3 min readNew DelhiJun 24, 2026 12:14 PM IST
Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a Canberra resident known both as a professional air-conditioner cleaner and the city’s honorary town crier, has earned a place in the record books as the world’s loudest person.
Guinness World Records recently confirmed that McGrail-Bateup produced the loudest shout ever recorded by an individual, reaching 122.4 decibels when he yelled the word “now.” The feat surpassed the previous record of 121.7 decibels, set in 1994 by Northern Ireland teacher Annalisa Flanagan, whose record-breaking word was “quiet.”
The volume of McGrail-Bateup’s shout falls within the same noise range as a chainsaw, a jet taking off, or an ambulance siren heard from close by.
McGrail-Bateup said this is not the kind of achievement that can be rehearsed repeatedly. “There’s no way that you can actually practice for it. You have to just keep it for the day, especially with the world record attempt,” he told AP.
The successful attempt came only after several tries. “It took me seven attempts just for one word, which was the word ‘now,’ and my voice was shot for the next couple of days as well. It was husky. It was terrible. So no, you can’t really practice for it. But it’s a lot of fun when you’re doing it,” McGrail-Bateup said.
Watch the video:
‘Oyez, Oyez, Oyez’
He first came across the record while looking through Guinness World Records for achievements linked to town crying. His interest in projecting his voice dates back to 2017, when he became Canberra’s official town crier, a ceremonial role he describes as “a bit of fun.” Performing under the name Lord Joseph, he regularly announces community events, school fairs, and car shows.
His powerful voice had already earned recognition in 2024 when he won a town crier competition with a 98-decibel rendition of “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,” the traditional call used to gather attention before making announcements.
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Before attempting the world record, he tested several words and eventually decided that “now” delivered the strongest result. The shout was recorded on May 2 inside a Canberra radio studio under the supervision of an acoustic engineer and witnesses. The evidence was later submitted to Guinness, which officially announced the record last week.
This is not his first brush with world records. In 2019, he briefly held a speed archery record after shooting 10 arrows in 60.03 seconds, edging out a mark that had stood since 2015. However, his achievement lasted only nine months before a seven-year-old boy beat it by a remarkable 11.4 seconds.
Despite his latest success, McGrail-Bateup is not concerned about holding onto the title. “If someone beats me, that’s fantastic,” he said. “Records are meant to be broken.”
