Stars from Blue Lights drama visit Belfast Hospice

By Stanley Murphy-Johns, Press Association

Stars from the hit BBC police drama Blue Lights visited a Marie Curie Hospice in Belfast after filming wrapped on the fourth season of the show.

Actors Richard Dormer, Sian Brooke, Katherine Devlin, and Joanne Crawford – as well as series co-creator Declan Lawn and executive producer Stephen Wright – said they felt “humbled” to go and visit patients and staff at the charity.

The cast were pictured chatting to the patients and were reportedly told that their show, which is set in Belfast, was a fan-favourite in the hospice.

Co-creator Lawn said that he found the visit “incredibly moving” and resonated with him as he lost his father, Gerry, to cancer in 2009.

He said: “Being here today has been incredibly moving. Hearing how people here are watching Blue Lights with their families and finding some comfort in that is very humbling.

“Learning more about what the team at Marie Curie does to care for patients and families has been a real eye opener. They give people the care, space and support to spend that precious time together, right until the end. It’s truly amazing.”

Marie Curie cares for people with any illness they are likely to die from, including Alzheimer’s, heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease and advanced stages of cancer.

Simon Phillips, 44, who is living with a parotid gland tumour, said that meeting the Blue Light stars was a “real treat” as he had been a fan since the show first aired in 2023.

Phillips said: “Television is a great form of escapism for me. It helps take my mind off everything for a while and I just get lost in the story, so it’s a good way to switch off from whatever else may be going on.

“Because of my health, I don’t get out as much as I used to, so it gives me something to talk about with the nurses or when I have visitors, too.”

Before leaving, the cast thanked patients and staff and celebrated the dedication of the hospice team.

Dr Catherine Doherty, consultant at Marie Curie, said: “It was wonderful to welcome the Blue Lights cast to the hospice. Their visit meant so much to our staff, patients and their families.

“Small moments of joy and connection like this can make a huge difference and today was a perfect example of that. We’re so grateful to them for taking the time to be here and for helping our patients and their loved ones to create such special memories.”