ABC has returned presenter Sarah Macdonald to the local radio roster, confirmed by Ben Latimer, ABC’s director of audience. Macdonald will take over the afternoon slot from March, replacing the late James Valentine.
Latimer said listeners had missed Sarah greatly and were delighted she had agreed to return. He added that Sarah knew the audience well and understood what the programme meant to listeners. "I am looking forward to Sarah making Afternoons her own," Latimer said.
Macdonald was made redundant in November 2024, a decision that sparked outrage among fellow presenters and listeners. She announced her departure on air in 2024, telling listeners that ABC had decided not to renew her contract on Mornings. She had previously stated that she was proud of the work she had done, that ratings had risen, and that she had told the Premier of New South Wales that listeners were regularly calling in.
James Valentine, the radio presenter, died in April. He had retired three months before his death, after 25 years presenting the Afternoons programme in Sydney.
Macdonald confirmed that she had received a text message from ABC’s chief executive, Hugh Mark, on the first of April, asking for a meeting. She said she had missed the wit and wisdom of ABC’s listeners, thanked them for their support, and said she was looking forward to seeing them again. "I will give my all to inform, entertain and be with listeners as we try to understand the big and small issues in life," Macdonald said.
The move adds one woman to ABC’s male line-up from Breakfast to Drive in 2026, following the departure of Chris Bath, who was replaced by a male presenter, Thomas Oriti. Paul Barry, the former head of Media Watch, said on X that he could not believe it and that he had heard ABC had dismissed Sarah Macdonald from ABC Sydney, considering her brilliant, one of the best on radio. Richard Glover, the outgoing host of Drive, expressed the shock of ABC’s staff in his programme. "The news that the management had decided not to renew Sarah's contract left our little family in shock. We were all surprised, shocked, surprised and astounded," said Glover.
