Veteran ABC radio announcer James Valentine has died at the age of 64 after battling cancer for several years.

The 702 ABC Sydney announcer died by voluntary assisted dying at home about two years after he was first diagnosed with cancer, ABC news has confirmed.

The broadcaster hosted radio and television shows for the past 30 years, stepping back after revealing he had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in March 2024.

Valentine first announced the news in an online column published on the ABC website before also sharing the diagnosis on his Afternoons program.

The broadcaster said his cancer was unusual because he had been feeling “fine”, however he knew something was wrong when he had trouble swallowing while having dinner with friends.

After a gastroscopy, a doctor revealed he had a 4cm tumour where his oesophagus met his stomach.

Valentine briefly returned to the airwaves until his retirement in February this year after more tumours were found.

“The ABC is deeply saddened by the death of our colleague and friend James Valentine,” the network said in a statement.

“James presented Afternoons on 702 ABC Radio Sydney for more than 20 years, becoming a trusted and familiar voice for generations of listeners.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to James’ wife Joanne and their two children, Ruby and Roy, as well as his family, friends and colleagues.”

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said Valentine was more than a presenter and was a “trusted companion” for many.

“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,” Marks said.

“James turned his patch of the Sydney airwaves into a place of companionship, and his daily presence will be deeply missed by his significant audience, and all of his colleagues at the ABC.”

Valentine began his media career in the mid-1980s, where he hosting cartoons on The Afternoon Show.

In 1991 Valentine began presenting the Afternoons program on 702 ABC Radio Sydney, and held the role for more than two decades.

Friend and fellow radio host Richard Glover said Valentine “lifted the mood of a city”.

“It was a daily effort to get people to concentrate on life, ordinary life, and how important and beautiful it is, and he did that every day for 25 years,” he said.

“So you end up sitting, listening to radio, thinking, ‘Gee, Sydneysiders are funny and lively and witty and gorgeous.

“He brought that out in people.”

A renowned saxophonist, Valentine performed regularly around Sydney and even toured through the US and Europe. He played the sax in a number of bands including Jo Jo Zep and later The Models, creating and performing a number of chart hits.

Valentine featured on the Models’ No1. hit single Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight in 1985. He was later a member of the short-lived band Absent Friends alongside singer Wendy Matthews, hitting No.4 on the singles chart with I Don’t Want To Be With Nobody But You in 1990.