Australian Man Becomes World’s Loudest Person

Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a professional air conditioner cleaner from Canberra, Australia, has gained recognition as the world’s loudest person by Guinness World Records. His achievement came last week when he recorded the loudest shout by an individual, yelling the word “now” at an astonishing 122.4 decibels. This feat surpassed the previous record of 121.7 decibels held by Annalisa Flanagan, a schoolteacher from Northern Ireland since 1994. Her record involved shouting “quiet” at an ear-piercing volume comparable to the noise of a chainsaw, a jet aircraft taking off, and an ambulance siren at close range.

McGrail-Bateup, featured in a video demonstrating his loud voice in Canberra, revealed that preparing for the record attempt was impossible. According to him, practice was not feasible, especially ahead of a world record attempt. “It took me seven attempts to say ‘now,’ which left my voice husky and strained for several days,” he explained, describing the experience as enjoyable despite the vocal challenges.

He is recognized as the loudest man, since no previous record existed for the category. McGrail-Bateup expressed contentment that Flanagan retains her title as the loudest woman. He discovered her record while searching for town crier achievements within Guinness World Records.

In 2017, McGrail-Bateup was appointed as the official town crier for Canberra, a role he sees as a recreational pursuit. Known as Lord Joseph, he delivers announcements at community gatherings, including school fetes and car exhibitions. This honorary role connects him with the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Australian Town Criers, which promotes the historical and ceremonial roles of its members. In 2024, he won a guild competition with a shout measured at 98 decibels, commanding silence and attention for proclamations.

For his world record attempt, McGrail-Bateup experimented with various words before choosing “now.” His record-setting shout occurred in a Canberra radio studio, supervised by a professional acoustic engineer and witnessed by others. The verification files were sent to Guinness World Records, which confirmed the record.

McGrail-Bateup has previously held another world record. In 2019, he set a speed record for shooting ten arrows in 60.03 seconds, slightly improving a record that had persisted since 2015. However, a young boy soon broke this record nine months later. McGrail-Bateup has no interest in reclaiming his former archery record or his current shouting record, stating, “If someone beats me, that’s fantastic. Records are meant to be broken.”