By Sarah Miansoni with AP
Published on 23/06/2026 – 11:12 GMT+2
Australian professional air‑conditioner cleaner and honorary town crier Joseph McGrail‑Bateup has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the loudest person on Earth.
The 58‑year‑old Canberra resident produced a single shout of “now” measured at 122.4 decibels, surpassing the previous record of 121.7 dB set by Northern Ireland schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan in 1994, who shouted “quiet.” For context, these levels are comparable to a chainsaw, a jet taking off, or an ambulance siren at close range.
McGrail‑Bateup explained that the feat cannot be rehearsed. “There’s no way you can practice for it. You just have to have the voice on the day,” he said. He needed seven attempts to capture the word “now,” after which his voice was hoarse for several days.
He considers himself the world’s loudest man, leaving Flanagan’s title as the loudest woman intact. McGrail‑Bateup discovered Flanagan’s record while searching the Guinness database for town‑crying records.
Appointed the official town crier of Australia’s capital in 2017, he serves in an honorary, part‑time capacity, announcing at community events, school fetes, and car shows. Membership in the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers, a professional body preserving ceremonial roles, accompanies the position.
In 2024 he won the guild’s competition with a 98‑dB “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,” the traditional call for silence before a proclamation.
For the world‑record attempt, McGrail‑Bateup tested several words before selecting “now.” The shout was recorded on 2 May in a Canberra radio studio by a professional acoustic engineer, with witnesses present. The recordings were submitted to Guinness World Records, which confirmed the record on Friday.
This is McGrail‑Bateup’s second world record. In 2019 he set a speed record for shooting ten arrows in 60.03 seconds, edging out a mark that had stood since 2015. That record was later broken by a seven‑year‑old boy nine months afterward.
He expressed no intention of reclaiming the archery title or defending his shouting record. “If someone beats me, that’s fantastic,” he said. “Records are meant to be broken.”