"How do you want to live?" James Valentine AM's legacy of joy

"How do you want to live?" James Valentine AM's legacy of joy

From The Briefing by LiSTNR

June 8, 2026 · 13 min · Season 7 · Episode 274

About this episode

This episode discusses the legacy of James Valentine, focusing on his approach to life and the impact of his choices regarding voluntary assisted dying.

James Valentine passed away in April, voluntarily. The beloved ABC radio presenter and musician had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and chose voluntary assisted dying so he could have a say over how he lived his last moments.  Valentine cared about moments. In a moving eulogy at Valentine’s public memorial, his son, Roy Valentine, said that his dad always asked the question: “How do you want to live?” James Valentine lived with joy, curiosity, and openness, and wanted everyone else to be able to do the same.  Today, James Valentine is being officially honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Roy Valentine to talk about his father’s legacy.  Follow The Briefing:    TikTok:  @thebriefingpod   Instagram:  @thebriefingpodcast    YouTube:  @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Natarsha Belling

Guest: Roy Valentine

Topics covered

  • legacy
  • voluntary assisted dying
  • joy
  • curiosity
  • openness
  • memorial

Keywords

  • James Valentine
  • Roy Valentine
  • voluntary assisted dying
  • legacy
  • ABC radio
  • Order of Australia
  • memorial

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ABC, Order of Australia

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