film, purchasing a home, marrying his best friend, and welcoming a daughter who, as he said, “never fails to make me smile.”
The show, now in its fifth season, is filmed in Donaghadee, County Down, and centers on life in the fictional seaside town of Port Devine. Garbutt also appeared as Raymond in the film “Housejackers,” which debuted at the Belfast Film Festival in 2025. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he had earlier portrayed Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and acted in the BBC medical drama “Casualty.”
Over the past month, Garbutt reported growing pain in his back and hip, leading his cancer team to admit him for additional scans and monitoring. The results confirmed his greatest fear—the cancer had spread quickly and extensively.
After he shared the news, Garbutt’s family created a GoFundMe campaign to support his wife and daughter following his passing. As of the latest update, the fundraiser had surpassed £36,000.
Garbutt stressed that he is not looking for pity. Instead, he expressed his only wish: for his wife and young daughter to have the life they deserve—something he had hoped to provide himself. Any donations, he wrote, would help Louise and Saoirse move forward and remain safe and secure in their home.
Throughout his illness, Garbutt has partnered with Action Cancer and advocated for the charity’s Peer Mentoring Programme, encouraging men to check their skin frequently and seek medical help early. In earlier interviews, he spoke openly about the emotional strain of his diagnosis—the persistent fear of the cancer spreading after being warned of the seriousness of his condition.
Despite the grim prognosis, Garbutt extended a warm and familiar invitation to friends and supporters: “If anyone wants to meet up for a pint, coffee or general bit of craic, please reach out and we can try and make it work.”
A spokesperson for the BBC and Long Story TV responded with a message honoring Garbutt’s impact. “Finnian has been such an important part of ‘Hope Street’s’ success,” the spokesperson stated. “He is very much in our thoughts.”
As Garbutt enters his final days, he remains devoted to spending meaningful time with his wife Louise and daughter Saoirse. His bravery in sharing his experience has resonated with people worldwide, resulting in an outpouring of support across his social media accounts.
