Broadcaster and saxophonist James Valentine is retiring from the ABC after almost 40 years, due to cancer, ending 25 years of hosting Sydney’s Afternoons program on ABC Radio.
Valentine, 64, has been a fixture on the public broadcaster since he joined as host of the Afternoon Show for kids on ABC TV in 1987 after a decade of playing in bands including The Models.
In 2024 he revealed live on ABC radio that he had oesophageal cancer and was taking time off to undergo surgery, saying he was “equal parts hopeful and terrified”.
He returned after treatment only to leave again last June when new tumours were discovered.
Valentine had been pondering for some time how to tell his audience he was leaving again after he had twice gone on the radio to reveal details of his disease.
“It’s sad news, it’s definitely sad news for me,” Valentine said on ABC Sydney on Monday afternoon.
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“This decision has been hard for me to make, but look, I think my health is giving me a pretty clear message that it still might be a while until I could return and resume broadcasting.
“[It] could still be another year or six months or so until I’ve got the energy or the strength to come back. I just think it’s too long. I think it’s time to say, come on, somebody else [should] come and have a shot.
“I need to focus on getting better, on being with family and friends and making sure that I’m giving my health my best shot.”
Listeners called and texted in to Afternoons fill-in host James O’Loghlin to express their sadness, with many crying on air.
Valentine is beloved for his creativity and offbeat humour. Listeners who called in to the ABC named their favourite segments including rant, petty crimes, this is what I live with and conversations with comedian HG Nelson and said they would miss his company.
Valentine said he wanted to step away for good to free up the position.
“Come and have a go at this marvellous shift and do what you can with it … that is just what’s so beautiful about Afternoons – no restrictions. It’s kind of infinite.”
His longtime producer, Jennifer Fleming, is putting together a two-hour retrospective of the show on Friday.
“I wanted to capture what we made in those 25 years, look at the ways in which we pushed talkback into completely new territory,” Valentine said.
Valentine, who also did stints on Breakfast and Mornings, revealed the cancer was discovered after he “choked and retched” while eating curry at a party.
He had a gastroscopy shortly afterwards which revealed he had a 4cm tumour where his oesophagus meets his stomach.
He worked extensively as a musician in the 1980s, playing the saxophone in bands with Jo Camilleri, Wendy Matthews, Kate Ceberano, Pseudo Echo and Stephen Cummings. He still plays in Sydney with the James Valentine Quartet.
Drive presenter Thomas Oriti was overwhelmed with texts from listeners, saying he could fill the entire program with them.
