‘It’s very emotional’: Axed presenter Sarah Macdonald to return to ABC 702 Sydney

Less than two years after her shock axing, the ABC has confirmed that radio presenter Sarah Macdonald is returning to 702 Sydney in a different timeslot.

The former Mornings host is taking over Afternoons from next March. It’s the show that James Valentine hosted with warmth and wit for more than two decades, other than during a brief stint on Breakfast, before his diagnosis with oesophageal cancer.

The much-loved Valentine died in April, with Afternoons co-hosted this year by James O’Loghlin and Kathryn Robinson. The ABC says they will “remain regular voices” on the station.

There was an outcry in late 2024 when the popular Macdonald, who had hosted Weekend Nightlife and Evenings before Mornings, revealed that the ABC would not be renewing her contract.

Hamish Macdonald, another popular ABC personality, took over Mornings last year.

Since then, Sarah Macdonald has been podcasting, appearing weekly on Mark Levy’s show on 2GB and writing a book that she describes as “sort of a sequel to Holy Cow!”, her 2002 book on India.

“James and I were friends and I deeply miss him,” she said of the new role. “I feel really honoured to be stepping into his shoes, his seat, his microphone. It’s very emotional – it’s a lot – and I hope to do him proud.”

Macdonald said that when ABC managing director Hugh Marks texted her on April Fools’ Day to ask if she would like to have a chat, she thought it was a friend playing a prank.

“I appreciated that it came from him, really,” she said. “I think that he was getting hassles when he was going out occasionally from the public, so he was interested to find out what was going on and whether I’d consider coming back.

“But it’s taken a while to work it all out [and] put my heart back into it.”

Before accepting the new show, Macdonald discussed it with Valentine’s widow, clinical psychologist Joanne Corrigan.

“I really needed her blessing,” she said. “She’s not James, of course, but I know what James would say: ‘Well, do you want to do it or not? It’s up to you, kid.’ ”

So does Macdonald still have any bad blood about her axing?

She laughed.

“I’ll never really completely know what happened,” she said. “I’m just choosing to be really optimistic and hopeful and do the job … I had to come back with an open heart and an open mind and I am.”

Macdonald praised “brilliant new station manager” Nick Lowther.

“We didn’t have a station manager off and on for quite a while there but Nick is amazing,” she said.

While ABC management would not comment on whether it had made a mistake axing her and how it felt about Mornings ratings since her departure, Lowther said he was thrilled to welcome her back.

“Sarah is one of those broadcasters who builds a genuine, lasting bond with her audience,” he said. “She has an instinct for the conversations people want to have, and a warmth that comes through every time she’s on air.”

While Craig Reucassel will continue in Breakfast, Hamish Macdonald on Mornings and Thomas Oriti on Drive next year, the ABC has flagged more announcements about the station’s line-up later in the year.

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