A Northern Irish actor has revealed he is in the final stage of his life after a four-year fight with skin cancer that has spread to his lungs and liver.
Finnian Garbutt, 28, best known for playing Police Constable Ryan Power on the BBC drama “Hope Street,” told followers on social media on March 1, 2026, that recent scans showed his melanoma had rapidly progressed throughout his body.
In his message, Garbutt said he decided to make the news public rather than inform 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 near the end of 2020, initially thinking it was an ingrown hair. After lockdown eased and his barber observed the lump had enlarged, he sought medical advice. In December 2021, at 25, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma. The cancer later spread to his neck, and in February 2022 he underwent a demanding 12-hour operation to remove 75 lymph nodes from his face and neck.
In August 2024, just two weeks before his daughter Saoirse was born, doctors told him the cancer was terminal after it reached his liver and lungs. He nonetheless continued with his work and personal milestones—appearing in 30 episodes of “Hope Street” from 2023 to 2025 and marrying his wife, Louise Agnew, in September 2025.
Since his diagnosis, Garbutt has reached important goals: 30 episodes of “Hope Street,” a lead role in an upcoming film, buying a house, marrying his best friend, and becoming a father to a daughter who, he says, “never fails to make me smile.”
The series, now five seasons long, is filmed in Donaghadee, County Down, and follows life in the fictional seaside town of Port Devine. Garbutt also played Raymond in the film “Housejackers,” which premiered at the Belfast Film Festival in 2025. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he has performed as Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and appeared in the BBC medical drama “Casualty.”
Over the last month he experienced worsening back and hip pain, leading his oncology team to admit him for monitoring and scans. The results confirmed the cancer had advanced aggressively.
After his announcement, Garbutt’s family started a GoFundMe campaign to support his wife and daughter after he passes. The fundraiser had raised more than £77,000 at the time of reporting.
Garbutt stressed he was not asking for sympathy. His main wish is that his wife and baby have the life he hoped to provide. Donations would help Louise and Saoirse manage life without him and keep them secure in their home.
Throughout his illness, Garbutt has worked with Action Cancer and promoted the charity’s Peer Mentoring Programme, encouraging men to check their skin regularly and seek help early. In past interviews he has spoken openly about the mental strain of his diagnosis—the ongoing anxiety about the cancer spreading after doctors warned him of its seriousness.
Despite the grim prognosis, Garbutt offered a typically warm invite 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 BBC and Long Story TV spokesperson responded with praise for Garbutt’s work. “Finnian has been such an important part of ‘Hope Street’s’ success,” the spokesperson said. “He is very much in our thoughts.”
In his remaining time, Garbutt is concentrating on spending quality moments with his wife Louise and daughter Saoirse. His decision to share his story has moved people worldwide, with many showing support across his social media.