Hope Street star Finnian Garbutt dead aged 28: Actor passes away after terminal cancer diagnosis

Hope Street star Finnian Garbutt has died aged 28, a month after sharing his terminal cancer diagnosis.

The actor’s death was announced three weeks after he shared in a heartbreaking post on social media that he had been given a bed at a nursing home.

His family announced the news on Instagram on Friday, saying that Finnian was able to return home after his death.

The following statements were included in the statement: ‘He passed peacefully at home, with his family, as he wished. We want to thank everyone for their support, kind words and standing by us during this difficult time.

‘We would also like to thank everyone who donated to our GoFundMe page. The peace you gave Finn in his final days made his passing much easier to bear.

‘He passed peacefully at home, with his family, as he wished. We’d like to thank everyone for their support, kind words and standing by us during this difficult time.’

The statement continued: ‘We will always love and miss you Finn. You were the most wonderful husband, father, son, brother and friend we could have ever asked for, and despite the immense pain of losing you, we all take comfort in knowing that you are no longer suffering.

We will announce the details of his funeral soon. In the meantime, we ask that our family’s privacy be respected at this truly difficult time. Thank you so much and with all the love in the world, Louise, Luke and family xxx.’

The actor is best known for his role in Northern Ireland police drama Hope Street, after taking on the role of new police officer Ryan Power in 2023.

Finnian was first diagnosed with skin cancer five years ago, but shared last month that the disease was ‘progressing rapidly’ and that he was now focusing on spending time with his ‘wonderful friends and family’.

Although he underwent surgery to remove the cancer in 2022, Finnian was due to undergo Stage IV in August 2024, just two weeks before the arrival of daughter Saoirse, whom he shares with wife Louise Agnew. I was diagnosed with stage 1 melanoma.

The BBC star detailed how she entered the ‘final stages of her life’ after being diagnosed and shared that she was given a bed provided by a Northern Ireland hospice on March 25.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: ‘A day in bed provided by @nihospice. Thank you for supporting me and my family. [sic]. I will no longer be sharing my GoFundMe page, but it is still active in bio. ‘I love you all, guys.’

In February, Finnian revealed that despite treatment, the cancer had worsened and was now terminal: ‘Hello all, I’ve been feeling quite a lot of pain in my back and hips over the last month…

‘My cancer team welcomed me in the other day for observation and a few scans. Unfortunately scans have shown that cancer is rapidly progressing throughout my body and I am now entering the final stages of my life…

‘I’m putting this out there because it’s really hard to explain to people individually. And hopefully now that it’s open, I can spend time with my wonderful family and friends…

‘Since being diagnosed four years ago, I have achieved most of my life goals; 30 episodes of a TV show, starring in a movie (coming soon), buying my own house, marrying my best friend, and being the father of an incredible daughter who always manages to make me smile.

‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out and supported me and my family over the years. If anyone would like to grab a beer, a coffee or a little chat please reach out and we can try to make that happen. Best regards as always, Finn.

The actor is best known for his role in the Northern Ireland police drama Hope Street, which focuses on the fictional Northern Ireland Police and begins in 2021.

Finnian had been playing new police officer Ryan Power since the show’s third series in 2023, and also appeared in the film Housejackers and an episode of Casualty in 2020.

The actor is best known for his role in Northern Ireland police drama Hope Street, after taking on the role of new police officer Ryan Power in 2023.

In February, Finnian revealed that despite treatment, the cancer had worsened and was now terminal, five years after he was first diagnosed.

Garbutt first went to see a doctor when he noticed a mole on his scalp that was diagnosed as stage three malignant melanoma.

He invited people to get checked immediately after his diagnosis, saying: ‘What I want now is to make sure as many people as possible know about this disease because before this diagnosis…

‘I had no idea about this; Now, being advanced is devastating and has completely changed my life.

‘I’ll never have the life goals and ambitions that I once had, so what I want to show is that if it’s caught early, it’s very, very treatable…

‘Melanoma spreads so quickly that when it enters your lymphatic system it can spread throughout your body…

‘I’m trying to get people talking about this disease so they know how you can protect yourself from catching it, whether that’s being more careful with the sun or less exposure to sunbeds…

‘Personally, I don’t sunbathe, I’ve never used a sunbed and I especially don’t like to stay in the sun for too long…

‘I’m fit and healthy but I still have a very serious illness that goes unnoticed and I want to prevent this from happening to others.

In December, Garbutt shared a post to commemorate his initial diagnosis, with the heartbreaking message writing: ‘To many more happy years to come.’

The post read: ‘4 years today I was diagnosed with cancer. It’s been a wild ride so far. Major surgeries, countless scans and biopsies, 10 different treatments and now the search for a clinical trial…

‘I couldn’t have done it without my family, my wife Louise and my best little friend, my daughter Saoyse. Many more happy years to come Xx’.

In her diagnosis announcement in August 2024, she wrote: ‘Yesterday I was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. A routine scan identified several hot spots on my body, and a more detailed MRI confirmed that the melanoma had returned…

‘I have every confidence in my oncology team and the groundbreaking treatment options the NHS offers. Check your skin, if there is a problem, get it checked. Don’t take no for an answer…

‘I will try to get back to everyone who replies; Thank you for having my back…’

‘Louise and I can’t wait to welcome our daughter in the coming weeks, nothing can stop our family from being happy. Peace and Love, Finn x’.