Beyond Yoko Oshita: Who’s Next for Wide! Scramble Saturday?

Which announcer has the attitude of “I’ll do anything!”?

So, who is the top candidate for the female announcer? The frontrunner is said to be Mai Shimamoto (41).

“After the end of ‘Saturday’s Show,’ Shimamoto immediately posted a thank-you message to the viewers on Instagram. She is a very thoughtful announcer and has reached the level of a veteran, but she still maintains the attitude of ‘I’ll do anything!’ She is highly regarded by the male commentators she works with, with them saying, ‘She is really capable.’ I’ve heard that there are plans to keep regular guests like Noritoshi Furuichi (40) and Hideo Yanagisawa (71) after April. There’s a good chance that Shimamoto will slide into the role,” said a director from a production company.

Compared to other networks, TV Asahi seems to be actively using its own announcers in news and wide shows. In the early morning program “Good! Morning,” the sports commentators who had been used for years were all graduated by September 2024, and now it’s mainly handled by Naoki Tsuboi (55) and Chiharu Saito (28).

“Announcers like Sari Sumida (30) and Maya Ki (32) have a long tenure in news programs, so they have a sense of stability. Yukino Yamamoto (33), who handles entertainment segments and interviews talent, is known for her cheerful character that’s different from typical announcers. In other words, TV Asahi’s female announcers have a lot of hidden talent compared to other networks.

Also, Naoko Kubota (43), who fills in as the main host during Yoko Ooshita’s summer and winter holidays on ‘Yoko Oshita’s Wide! Scramble,’ is versatile enough to handle variety shows. Other strong candidates for the main role on Saturday’s ‘Wide! Scramble’ include the highly popular Mariko Do (43), known for her stable news reading, and Misaki Hayashi (34),” said a TV magazine writer.

TV Asahi’s announcers are known for their solid skills in news reading, without much flash, but with a dependable image. One reason for this is said to be the high level of unity within their announcer room.