James Valentine, whose career spanned from saxophonist with some of Australia’s most notable bands to beloved ABC Sydney radio host for over two decades, died at his home in Sydney, Australia on April 22. He was 64.
His death came through voluntary assisted dying, his family revealed in a statement, two years after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
“James passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family, who adored him,” the family said. “Throughout his illness, James did it his way, which lasted all the way until the end when he made the choice to do voluntary assisted dying.”
A Public Battle With Cancer
Valentine’s approach to his illness reflected the openness that defined his broadcasting style. He revealed his esophageal cancer diagnosis on air in March 2024, then immediately interviewed his surgeon, transforming a deeply personal moment into a conversation with his audience.
“It’s generally a jolly show, so let’s have a good time here for a few months rather than shade that whole time with my disease,” he told listeners at the time.
After stepping away for treatment, he returned to broadcasting in 2025. But in June 2025, he disclosed that doctors had found tumors in his omentum. He departed the program again and announced his retirement from the ABC in February 2026.
“Both he and his family are grateful he was given the option to go out on his own terms. He was calm, dignified as always and somehow still making us laugh,” his family said.
More Than Two Decades Behind The Microphone
Valentine’s radio career began somewhat accidentally with a fill-in position at 666 ABC Canberra in the mid-1990s, which revealed his natural talent for the medium. The ABC moved him to Sydney in 1998 to host Sydney Mornings, though he later acknowledged struggling with the expectation to “sound more like a journalist” in that hard-news environment. The following year brought a better match when he shifted to ABC Sydney Afternoons in 1999, where he remained for the next 25 years.
His warm, conversational style built loyalty rather than controversy. In 2020, the show earned a Bronze Award for Best Two-Way Telephone Talk/Interview Show at the New York Festivals Radio Awards.
“I think after a while people aren’t listening to the content; they’re listening to the friendship,” Valentine once said.
The ABC tapped him to host Breakfast in late 2021, replacing Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck. He began on Dec. 13, 2021. Two years later, he returned to Afternoons, the program that always fit him best. Across radio and television, he worked for the ABC for more than 30 years, with 25 of those years at 702 ABC Sydney.
A Musical Foundation
Before becoming one of Australia’s most recognizable voices, Valentine was a working musician with a saxophone and a pop sensibility. He joined Joe Camilleri’s group, Jo Jo Zep, in 1982. From 1984 to 1987, he played with the Models, then with Absent Friends from 1989 to 1990. He also toured and recorded with Pseudo Echo, Kate Ceberano, and Iva Davies, weaving through a remarkable array of Australian acts.
His musical accomplishments received formal acknowledgment in 2010 when he was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame as a member of the Models. By that time, though, Valentine had already established himself in broadcasting.
From 1987 through 1990, he hosted The Afternoon Show on ABC TV, a children’s series where he became, according to a 1997 student newspaper profile, “a preteen, demi-god, hip big brother of our generation.” His crimson sneakers became nearly as iconic as his on-air presence. But Valentine, characteristically self-aware, eventually declared himself “past it” for children’s television and transitioned to other projects.
He worked as the movie reviewer on Showtime for more than a decade and made appearances on Good Morning Australia, Midday, Sunrise, and It Takes Two. He also presented TVTV and The Mix for the ABC.
Valentine’s multifaceted career, as colleagues reflected in the days after his death, somehow never felt scattered. He once described his craft simply: creating talk worth listening to was a form of performance and a kind of music.
For nearly four decades, Australian audiences listened. And many, in his absence, will keep listening for him still.
Shortly before his death, Valentine was recommended and approved for appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia, Gov.-Gen. Sam Mostyn disclosed. Valentine is survived by his wife, Joanne, and children, Ruby and Roy.