Momo Ando Rises to Hōdō Station’s Main MC in Three Years — The Charm Behind Her Rapid Ascent
Her sparkling, radiant vibe is hugely popular
When it comes to the female main anchor of Hōdō Station (TV Asahi, hereafter Hōsute), it’s Momo Ando (27).
At the start of the program, it’s not uncommon to see her standing alone before the camera, delivering the top news. This bold staging has been well received by viewers and is said to be one reason for the show’s solid performance.
From April 2021 to March 2023, Ando handled the sports segment on Hōsute from Monday to Thursday. Then, starting the following April, she took over as the main anchor for those same weekdays.
“She’s an elite — having attended Seikei Gakuen from elementary through university — and during college, while enrolled in TV Asahi’s announcer school ASK, she appeared as a student anchor on BS Asahi’s News Access. TV Asahi essentially scouted her directly, bringing her on board in April 2020. From the following year, she was already handling the Hōsute sports corner. Just two years later, in her third year with the company, she was promoted to the main anchor role.
The reason was her steady, on-the-ground reporting for the sports segment. She’s an athlete at heart, having been on the swim team in middle and high school and serving as captain of the golf club in university. On social media, she’s praised for her graceful poise and a balance of beauty and refreshing charm, making her popular not just with male viewers but also with a strong female following. Since becoming Hōsute’s main anchor, she’s even acquired a disaster prevention specialist qualification — showing her reputation as a hard worker,” says a director at a production company.
Since October 2021, the program’s primary anchor has been Kensuke Ogoshi (63), a former NHK journalist, with seasoned announcer Ippei Ogi (51) as sub-anchor, known for his work on programs like Yoko Oshita Wide! Scramble and Sunday Scramble. Compared to the era when Ichiro Furutachi (70) held the main post from 2004 for 12 years, ratings had been gradually on the quieter side.
“In the midst of this, the moment Ando-san with her sparkling presence took the MC seat, the program’s atmosphere brightened considerably, and the mood in the studio changed. Even anchors like Ogoshi and Ogi seem visibly charmed by her,” the director continues.
Commenting on the positive effect Ando’s radiance has brought to the program, TV writer and columnist Mihoko Yamada had this to say.
The key to Hōdō Station’s rising viewership
“I believe that, especially for information and news programs, the most important thing is that the cast members seated at the main table look like they’re getting along well. When the cast appears to have a friendly and harmonious atmosphere, viewers can watch with peace of mind, and before long, the ratings will naturally rise. Andō Ana is full of youth and has an appealing smile.
She herself has an athletic background, so when the program opens with sports-related topics, she is sometimes entrusted to take the lead. On the May 26 broadcast, Andō Ana conducted the segment standing when reporting on Ōnosato-seki (25), who had essentially secured his promotion to yokozuna. That day, she had her long hair in a ponytail, looked especially light and lively, and reported with a beaming smile that she had gone to cover the Nishonoseki stable that morning.
While looking at a life-size panel, when she commented, ‘The real thing has even more presence,’ main caster Ōkōchi and announcer Ogi couldn’t help but laugh — but that too was part of her charm. Afterward, she gave commentary fitting of an announcer, saying things like, ‘(At the press conference, Ōnosato-seki) answered clearly and decisively,’ and ‘I think he’s someone who always understands what’s necessary for himself and moves forward while keeping the future in sight.’”
During her time as the sports anchor, she also contributed a column called “Senshi no Hot Time” for the Asahi Shimbun. Currently, the sports anchor for Hōdō Station is Ayumi Hirodo (33), formerly of ABC TV, but for on-site coverage such as the Paris Olympics, it’s Andō Ana who TV Asahi continues to assign to the field.
“Hirodo-san has more years of experience as an announcer, and she has an established track record as a sportscaster, including covering high school baseball broadcasts such as Netō Kōshien. However, I suspect that TV Asahi still has plans to develop Andō Ana further in the sports field. That’s why, whenever sports topics come up at the beginning or in the first half of the program, they try to assign those segments to Andō Ana as much as possible.
Andō Ana, with her long hair in a ponytail giving off a sporty yet ‘yuru-kawa’ (relaxed-cute) vibe, is a big hit with the viewer demographic of middle-aged fathers. I believe it’s no exaggeration to say that the key to Hōdō Station’s future ratings boost lies in Andō Ana,” said the previously mentioned Yamada.
Will Momomomo Andō follow in the footsteps of TV Asahi’s flagship announcers like Ayaka Hironaka (34), Misaki Hayashi (35), and Chiharu Saitō (28)? I want to keep an eye on her.
