Sarah Macdonald Returns to Radio in a Full-Circle Comeback

After two years away from the microphone, Australian broadcaster Sarah Macdonald is returning to 702 ABC Sydney with a new role and a deeply personal connection to the program she will host.

Macdonald will take over the station’s Afternoons program from March 2027, returning to a broadcaster she has worked with for decades. Her comeback comes after she was previously dropped from the station’s Mornings program in 2024.

A Return She Never Expected

Macdonald described her return to ABC Sydney as a homecoming she never thought would happen.

She first joined the ABC as a cadet in 1994 and went on to work as a reporter and presenter across several programs. She later presented Weekend Nightlife, Evenings and Mornings on 702 ABC Sydney.

Now she is preparing to begin another chapter, this time in the afternoon slot.

Honouring a Friend

The program was previously hosted for more than two decades by broadcaster James Valentine, who died earlier this year.

Macdonald and Valentine were close friends and colleagues, and she said his influence would remain part of the program after her arrival.

She described him as an inspiration both professionally and personally, while making clear that she intends to create her own version of the show rather than simply imitate him.

A Different Perspective on Life

Macdonald said the final period of Valentine’s life changed the way she looked at her own life and work.

She also spent the past two years focusing on another issue close to her experience: the growing number of Australians caring for ageing parents while also supporting adult children who remain at home.

She explored the subject through her Club Sandwich podcast and an episode of the ABC program Compass.

Back Behind the Microphone

Macdonald said she still wants radio to be a place where people can be informed, entertained and simply spend time together.

Her return will come at a time when Australian radio continues to change, but she believes there remains a place for programs that slow down the news cycle and give listeners room to breathe.

When she begins the Afternoons program in March 2027, Macdonald will be returning not only to a familiar station, but to an audience that has followed her career for more than three decades.

Source: ABC News and The Guardian