A rising actor from Northern Ireland has revealed he is approaching the end of his life after a four-year battle with skin cancer that has spread to his liver and lungs.
Finnian Garbutt, 28, best known for playing Police Constable Ryan Power in the BBC drama “Hope Street,” shared the devastating news with his followers on March 1, 2026. Recent scans showed his melanoma has become aggressively widespread.
Garbutt explained he chose to make the announcement publicly rather than tell people individually. “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 noticed a lump behind his ear in late 2020 and thought it was an ingrown hair. After lockdown, his barber saw it had increased in size and urged him to get checked. By December 2021, at 25, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma. The disease later reached his neck, and in February 2022 he underwent a gruelling 12-hour operation during which surgeons removed 75 lymph nodes from his face and neck.
In August 2024, two weeks before his daughter Saoirse was born, doctors informed him the cancer was terminal after it was found in his liver and lungs. Despite that, Garbutt continued to work and pursue life 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 marked several personal and professional milestones: 30 episodes of “Hope Street,” a lead role in an upcoming film, buying a house, marrying his best friend, and welcoming a daughter who he says “never fails to make me smile.”
The show, now in its fifth season, is shot in Donaghadee, County Down, and follows life in the fictional coastal town of Port Devine. Garbutt also played Raymond in “Housejackers,” which premiered at the Belfast Film Festival in 2025. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, his earlier roles include Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and an appearance in the BBC medical drama “Casualty.”
Over the last month he experienced increasing pain in his back and hip, prompting his cancer team to admit him for further scans and monitoring. The tests confirmed his worst fears—the disease had progressed rapidly and extensively.
After he went public, Garbutt’s family set up a GoFundMe campaign to support his wife and daughter after his passing. The fundraiser has since exceeded £55,000.
Garbutt made it clear he does not want pity. His only request was that his wife and young daughter have the life he hoped to give them. He said any contributions would help Louise and Saoirse move forward and stay safe and secure in their home.
Throughout his illness, Garbutt has worked with Action Cancer and promoted the charity’s Peer Mentoring Programme, urging men to check their skin regularly and seek medical advice early. In past interviews he spoke candidly about the emotional toll of his diagnosis and the constant fear of the cancer spreading.
Despite the bleak prognosis, Garbutt invited friends and supporters warmly: “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 paid tribute to Garbutt’s contribution. “Finnian has been such an important part of ‘Hope Street’s’ success,” the spokesperson said. “He is very much in our thoughts.”
As Garbutt spends his remaining time with his wife Louise and daughter Saoirse, his courage in sharing his story has touched people worldwide and led to an outpouring of support on social media.