MS Features: Power98 DJ Joanna Francois, who cried after learning she’d become NDP’s first female announcer in years
For years, radio DJ Joanna Francois has spent her career speaking into a microphone, keeping listeners company through their commutes and daily routines.
This National Day, however, her voice will travel much further.
When the National Day Parade (NDP) 2026 begins at the National Stadium, Joanna will welcome thousands of spectators before guiding them through some of the evening’s most memorable moments.
In doing so, she also becomes the first woman to join the NDP announcer line-up in some time.
Image courtesy of NDP 2026 EXCO
Never even dared to dream of becoming an NDP announcer
When she found out she had been selected, the radio DJ couldn’t hold back her emotions. It’s a role she never expected to hold.
“I cried,” Joanna told MS News with a laugh. “I was very taken aback that it was me.”
Unlike performers who grow up hoping to one day take the National Day stage, Joanna admitted becoming an NDP announcer wasn’t even on her radar.
But this was not because she didn’t love the parade.
“Actually, I didn’t even dare to dream that I would ever be the NDP announcer,” she told MS News. “So it was not even in my set of goals.”
That made receiving the call all the more surreal. She described it as “crazy, and I’m here for it”.
Source: @power98joanna on Instagram
This year, Joanna joins veteran announcer William Xavier, better known as “Mr X”, whose unmistakable voice has become a familiar part of NDP for generations of Singaporeans.
Unlike the parade’s hosts, who are seen interacting with audiences throughout the show, Joanna’s work happens almost entirely behind the scenes.
Most Singaporeans may never see her — but they will certainly hear her.
Image courtesy of NDP 2026 EXCO
Guiding Singaporeans through some of NDP’s biggest moments
Joanna’s voice will first greet audiences as they arrive at the National Stadium.
From there, she guides spectators through the Flag Relay, where Team Singapore athletes and para-athletes carry the National Flag around the stadium following the parade’s cinematic opening.
Picture courtesy of MS News
She later returns during Chapter 2 to introduce the People’s Parade, where 18 themed floats celebrating everyday Singaporeans roll into the stadium.
Towards the end of the evening comes one of her most significant responsibilities.
Joanna will invite thousands gathered in the stadium to recite the National Pledge and sing the National Anthem during the Majulah Moment — one of the parade’s most unifying traditions.
For many spectators, these announcements may seem effortless.
But behind each line is months of rehearsals, careful timing and absolute precision.
“Please don’t improvise anything!” Joanna joked.
She explained that while announcers can experiment with delivery during rehearsals, everything is locked in by the time parade day arrives.
From chatting with listeners to energising an entire stadium
As a DJ on Power 98, Joanna is used to speaking directly to listeners through their headphones and car speakers.
Source: @power98joanna on Instagram
NDP demands something entirely different.
Instead of sounding conversational, she has to project enough energy to fill a stadium while adjusting her delivery to account for the venue’s acoustics.
“The challenge is to always be fully energetic,” she said. “When I’m in front of the mic, it’s like 120% of my energy.”
Even the way she speaks has changed.
The echoes inside the National Stadium mean she has to carefully control her pacing and tone, creating a voice that’s distinct from the one listeners hear on radio each day.
Still, Joanna believes both jobs share something in common.
“In both cases, you don’t get to see me, but you get to hear me,” she said.
Whether she’s keeping someone company on the drive home or welcoming thousands to Singapore’s biggest annual celebration, it’s her voice that creates the connection.
The rehearsal mistake she’ll never make again
Of course, even months of preparation came with the occasional mishap.
During one of the earliest rehearsals, Joanna became so engrossed in conversation inside the announcer’s booth that she completely missed her cue.
“I totally missed my announcement!” she recalled, laughing.
But she described this mistake as “one and done.”
Since then, rehearsals have become about perfecting every cue, every pause and every line until they feel second nature.
A voice that will become part of this year’s parade
By the time the National Day Parade begins, most spectators won’t know what Joanna looks like.
They’ll hear her long before they see her.
Asked to describe the experience in a single word, Joanna didn’t need long to think.
“Amazing,” she told MS News. “I’m having so much fun.”
For one evening, millions of Singaporeans will celebrate the nation’s birthday together.
And for many, one of the voices guiding them through those memories will belong to someone who, not long ago, never even dared to dream she’d be there.
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Featured image by MS News, courtesy of NDP 2026 EXCO and adapted from @power98joanna on Instagram.
