Hope Street star Finnian Garbutt has revealed that he’s in the ‘last stages of his life’ four years after being diagnosed with cancer.
The 28-year-old star, who has portrayed fan-favourite police constable Ryan Power in the BBC One NI series since 2022, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25 after finding a lump behind his ear.
The actor made the discovery in 2020 and, after lockdown lifted, his barber noticed that the lump had grown significantly. He was subsequently diagnosed with Stage 3 skin cancer.
Finnian underwent 12 hour surgery in February 2022 and had 75 lymph nodes removed from his neck and his face. In August 2024, he was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma, just two weeks before the arrival of his daughter.
And on Sunday (March 1), he shared the devastating news on social media that the cancer had ‘progressed rapidly’.
Writing on Instagram, Finnian said: ‘Over the last month or so I’ve been having quite a bit of pain in my back and hip.
‘My cancer team admitted me the other day for observations and to do a few scans.
‘Unfortunately the scans have shown that the cancer has progressed rapidly in my body and I am now entering the last stages of life.’
Finnian stated that he went public with the news as he’s been finding telling people individually ‘really difficult’ and now that it’s out there he hopes he can enjoy his time with his ‘amazing’ family and friends.
He added: ‘Since being diagnosed four years ago I have achieved so many of my life goals – 30 episodes on a TV show, being the lead in a movie that should be out soon, buying my own house marrying my best friend and becoming a father to the most incredible baby girl who never fails to make me smile”.
‘Thank you to all that have reached out over the years and supported me and my family.
‘If anyone wants to meet up for a pint, coffee or general bit of craic please reach out and we can try to make it work.’
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Finnian has made quite the impact on fans of Hope Street – the popular BBC NI series about the police department and local residents of the fictional Port Devine – which he joined in 2023.
A regular cast member from the third series, he wasted little time in making his presence felt as young ‘cub’ of the station Ryan, who has been at the centre of plenty of drama over the years, with star Finnian having proven himself a true force of nature time and again when it came to delivering strong performances.
The last two seasons in particular have had him right at the centre of some big stories, following the arrival of Ryan’s love interest Brandi McClure.
Having appeared in the latest series – the show’s fifth – he is one of the longest serving cast members, after a series of cast changes took place between the third series and the fourth.
Finnian also appeared in Casualty in 2020 and stars in upcoming film Housejackers.
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