Brenda Willison has been a town crier since 1987. Now, after nearly four decades of turning heads with her voice, she is officially the loudest woman on Earth.
On 9 September 2026, Willison yelled her profession’s famous cry of “oyez” at 105.9 decibels (C-weighted) in Fordham, UK, to claim the Guinness World Records title for loudest shout by an individual (female). She also holds the title for loudest town crier (female), giving her two world records from a single shout.
A shout with a cold
Guinness published the record announcement on 4 November 2026, and the story was reported by the BBC and UPI’s Odd News Minute on 5 November. Willison, who lives in Weeting, Norfolk, and has been town crier in Newmarket, Suffolk, since 2013, reached the mark while battling a cold.
“They wanted me to get over 100 decibels — and I did,” she said. She added that she had reached 109 decibels at the British Championships a few years ago, “so if somebody beats it, I’ll be back!”
For comparison, 105.9 decibels is louder than a chainsaw at close range and close to the threshold where sound can cause hearing damage. Town criers have been shouting news in British towns for centuries, and their cry of “oyez” — from the Old French “oyez”, meaning “hear ye” — was once how a whole town learned what was happening.
More than just noise
Willison was keen to point out that town crying is about much more than making the most noise. It is a ceremonial role, announcing royal events, civic occasions and local news, and it demands projection, clarity and stamina as well as volume.
The men’s record, for context, belongs to Australian town crier Joseph McGrail-Bateup, who recorded a shout of 122.4 decibels in Canberra on 23 June 2026. Willison’s 105.9 decibels makes her the loudest woman ever measured — and, as she herself put it, she is ready to defend the title if anyone comes for it.
Sources: Guinness World Records, 4 Nov 2026 (record listing published 12 Oct 2026); BBC via Everywhere News, 4 Nov 2026; UPI Odd News Minute, 5 Nov 2026.
