ABC star James Valentine tragically dies aged 64

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 23:25, 22 April 2026 | Updated: 23:57, 22 April 2026 ABC star James Valentine has died at home aged 64 using voluntary assisted dying following a cancer battle. 'James passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family, who adored him,' Valentine's family said in a statement. '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. '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.' Valentine is survived by his wife, Joanne, and his children, Ruby and Roy. His death comes just days after Valentine was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Governor‑General Sam Mostyn revealed on Thursday that she had recently approved the honour and presented it to his children at Admiralty House last Saturday so they could give it to him privately. Valentine announced in March 2024 that he had oesophageal cancer and took leave from the ABC to receive treatment. He retired from the 702 ABC radio station in February to focus on ongoing treatment. 'I could ask callers to make stuff up, to invent stories, to go with any sort of fanciful notion of the city that we had going on,' Valentine said. ABC star James Valentine has died by euthanasia at the age of 64 following a cancer battle 'What a huge buzz of enjoyment I got when you called in, in response to something I'd suggest.' A saxophonist for the 1980s Australian new wave band Models, Valentine hosted ABC radio and television shows for three decades. He has been hailed by the national broadcaster as 'more than a presenter'.  'He has been a trusted companion for so many people, part of the rhythm of everyday life for generations of our Sydney audience,' ABC managing director Hugh Marks aid. 'James brought warmth, wit, and humanity to radio as an exemplar of radio craft. His style was never about confrontation or noise — it was always about connection.' Voluntary assisted dying is when you get medical assistance to end your life This might be because you have a serious medical condition that causes unbearable suffering, and you are only expected to live for a short time. Currently, VAD is available in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. There are strict rules about who can get VAD, but these rules vary between the states and territories. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.