Screenwriter Russell T Davies has spoken publicly about the death of his husband, Andrew Smith, describing it as the "greatest loss" of his life. Speaking on the On the Marie Curie Couch podcast, the Doctor Who and It's a Sin writer reflected on the eight years Smith spent living with an aggressive brain tumour before his death in September 2018, shedding light on the emotional toll of caring for a terminally ill partner while highlighting the support provided by palliative care nurses.

Smith, who had been with Davies for 20 years and married him in 2012, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme and initially given just 18 months to live, yet survived for eight years. Davies recalled the confusion around the diagnosis, Smith's deliberate choice not to learn his prognosis, and the difficulty of caring for him, saying he would have done it for another 50 years "without a single complaint". He also praised Marie Curie nurses who supported the couple in Smith's final weeks, describing their care as like having a "saint visiting the house", and said he was glad to have been holding Smith's hand when he died at home.