Successful Female Freelance Announcer’s Attitude Towards Drinking Parties Amid Female Announcer Reception Issue

And a big mistake with alcohol

Announcer Yumiko Udo expressed her intention to work as a freelance journalist and left NHK on March 31, 2018, after 27 years with the broadcaster. She then served as the main anchor of Nippon TV’s flagship news program news zero from October of the same year until March 2024. Currently, she holds four regular positions: MC of Nippon TV’s music program with MUSIC, narrator for the network’s animal variety show Aa!! Minna no Dobutsuen, main anchor of TV Asahi’s news program Udo Times, and host of Nippon Broadcasting System’s radio show Udo no Radio. Among freelance announcers, a highly competitive field, she is considered one of the few true success stories.

However, despite her success, she remains humble, which has earned her even more admiration outside of work.

“At a wedding attended by many industry professionals and media figures, Udo, who was a friend of the groom, volunteered to be the MC without receiving any payment. During breaks in the program, she happily posed for photos with attendees and engaged in conversations with a friendly demeanor. As a result, her reputation soared. People at the venue were even saying things like, ‘Well, I guess we can’t write anything bad about Udo anymore,’” a guest at the wedding shared.

Udo is known for her love of alcohol and her ability to seamlessly turn social drinking occasions into work opportunities, but not all of her drinking episodes have been positive.

“There was an incident she revealed on Udo no Radio last April. She attended a drinking party and ended up drinking for 10 hours straight, becoming completely inebriated. She then attempted to take a shower at her hotel while still fully clothed, slipped, hit her head against the wall, and was knocked unconscious for about two hours.

Additionally, on the December 14 broadcast of news zero, she appeared with a large bandage on her face, shocking viewers. The next day on her radio show, she explained that she had missed a step while walking down the stairs due to a hangover and hit her face hard.”

While drinking can be enjoyable, one can only hope that she avoids any injuries that could lead to serious consequences.

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