Broadcaster James Valentine retires from ABC after nearly 40 years due to cancer

Mon, 02 Feb 2026

‘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’, Afternoons host says

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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.