Virgin River favourite makes emotional trip back home for 'special' moment after season 7 filming

Colin Lawrence, the star of Virgin River, has taken to Instagram to share a heartfelt message following his recent visit to London, where he was born.

The actor, famed for his role as John 'Preacher' Middleton in all six seasons of Netflix's popular romance series, has just finished shooting the seventh season.

Season seven is set to continue from where it left off, with Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) having married Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), but their wedding bliss is short-lived as Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) seems to have vanished.

In the show, Preacher narrowly avoids prison for the unintentional killing of the violent Wes (Steve Bacic), and his bond with firefighter Kaira Bryant (Kandyse McClure) grows stronger.

With millions eagerly awaiting the return of Virgin River in the coming months, Lawrence disclosed that he recently visited his birthplace in London during a European trip, reports the Mirror US.

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He posted a series of charming family photos from the capital, captioning them: "The first stop on the European vacation is England, where I was born.

"I haven't been back since I was a little boy. It was fun to play tourist and I even got an opportunity to visit the home I lived in as a child!"

He concluded with a touching remark: "Not gonna lie, that was something special."

The shared images included a cheerful selfie with his wife Lucia Walters and their daughters, and a snapshot of the house from his early years.

Lawrence's followers were visibly moved by the glimpse into the star's homecoming journey, flooding the comments section with heartfelt messages.

One Instagram user wrote: "Beautiful family! Enjoy your vacation! Safe travels."

Another fan gushed: "Gorgeous family! The girls are all grown up and so beautiful! Looks like a fun trip!"

"Wow, that must have been emotional!" a third observed. "And lovely that you could come back to visit."

Meanwhile, one disappointed admirer posted with crying emojis: "Awwww I can't believe you're there just when I'm visiting family in Italy!! Hope you had a great time."

Lawrence's character Preacher quickly won over audiences when Virgin River debuted on Netflix in 2019.

He's remained a constant presence ever since, providing support to Mel and Jack whilst navigating his own personal turmoil throughout all six seasons of the hugely popular streaming hit.

Alongside the forthcoming seventh series, Lawrence is set to reprise his role for the recently announced eighth season, which is anticipated to land in late 2026.

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix.