Beloved Australian broadcasting personality James Valentine, who served as a staple voice on Sydney radio for more than two decades, has passed away at the age of 64, two years after his initial oesophageal cancer diagnosis. A multi-talented figure who built his legacy both on the airwaves and in the Australian music industry, Valentine leaves behind a profound impact on audiences and colleagues across the country.
Valentine is most widely recognized for his 20-plus year tenure hosting the iconic Afternoons programme on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Sydney, a role that made him a familiar and trusted presence in households across the city. Beyond his broadcasting career, he was also an accomplished saxophonist, performing with a number of popular Australian bands throughout his life, including The Models — a group that claimed two number-one chart hits and toured extensively across the United States and Europe.
He received his cancer diagnosis in 2024, stepping back from his on-air role to pursue intensive treatment. He made a brief return to broadcasting the following year before formally retiring from his position in February 2025.
In a public statement shared following his death, Valentine’s family confirmed he died peacefully at his home, surrounded by loved ones who held him close. Per the statement released to ABC, Valentine choose to utilize Voluntary Assisted Dying at the end of his journey, maintaining the independent, self-determined approach that defined his life through his final days. “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,” the family shared.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks paid tribute to Valentine’s decades of contributions to public broadcasting, describing him as a “trusted companion… for generations of our Sydney audience” who consistently brought “warmth, wit and humanity to radio.”
Tributes poured in from across the Australian media, political and cultural landscapes on Thursday following the announcement of his death. Fellow ABC presenter Robbie Buck remembered Valentine as “joyous, irrepressible and unbelievably sharp,” while former ABC colleague Richard Glover noted that the host had “lifted the spirit of the city every day for 25 years.”
Even top Australian political leaders joined in honoring Valentine’s legacy. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC radio that Valentine was “someone who was always worth listening to.” Australia’s Governor-General Sam Mostyn also shared that Valentine had recently been awarded the honor of Member of the Order (AM) in recognition of his decades of work in broadcasting, music, and arts advocacy. The award was formally presented to Valentine’s wife and children just last Saturday, ahead of his passing. “His ideas were, as they were on radio, just lovely, gentle, sensible, really important things about how community comes together and how we all have a role to play,” Mostyn told ABC.
Valentine is survived by his wife and two children.