Original subtitles

BEN: In its new home of Melbourne,

Australian Ninja Warrior has been on fire.

FREDDIE: Oh, my word! He's putting a show on!

Over five electrifying heats, our ninjas have awed...

I can't believe it! REBECCA: You're a mega star!

..inspired...

Unbelievable!

The greatest save in history.

..and shocked...

Oh, no! No, no, no!

That is a real shock.

..and now the semi-finals begin.

Over three huge nights,

the best of the best will fight it out

for a place in the grand final.

Semis are on tonight.

Going through to the grand final, you watch.

Tonight, semifinal one,

and the course is longer and tougher,

but these ninjas are faster, stronger,

and more determined than ever.

I am ready to smash that course.

Plus, witness the biggest showdown

in Ninja Warrior history.

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert

up against the 'Barefoot Ninja'.

Ashlin's been saying that I'm the one to watch.

Hopefully I can prove him right.

One of these ninjas could win the guaranteed $100,000.

Who's got what it takes to become Australia's first Ninja Warrior?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Welcome back to Melbourne

for the first Australian Ninja Warrior semifinal of 2019.

I'm Ben Fordham. I'm Rebecca Maddern.

And I'm Freddie Flintoff.

And tonight it's 30 of the best

who fought their way through our qualifying heats

to be here tonight in the semifinal,

ready to prove they have the guts to take on the toughest course

in Australian Ninja history.

There are three

huge semi-finals this week,

but only the top ten

furthest fastest from each

will progress to the grand final,

starting next Sunday

over two massive nights.

In the grand final,

the ninja who goes the furthest and fastest

will be announced the series winner

and take home $100,000.

And if a competitor manages to go all the way

and conquer Mount Midoriyama,

they'll be crowned Australia's first Ninja Warrior

and win a whopping $300,000.

But here's the thing -

they have to get through tonight's epic extended course first,

and let me tell you, it is merciless.

There are nine obstacles, up from six,

starting with the rotating Archer Steps.

Next up, the Rolling Log.

Ninjas have to hold on tight

or risk being thrown off as it picks up speed.

Still dizzy, ninjas must race across the Razor's Edge

as the three narrow platforms give way beneath their feet.

Onto the Floating Stairs.

This is eight steps up, eight steps down,

all on the arms.

Then straight into another intense arm workout on the Basket Toss,

where the angle of the rotating baskets

throws ninjas off line.

No Mega Warped Wall, but the original 4.2-metre menace remains.

This is where the heats ended,

but now the toughest obstacles lie ahead.

Obstacle seven starts with the iconic Salmon Ladder.

Ninjas muscle up three rungs to the Flying Shelf Grab,

where it's a 2.4-metre lache to a narrow ledge.

Next, the Bouncing Spider.

Ninjas work through the tunnel,

then brace hard for a risky trampoline transfer.

And finally, the devastating Invisible Ladder.

It's eight metres straight up,

pumping those rings.

It's enough to defeat the toughest ninja,

but make it to the top, and a place in the grand final awaits.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

So, let's get the action under way in semifinal one.

First up is a young man we fell in love with in the heats.

He's had to overcome

more than his fair share of battles in life,

but he does it with determination and a smile.

He finished 12th in his heat,

and he's hoping to go further tonight -

Max Closter.

MAX: I finished my heat,

gone back to my normal life,

working my full-time landscaping job.

MAN: How'd you go, Max? MAN: How'd you go?

I smashed it, mate! I'm through to the semis!

I went back to work,

told my mates that I made it through to the semis.

They were surprised, excited, and happy,

and they were hoping that I could get to the grand final.

WOMAN: Max didn't talk as a child.

So, we did nine years of speech therapy,

then he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

He's so active, with all his fitness and his motorbikes,

because that's how he deals with his struggles

and with his anxiety.

We're so proud. I can't even put it in words, I'm that proud.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

If I could get through to the grand final and win some money,

I'm gonna pay everything back to my mum and my dad -

all the sacrificing they done for me -

and take them on a holiday.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: Here he is - Max Closter, the landscaper from Victoria,

and he said if he wins, he's going to Hawaii

to straighten up them tan lines.

Look at them tan lines!

Go, Max! Whoo!

REBECCA: Alrighty, semifinal one.

Only ten going through tonight, and Max is our very first ninja.

There is a lot of pressure on this 18-year-old right now.

ALL: Let's go, Max! Let's go!

There's mum and dad all pumped up on the sideline.

Let's go, Max.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Makes a running leap onto the Archer Steps. Whoa!

He's finished it already. Hasn't he?

Ran straight onto an obstacle

never seen before on Australian Ninja Warrior,

the Rolling Log.

Now, Bec, just explain the science behind this.

Well, this thing spins down a six-metre ramp.

You've got to hold on tight to the grips

and lock your feet around the log or it will throw you off.

FREDDIE: Spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning.

Whoa! He's still on.

Doesn't know where he is, but he's on it.

Max's sister, Beth, on the sideline, and friend, Katie.

Yeah, he's a little dizzy, I think.

Just gotta take your time. Get your bearings back, son.

Now, Razor's Edge -

coming straight off the back of the Rolling Log,

I reckon you might have your brain

swishing around in your head a little bit too much.

Yeah, these razors move. You've gotta go light and quick.

Max Closter - fast, furious, and finishes it.

Come on, Max!

Onto the Floating Stairs.

This is all about the upper body for Max.

He's gotta work his way up, then down the other side.

And when he reaches the halfway point,

you'll see there's a one-metre gap between the two.

MAN: Come on, mate! Stretch it out!

Go, Max!

He makes it! Yes, he holds it.

So, now he's gotta be very careful while working his way down,

and the longer he takes, the more energy he is burning.

And he's approaching the dismount now.

That's a 3.3-metre leap to the platform here.

Oh, he's not going straight. Oh, where's he going?

He's gonna end up in the crowd if he jumps there.

Come on!

Oh, he looks like he's stuck. Come on, Max!

He's in big trouble here.

He can't get that swing going towards the landing.

Go, Max! He needs to sort himself out!

No! No! Max! He's out! (KLAXON BLARES)

(CROWD EXCLAIMS)

Just lost the rhythm. Oh, he's gutted, the poor lad, as well.

Look at him.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Max, just got stuck on the Floating Stairs. What happened, mate?

Oh, just trying to figure out the swing.

Just struggling with my swing and that.

Kept swinging in a different direction and all that,

but had fun, I'm happy that I made it through to the semis,

and... yep, I'm really happy I made it this far.

Good lad. Well, we've loved having you, mate.

So, hopefully you'll get away, sort these tan lines out.

Well done, mate. Go and see the family. Cheers, pal.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yeah, let's hope he can still take the family on a holiday.

Not the way Max Closter was hoping things would work out tonight.

I just wanna wrap my arms around him.

Isn't he fantastic?

Very, very proud!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, from landscaping to working the land,

our next ninja is a dairy farmer

from Denison, Victoria,

who scraped through in 18th place,

and he's ready to milk

this semifinal opportunity for all its worth.

One of your best. Bradley Vanderland!

(COUNTRY GUITAR TWANGS)

BRADLEY: Three months ago, I was not in any kind of fitness.

Yeah, I never trained for anything.

I give up the smokes,

and I'm at the point where I am now - the semi-finals.

I was excited to come down to the big smoke.

Crowds cheering, lights, cameras.

Big course in front of me. Yeah, it was pretty overwhelming.

(CHEERING)

I just lost all focus, really.

He's... across... no, he's not!

And come off, unfortunately, in the drink.

(UPBEAT COUNTRY GUITAR)

Since my heat, I've been trying to get some practice in,

try and get me through the semis.

Tonight, I do have my dad coming down from Queensland.

He's pretty excited, actually.

Hey, Bradley. This is your dad.

You done so well in the heats.

Now, hopefully you can do even better in the semi-finals.

I am absolutely convinced you can smash it.

I'm just a laid-back dairy farmer.

I don't get, you know, too excited about too much,

but tonight I'm gonna prove that the cream always rises to the top.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That's his old man. Big Jack is firing up the crowd.

Mum, Erica, in the stands.

FREDDIE: Look at him. He does look like a dairy farmer, doesn't he?

If they said to me, "Draw a dairy farmer," I'd draw him.

Look at him - beard and everything. Look at him! There he is.

Go, Bradley Vanderland! Go, Bradley Vanderland!

Home run!

REBECCA: Look at that face.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

That's a man who's hungry for success, and here he goes.

Straight through the Archer Steps.

Gets onto that rope and completes it quickly.

He does. The Rolling Log.

He needs a tight grip with both his hands and feet here.

I don't think any ninja on course tonight

will have prepared for what the Rolling Log is about to do to them.

Well, unless he's been rolling around on the farm...

Rolling around in the hay?

(LAUGHS) Yeah, or something like that.

Bradley, don't let go yet! Whoa! Oh, how's your head?

Oh, he's been thumped and bumped.

He's gotta be a bit wobbly after that.

BIG JACK: Settle! Settle!

Settle, Bradley, settle!

He calls himself a yobbo.

He feels like he's had 20 beers at the minute.

Look at him trying to get his thoughts back.

OK, the Razor's Edge.

Bradley! Bradley! Bradley! Bradley!

Seven metres, and where you put your feet is very, very narrow.

They move underneath your feet, but Bradley's moving faster.

Yes, Bradley! Done!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

On to the Floating Stairs.

I back this guy's upper body strength, Ben.

You can just see the definition in his arms.

He's really strong, and he'll be calling on that right now.

Just needs to reach now, reach... there we go, Bradley.

Yes!

Now he's down the set of stairs on the other side.

Hurry up and get off there, Bradley. We saw what happened to Max.

Get that swing straight. Come on! Yes!

Now the Basket Toss.

Obstacle five of nine.

It's a 3.4-metre jump to the first basket,

then 2.3 metres to the next.

Ben, the really tricky thing about the Basket Toss

is that you get onto the first one,

but your body seems to be on the wrong angle

when you have to lache to the second.

But he's doing it so far. One more!

Some coaching from dad. Now!

Yes, Bradley!

(LAUGHS)

I can't tell who's having more fun here - Bradley or dad.

Come on, mate! Whoo! Yes!

Yes, Bradley! Amazing performance!

He was out on obstacle three in the heats,

and now, in the semis, he's facing the Warped Wall.

Straight up there!

No, not quite.

Ohh! Just take your time, Brad.

Just feeling he's starting to rush, getting a little bit excitable.

Now, there's no Mega Warped Wall tonight,

but this 4.2-metre Warped Wall is challenge enough.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Second attempt. Come on, Bradley!

Can he do it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Yes, he's done it!

Bradley Vanderland! He throws a leg over!

Oh, look out! The dairy farmer has arrived!

He certainly has, but his journey is not over yet.

Yep, this is where the heat ended, but this is the semis, Ben,

so he's got three more obstacles,

and they are the toughest on course.

So, first of all is the Salmon Ladder.

You've gotta go up three rungs.

This old foe has caught many a ninja out in season two.

Bradley's probably never seen a Salmon Ladder before,

but we know he's strong from all his work around the farm.

CROWD: Bradley! Bradley! Bradley!

And he's up. Nice work!

Three rungs needed here, Bradley.

Oh!

It's alright, it's alright. He can correct himself.

There's one. OK.

Two. Two!

One more.

One more to go, Bradley, and you are up.

He's done it. That's three done. Salmon Ladder sorted,

Now he just needs the transfer onto the bar

and then onto the Flying Shelf.

Now he's on the Flying Shelf Grab.

Now, this is a fair distance here.

2.5 metres between these two shelves.

It's a huge distance.

Oh, no! Oh!

What a splash from Bradley. I'm wet.

You can just see just got a little bit tired,

but what an effort from the dairy farmer.

And it's a high-five from dad.

Yay! He did so well.

And what an unexpected run by Bradley Vanderland.

The semifinal course is brutal.

He muscled his way through all the way to obstacle eight.

By the time he got to the Flying Shelf Grab,

he didn't have much to give.

His grip just couldn't support his body weight.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Three months worth of training and he's got that far.

Very, very proud, mate. Amazing!

Bradley, that was a great run.

When you came off the Rolling Log,

it looked like you weren't having much fun after that.

Oh, I shit myself. I thought I was off.

Feel myself just getting pulled away from it,

but, uh, yeah, it's good fun.

That's awesome.

Hopefully, you know,

if I can scrape through again, that's enough, isn't it?

Well, fingers crossed you do, Bradley.

I know your dad's waiting for you round there

to tell you what happened.

Well done, mate. Great run. Top man.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! (LAUGHS)

REBECCA: What a great run from Bradley.

It might be enough to get him into the top ten furthest fastest,

but there are a lot of ninjas still to come.

Now our semi-finalists are one step closer to at least $100,000.

Season one furthest fastest Fred Dorrington is back

to try to reclaim his crown.

Put your hands together for him, ladies and gentlemen!

I got a medal season one,

but this time I'm turning into 100 grand,

and 300 grand at the top of Mount Midoriyama.

But he faces tough opposition

from the likes of Barefoot Ninja Daniel Mason,

and fastest of them all, 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert.

He is flying!

And also ahead, she was one of six women

who made it up the Warped Wall last season.

When I hit the buzzer, like, it was just absolutely amazing, you know?

Can India Henry make it through to the grand final?

And Freddie anointed him the 'Ginger Ninja'.

FREDDIE: It's catching on, that nickname, isn't it?

How far can our shortest male ninja go tonight?

This little red's gonna hit the big red buzzer.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Melbourne,

and the semi-finals of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, only ten ninjas will move on to Sunday's grand final,

and there's one ninja in particular

that Freddie Flintoff is hoping gets through.

I'm in the warm-up gym area,

and behind me is my favourite ninja,

little Tom Nicholson.

I'm gonna have a chat with him. Tom? Tom, come here, mate.

How are you, pal? Good, thank you. How are you?

I'm good, and I know that you've been busy

in between the heats and the semi-finals,

and you wanted to get a T-shirt made.

Yeah.

So, what I did, I took it upon myself to get one done for you.

Thank you very much. What do you reckon?

About my size. Very good, thank you.

I'm not gonna lie, mate, you're my favourite ninja.

Thanks. I hope you do well tonight.

Oh, erm, Bec and Ben, back to you,

just while me and Tom have a bit of a chat, just to catch up.

There you go, Tom, your T-shirt. Good luck, yeah?

You're a legend.

I've got you. I've got you. (LAUGHTER)

Look, I don't know whether Freddie's affection

is going to be a help or a hindrance for Tom tonight.

We'll see him a little later.

But first, a former gymnast turned professional cheerleader from Perth.

22-year-old India Henry.

India was one of our top performers last year,

but in the heats she shocked everyone

when she came off on obstacle two...

Oh, no! Wow!

..and just scraped through to the semis in 18.

Tonight she's back and ready to put things right.

It is India Henry!

INDIA: The heats were quite devastating,

to be quite honest.

I really didn't expect to go out on the second obstacle.

I thought it was all over, so now I just feel so lucky.

I wanna go out there and show I have got what it takes.

I moved to Perth about three years ago,

just to try something new.

As much as I do love being over here in Perth,

I am a very family-orientated person.

Mum, Dad, the rest of my family, they're all still in New Zealand,

in a little town called Gore at the bottom of the South Island,

and I do miss my family a lot.

Over the last three years, I've only seen them three times.

You know, tonight I'm gonna be thinking of them.

I know that they'll definitely be supporting me from home,

and I'm sure as hell not gonna go out on the second obstacle tonight.

India Henry, from Western Australia.

Scraped through to the semi-finals in 18th.

She wishes, though, that her family would be here to watch her tonight,

but what she doesn't know

is they're actually watching on the screen over there.

She's not seen them yet.

India's mum and dad couldn't make it here tonight,

but have a look at this.

We've managed to get them all the way from New Zealand.

They are live in the big screens now.

Welcome, Julie and John, to Australian Ninja Warrior!

Ahh! What a surprise!

How cool is that?

Oh, this could backfire, this. She's crying.

This could really backfire.

It was meant to be a lovely gesture.

CROWD: India! India!

Expect big things now from India Henry.

She's got her parents right by her side.

India! India! India!

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Now, here she goes - India Henry.

Obstacle number one, and it's done in the space of 2.5 seconds.

Fantastic!

She's one of our strongest female ninjas,

and she's getting a good strong grip on the Rolling Log.

Go, India!

Oh! That leg hit the mat hard.

And she throws the log away,

and now climbs over the top of that mat

to head towards the Razor's Edge.

They're her cousins on the sideline there.

This is all about hitting the foot right in the right spot.

Come on, India! Oh, they're flipping! They're flipping!

Oh, my word! Just getting through!

But she somehow managed to stay dry.

Mum and dad watching on.

Let's see how she goes up the Floating Stairs.

She's going backwards.

This is interesting.

Yeah, well, that may be very smart, Ben.

We'll soon see. This is a big reach here.

One metre gap, that is,

and that's big when you're hanging there, but she is across.

And now down the other set of stairs,

skipping a run or two along the way.

India Henry looking good.

Now just needs to get enough momentum to get to the platform,

and she does.

Mum and Dad watching from New Zealand on the big screen.

They will be so proud.

Now the Basket Toss.

Really challenging obstacle.

It doesn't swing straight, it's on an angle,

and then you gotta somehow straighten yourself up enough

to grab onto the second basket.

Oh, no!

Oh, she lost her hand there.

Holding on with one hand. Now got two.

What a save there from India Henry. I thought you was over.

She is all class. Now, she really needs to refocus here.

Look at the swing! She grabs it! Yes, India!

You could see the whites of her eyes when she was in mid-air.

Oh, good girl!

And this is fantastic! The 22-year-old from WA.

Now she's getting ready to scale the Warped Wall.

You remember in season two,

she was one of six females up the wall in the heats.

So, she's been here before.

She knows how to get up this Warped Wall.

This is a different year. CROWD: Beat the wall!

We know she can do it, and look at mum and dad.

Julia and John watching on from New Zealand.

They're loving every bit of this.

India Henry, here she goes.

Oh! (WILD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yes, she's done it again. What a champion.

Out of this world! Well done!

The problem is, when you get to the top, there's more obstacles.

Bloomin' heck!

Yeah, well, Freddie, they get harder as well.

India Henry looks at them.

Now, she's trained on the Salmon Ladder,

but she's been zapped on the previous obstacles.

So, this is really going to test her upper body strength.

Up you go, India.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, look at her hands here.

She's using what we call the mixed grip,

and that's to stop the bar from slipping,

and a sign of a seasoned ninja.

One!

Great work! Two more to go, India.

Two! Yes!

What a Herculean effort.

Three! Oh, India!

Now, India Henry will now transition onto the Flying Shelf Grab.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, Ben, as she makes her way to the Flying Shelf Grab,

I get really worried,

because they have put everything into the Salmon Ladder.

It's taken everything they've trained for to get to this point.

This is the moment. She looks good! Can she hold on?

Oh, India! Oh, no!

India Henry takes a tumble.

First it was Bradley Vanderland, now India.

The Flying Shelf Grab takes out another ninja.

I'll tell you what, though, that was an incredible performance.

India, great run,

but what was it like seeing your parents on the big screen?

I could not believe that. That was the best surprise I've ever had.

I nearly was crying there for a minute,

and I was like, "No, don't make me cry before I start!"

It could have the adverse effect,

but it seemed to help you on the way around.

It really did.

Having Mum and Dad there watching me just now,

I wanted to do it for them,

'cause all hell I wished they could be here,

but they got to watch that live.

It was the most amazing thing. Thank you so much.

India, amazing. Well done.

It certainly was amazing.

On night one of the semi-finals,

India Henry has shown us a true athlete in action.

That's right, Bec, and here comes another one.

Here he is on the start line.

I know I shouldn't have favourites,

but this lad from country Victoria is ex-military, paramedic,

but never mind all that - he's ginger and he's a ninja.

It's Tom Nicholson. You're welcome.

He's our shortest male -

only 160cm.

And he managed tenth in his heat.

He's got big ambitions, this bloke.

Look at that - cut the sleeves off.

I agree with him -

if you got a Ferrari, don't keep it in the garage.

You show us them guns, son.

Go, Tommy!

Ahh, and there's Brian and Holly and Ned -

that's Tom's little brother and sister.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

There we go! Oh, look at that bullet fly!

The Ginger Ninja's airbound!

Here he comes now onto the Rolling Log.

Needs to clasp onto that with his arms, his legs.

Here he goes. He's going for a ride and a half here.

Oh! (THUD!)

(CROWD EXCLAIMS)

He's done, but he's alright. He's made of tough stuff, this lad.

Oh, yeah, he was a little bit dizzy getting off the Rolling Log,

but he brushes if off his face.

Onto obstacle three - the Razor's Edge.

Still a bit disorientated from the last one, the Rolling Log,

but he's going for speed.

Oh, whoa, boy! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Nearly ended up on the fourth obstacle.

He is only 60kg.

So, this is really light for a competitor, and look at that.

That's really helping him just fly up those Floating Stairs.

This is a different way of doing it.

Usually they reach across, but he doesn't have that big wingspan.

But he makes it!

And now he's up one set of stairs and down the other.

This is a good time, Bec.

Great time. Fastest of the night to here.

Big jump for him.

Onto the Basket Toss now.

It's a big 3.4-metre jump.

Yes!

Tom Nicholson gets his swing on.

Look at the swing.

Really using his hips too, which will help him with the lache.

Oh, he holds on!

Makes it onto the second basket.

I tell you what, this T-shirt's giving him strength.

Come on, Tom.

Yes!

Didn't get this far in the heats,

didn't get a chance to make it up the Warped Wall, but here he goes.

This guy's little - 160cm of him -

and the Warped Wall is 4.2 metres -

nearly three times his height.

It is massive and he knows all about it.

He's giving himself a bit of extra run up here.

Can this little bloke get all the way up that big wall?

Come on, Tom Nicholson!

Oh, ever so close. Just slipped on his last step.

What do you reckon - 1cm away, 2cm?

Yeah, if that.

There was a cashew nut in it.

OK, here he goes again. Number two! Come on, Tom!

Pumping those arms! Yes! Ohh!

He got a hand to it, Bec! He got a hand to it!

Oh, the Ginger Ninja's final attempt on the Warped Wall.

He's got closer and closer and closer.

This is too hard to watch!

I'm gonna look away. You tell me what happens. I can't watch it.

Go, Tommy!

He's taking some deep breaths. Tom, you can do it.

Here he goes, Ben! I'll tell you what happens!

(ALL EXCLAIM)

Oh, gutted! Absolutely gutted for him.

Tom!

He has not made it up the Warped Wall,

but that was a mighty effort.

Wasn't it ever?

Oh, how good's that?

Tom getting a big bear hug from his little sister, Holly.

There's plenty of love right there.

Tom! Tom, it was ever so close.

You had the T-shirt on and everything.

Did me well, mate.

Nearly got there, but not quite.

Now, you got to the Warped Wall.

Three chances. Got closer and closer every time.

I wasn't too worried about that in the beginning,

because I've done it a few times before,

but... just a bit gassed, mate.

Is that what it was - just tired towards the end?

Yeah, definitely.

Tom, absolute star. Well done, mate. Go and join the family.

Yeah, bad luck, Tom.

Will he be one of the top ten furthest fastest tonight?

We'll have to wait and see.

Coming up, he's been training with best mate Ashlin Herbert for years.

MAN: Well, our rivalry's sort of...

..I don't know, we just wanna make each other do better.

Tonight, Zak Stolz has got something to prove.

I'm not just this guy's mate.

I don't really want to be in his shadow.

He's back.

Ninja Warrior's biggest geek finished furthest fastest in his heat,

and he reckons he's not done yet.

I can't wait to see the crowd and everyone just yelling,

"Ninja Toddles!"

And who could forget the Aqua Ducks?

Tonight they've doubled in numbers,

ready to watch Trudie Horskins take flight.

WOMAN: 'T'! CROWD: 'T'!

Give me an 'R'! 'R'!

Give us a 'U'! 'U'!

Give us a 'D'!

REBECCA: Welcome back to Ninja Warrior, in Melbourne,

where there are no prizes for guessing who's up next.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Trudie! Yeah, no, I was just thinking.

Yeah, she's a 40-year-old aqua aerobics instructor

and mother of two.

Let's make some noise for Trudie Horskins.

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

TRUDIE: Inverloch is this tiny little coastal town

that's known for its beautiful beaches.

I am about to walk into my favourite coffee shop, The Local.

Everyone is so close, and everyone looks after one another.

(CHEERING AND WHOOPING)

Everyone is so pumped about the semi-finals.

Can you believe I did it? I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

My aqua aerobics class, the Aqua Ducks,

has now gone ninja crazy.

Having the Aqua Ducks on the sideline in the heats,

putting in this massive effort of cheering, I was very proud,

and I turned into this crazy woman

that was just ready to attack and impress.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

But I didn't give the trampoline everything I had.

FREDDIE: Ohh!

And that made me go splash. (LAUGHS)

I've earned my place here in the semi-finals,

but tonight I have double the amount of Ducks.

DUCKS: Quack! Quack! Quack!

So, all that Duck power, I've got it.

Trudie Horskins, from Inverloch.

She has got no shortage of supporters.

The Aqua Ducks are on the side. They are going off.

(LAUGHTER)

BEN: It's good fun, Freddie,

but don't make the mistake

of thinking Trudie's not a serious contender.

Just look at that face.

Outstanding in her heat.

A genuine chance of a top-ten finish tonight.

REBECCA: Let's go, Trudie.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Take some pace into this.

Bounce, bounce... oh, no, no, bounce, bounce.

Yes, there we go! What a start!

Through to the Rolling Log.

There's husband, Ben, and kids Billy and Sam.

Trude!

Now, what she needs to do is grip with her hands and her ankles

or she could be thrown off.

Now, hang on, Trudie.

Here she goes - she's spinning, she's going.

She's gathering pace! She's getting faster and faster!

Oh! Oh, she lost a shoe!

She lost a shoe! Something is floating in that water there.

This is bad news.

Are we going to see a disqualification?

I think we are.

(KLAXON BLARES) (CROWD EXCLAIMS)

Oh, no! It is a DQ.

And there are the red lights. She's been disqualified.

Oh, it just seems so unfair, Ben,

but the international ninja rules are really clear about this.

I need to stress, for people watching at home,

that we've witnessed the briefings

when they're actually told if anything, even a hairclip,

falls off you and goes into that water, you're disqualified.

It would be unfair to the other ninjas

if she was allowed to continue against the rules.

Freddie, how's she gonna take this news?

Trudie, I hate to do this,

but any part of you or your equipment goes in the water,

it's an instant disqualification.

Do I have to ask how you're feeling?

Oh, I'm devastated. I'm so devastated.

I wanted this so bad.

I had this course tonight. I had it wrapped up.

It was in here. I was ready to go.

I was so focused, and, oh, far out, to finish like that,

with a shoe, far out!

It was on so tight. Double knot - check it out.

I know, I... I... I'm not... it's wet.

But what happened?

I remember hitting the edge of the mat,

and it just took my shoe off.

I'm so shattered. I'm just so shattered.

I'm sorry about that, Trudie.

Get round there. Go and see the Aqua Ducks.

Go on, off you go.

Well, if you are ever in doubt

about how much this means to our ninjas,

just take a look at Trudie,

but she's got so much to be proud of.

Well done, Trudie.

It's a lesson for all you kids out there.

Tie your shoelaces -

if you're gonna be on a log rolling above a swimming pool,

tie your shoelaces.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Yes, harsh as it seems, that's Ninja Warrior for you.

The same rule applies to everyone,

including our next ninja, Zak Stolz.

He finished sixth in his heat.

1:20 behind his good mate

Ashlin Herbert.

ZAK: I wanna prove myself.

I mean, I don't really wanna be in his shadow.

It'd be nice to actually make a name for yourself,

say, "Look, yeah, I did pretty well on my thing.

"I'm not just this guy's mate. I'm my own person."

Come on, buddy!

Well, he's set himself a tough mission to beat Ashlin.

That is a very big challenge.

It is. He's gonna have to attack this course.

They've got the right idea.

Not only Ashlin here tonight,

but his mate, Dirt, you remember in the heats?

He's come along to cheer him on.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, the fire's on behind him.

He's got fire in his shoes, I reckon.

He is gonna be one quick ninja,

so do not move away from your TV.

He locks those ankles in nice and tight.

Here he is - blond hair will be flying everywhere

as he comes down the Rolling Log.

Oh, stop, man! You've had enough!

Now, he's gotta be dizzy after that.

Got to be.

(LAUGHTER)

Spinning the other way to the log, just trying to get his bearings.

Fast as you can, mate!

And imagine being that dizzy and then having to attack this,

the Razor's Edge, where you need precise footsteps.

One, two, three!

Whoa!

He is off the leash tonight.

Onto the Floating Stairs. Let's talk about speed.

Zak's 45 seconds to here -

30 seconds faster than the current leader, Bradley Vanderland.

Really attacking this course tonight.

Obviously wants to do well,

but I also think he wants to set a time for his mate, Ashlin.

He wants to set a time, but there's a long way to go yet.

One big swing. Well done.

Nice work. Straight into the baskets now.

Whoa!

Oh, he is so strong in the upper body, Ben.

That's it! Swing!

Zak Stolz not hanging around here on the Basket Toss.

Just clings on to that second basket.

So quick!

Nice!

Now, he failed on the Mega Warped Wall,

but there is no Mega Warped Wall.

He'll have absolutely no problems. Does not even stop for a breath.

Oh, he's lightning fast,

but this is where the rubber hits the road.

Sure does.

Three more obstacles in the semis,

each one more excruciating than the last,

and it starts now with the Salmon Ladder.

(AUDIENCE CHANTS AND CLAPS)

Zak Stolz launches himself at the Salmon Ladder.

He's got that overhand-underhand grip,

which is favoured by many of our ninjas on this obstacle.

One, two. One to go.

Looks strong - really strong.

And now he transitions to the Flying Shelf Grab.

It's taken out Bradley Vanderland,

it's taken out India Henry.

Can Zak be the first to conquer the Flying Shelf Grab?

Oh, he does it! Yeah!

Massive leap from Zak Stolz.

Wow! Nice!

And he is first to the Bouncing Spider.

He's gotta get a good bounce off that tramp

to wedge himself in those walls.

Hits the tramp, puts himself in the corridor.

This is all arms and all legs,

but right in the middle of those thighs

and in the core of the stomach,

that's where your body's burning at the moment.

Coming up to the tramp.

Can't let his knees buckle

or he won't have enough bounce to reach the other side.

Nails it!

Through the bag onto the other side!

Magnificent run!

Zak Stolz reaches the last obstacle, and it is a beast.

It's the Invisible Ladder.

Smash it! This is your game now!

It's going to take every ounce of strength

to work up eight metres using just his arms.

Here he goes.

Pump! Two metres!

Three metres! Pump those arms, Zak!

Here you go - look at his face now.

It's beginning to hurt. It's beginning to toll.

Keep going, Zak. Don't stop. Come on, fight it, son!

Zak Stolz is struggling towards the end.

He's pumping those arms with every little bit of energy he's got left.

Is he gonna make it to the roof? Swings the legs up!

Now all he's gotta do is hit that buzzer!

(KLAXON BLARES)

Yes!

Zak Stolz setting the time,

setting the standard for his mate, Ashlin Herbert!

Well done, Zak Stolz. Take a bow, son.

He said he wanted to challenge Ashlin Herbert,

and he has done that in spades.

It was a faultless run from beginning to end,

and not only faultless, but fast.

The only time he slowed down was on the Invisible Ladder,

but nothing was going to stop him.

Zak Stolz - furthest fastest, and the man to beat.

Zak, that was an unbelievable run. The fastest of the night so far.

Everyone was talking about Dan and Ashlin,

but you've just put your name right in the hat there, haven't you?

Oh, look, I aim to please.

I mean, it's about time I proved myself to these guys.

So, nice to be up in the midst with them.

Are you gonna give Ashlin some tips,

or are you gonna let him see for himself?

He doesn't need any tips. He'll be fine. (LAUGHS)

Really, all the pressure's back on Ashlin. He's waiting over there.

I'm sure he wants to say hello. Go and crack on.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Well done!

Well, he said he wanted to make a name for himself,

and Zak Stolz has well and truly stepped into the spotlight

with a hell of a run.

It has him placed firmly

at the top of the leaderboard.

Then it's dairy farmer

Bradley Vanderland in second,

followed by India Henry

and the Ginger Ninja Tom Nicholson.

Alright, I'll make a prediction.

Based on what we've seen Ashlin Herbert do in the past,

I think Ashlin's gonna go even faster.

OK. The bar is set.

Don't go anywhere. Don't move a muscle.

You are watching season three of Australian Ninja Warrior.

We'll be back with much more after this.

Look at that!

One of the most technically perfect ninjas...

It's not even moving sideways!

..against a man who's all instinct.

That's game face on.

Who will come out on top -

the Barefoot Ninja or Flashlin Ashlin?

But first, she says her legs have the power

to get her up the Warped Wall if only she had the chance.

Oh, no!

WOMAN: At some point in my life, and I'm not getting any younger,

I just have to get up that damned thing.

Will Mel Armstrong face her nemesis and get up the Warped Wall?

Tonight's the night. It's gonna happen.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

BEN: Welcome back to Melbourne,

and semifinal one of Ninja Warrior.

While you were away,

two of our most experienced ninjas felt the full brunt of the course.

French firey Aurelien Apport returned for his third season,

but his run came to an end on the Basket Toss.

REBECCA: Oh, no!

And he gets his fingertips on it.

And Ryan Solomon was back with his wife, Amy.

Yeah, babe!

He was very quick to the Shelf Grab,

but that's as far as he went.

Real short... no! Oh!

He doesn't quite make it.

That's another top-level ninja out on obstacle seven -

more proof of just how tough this course is tonight.

Our next ninja used to compete in the winter sport the skeleton luge,

taking to downhill courses face-first at over 100km/hr, Bec.

She was devastated to come off

on the Rolling Steel in her heat.

This woman is a serious athlete,

and she's going to extreme lengths

to get up that Warped Wall and beyond.

Give it up for Mel Armstrong.

(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)

MEL: I've always been an athlete,

but in the last year, my training's altered quite a bit.

I sort of maybe took it a little bit further

than what I have in the past.

I've been practicing hypothermic conditioning.

So, hot and cold exposure really helps with my mental focus.

Obviously fight or flight kicks in when you get that cold,

and then you just learn to just focus

and just push aside any fears that come into play,

and then beyond that, the anti-inflammatory effect.

I train a lot, and that enables me to just back up my training.

Last year I made the semi-finals.

I just felt so confident

that I could get to the top of that wall,

but I didn't even have a chance to give it a go.

Oh!

This year, just like last year,

didn't make it.

Oh, no!

So, I've got two things to prove tonight.

Number one - that I can get up that Warped Wall,

and number two -

that an old duck like me can qualify for the grand final.

Here I go.

FREDDIE: Mel Armstrong, from Victoria.

The skeleton luge racer.

If she wants to get in the final,

she's gonna have to at least get past the Warped Wall.

And there are her gorgeous kids and her hubby, Rohan.

Can Mel Armstrong be our first woman through to the grand finals?

It will start with the Archer Steps.

They move right underneath your feet.

So, you don't want to be on them too long.

Get off, get on the rope, and home!

Looks like she is on a mission!

She rocketed through that first one.

The platforms barely moved. This one moves, though.

Yeah, this moves a lot,

but you gotta lock your hands into those grips.

Oh, and your legs.

Try and interlock your legs.

Ohhh!

Oh, no, she's coming off, but she just held on to the end!

What a save! Just hung on by a fingernail.

I thought she was out there for sure.

Come on, nice and fast.

Look at her just think, "Hang on, am I ready? Am I ready?"

Mel Armstrong, you are ready.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!

Mel Armstrong, you are a gun!

And she's already taking on the Floating Stairs.

This woman is so fit!

Not wasting any time.

Now she's gonna reach across and get onto the second board.

A backhand grip. She makes the transition.

The 39-year-old! How powerful is she?

And now as you come down this set of steps,

you gotta start getting a bit of momentum happening in the hips.

Just watch the hips and the knees,

because you've gotta make this swing to come home.

Look at her go. She's got it. She's only a little woman.

She's already got it. You can see the style's right.

Yes! No! No! Ohh! Only just!

Oh, on the... I thought we lost her there!

Did you see that?

There was a whisker in it.

Mel Armstrong making it further than she did in the heats,

and she's now contemplating the Basket Toss.

Remember, she failed on the Rolling Steel in the heats.

Her upper body let her down. What's she got left tonight?

Hits the tramp. Yes! Gets that first basket.

And now she's just gotta try and straighten the body up

so that she can land this next catch.

You can tell she's tiring. She's just starting to hurt now.

She's feeling it in the shoulders.

Yeah, she's struggling, but she holds!

Fingertips on the second basket!

Oh!

She sticks it! I can't believe it!

She can't believe it either!

Smiling away. Go on, Mel. One more! Yes, Mel!

This is absolutely phenomenal.

Forget about the textbook - she wrote the textbook.

Mel Armstrong, you are a hero! Hi, Mel!

CROWD: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Oh, Mel!

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

What a result so far,

and now she pays homage to the iconic Warped Wall.

She has been dreaming of this moment for 12 long months,

and now she gets her chance.

I wasn't sure she'd get here.

She nearly came off on the Rolling Log.

Nearly came off on the Floating Stairs.

Hung on just by a fingernail on the Basket Toss.

She's earned this chance.

Here comes Mel Armstrong!

Almost! She got her fingers on it!

She got her fingers on it.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

That's the first time she's ever been on it.

She knows what it's about now.

Bit more pace, bit more of a run-up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

For the second time on the Warped Wall...

Up, Mel... oh, slaps the wall.

Smacking the wall in anger this time as well.

Faster. Let's go, Mum.

Duke and Sonny and Rohan know she's only got one more shot.

Everything left!

12 months of hard work comes down to this.

And now the moment of truth arrives.

Can she do it?

From Victoria,

the 39-year-old is about to give every single bit of energy,

every ounce of her soul!

Come on, Mel! Up! Up! Oh, she's done it!

Mel Armstrong hits the Warped Wall! She's done it!

Beats the Warped Wall! That is incredible!

What a moment! (WILD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, Mel Armstrong!

Our second woman up the Warped Wall tonight,

but it is not over, Ben!

Not by a long shot.

Three obstacles still to go.

She is unstoppable.

Come on, Mel. We need you to go all the way.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here she is - smiling away.

Not too many ninjas smile in front of the Salmon Ladder.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here we go.

Listen to the crowd.

They've seen how hard she's tried. They're loving it.

Three rungs to climb, Mel. Let's do it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Up! Come on, Mel. Two more to go.

She is exhausted, but she will not quit.

Oh, one and a half.

Two! Oh! Oh!

She's down. She's down.

Now, we've gotta say,

that is one of the all-time epic efforts in this competition.

I mean, she got out of jail not once, not twice, but three times,

and that was before taking three attempts on the Warped Wall.

What a champion!

Well done, Mel!

Talk us through what it felt like getting up that Warped Wall.

Oh, my god!

That was just the thing! Oh, just...

You kept us waiting. You got up on the third attempt.

What was going through your mind?

Um... I was a little annoyed on that second attempt.

I don't know whether you picked up on that.

I was saying, you need to knock it down.

(GROWLS) I just, I don't know, thumped it.

I don't think that... well, I don't know. Maybe it did help.

Maybe that's the key. (LAUGHS)

Well, it's good to see you smiling after this run.

Mel, that was amazing. The family are round there waiting.

Go and see them. Cheers, Mel.

Mel fought hard, and is currently in fifth place.

Remember, we're looking for the top ten furthest fastest.

What a fantastic effort.

Coming up, the twinjas are back.

Luke and Matt Filippi take sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

MAN: Mate, if it comes down to it,

if I've gotta jump up there and rip you off the course, I'll do that.

Bring it on, mate. I'll dead-hang for hours.

But after the break,

season one's furthest fastest, Fred Dorrington, is back,

but tonight he's battling more than the semifinal course.

FRED: I been so sick. I've been on the couch for, like, three days.

I'm feeling pretty weak,

but I'm just gonna give it my best.

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where, over the break, two more ninjas stakes their claims

for a grand final spot.

Big swing off, and he catches it.

Trial bike rider Le Hua held on

for the killer Flying Shelf Grab...

Too good!

..only to slip on the Bouncing Spider.

Oh!

(KLAXON BLARES)

Crowd favourite Stewart Furze

saw the light at the end

of the spider tunnel...

REBECCA: 'The Furbinator' has arrived.

..but it fizzled out.

Oh, he's fallen short! Oh, no!

Oh, I can't believe it.

Tonight, only the top ten furthest fastest qualify for the grand final,

but if anyone knows how to handle that kind of pressure,

it's our next ninja.

OK, let's just fact-check some superstar credentials

of our next ninja, Rebecca Maddern.

Furthest fastest in season one? Tick.

Was he, in fact, a grand finalist season two?

Tick.

And scaled the Mega Warped Wall and claimed $5,000 in season three?

Big tick.

He is the one and only Fred Dorrington!

(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)

And there's a big turnout in Melbourne tonight to cheer on Fred.

You got this!

Finished fifth in the heat,

and made it up the Mega Warped Wall,

but since then, he's really been struggling.

Yeah, poor old Fred.

Fred Dorrington has been sick in bed all week with a stomach bug.

Yeah, and he looks a bit clammy on his forehead.

That is not the ideal preparation

for a semifinal on Australian Ninja Warrior,

however, there are no excuses.

It's semifinal time.

You either perform, or unfortunately, you'll be out.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Here he goes.

Whoa! Hang on a moment!

I thought he was on his sickbed.

I think he just wants to get this over and done

so he can go back to bed.

The Rolling Log.

Slightly worried for Fred on this one. He's got a bit of gastro.

Fred Dorrington, if your head has been thumping,

this is not what you wanna go on.

Oh, shivers!

There's Yanni and Sam. They're worried about him.

Oh, Fred! Look at him crawling! Oh, yeah.

Oh, you're alright! Keep going!

Now, what's he doing? Oh, it's the reverse spin.

Try and offset the dizziness.

Oh, Fred! He looks ill!

Yeah, it's not looking good for the former champ.

Come on, Freddy! Take it easy!

FREDDIE: You can tell he's struggling.

Not the usual Fred Dorrington on the course tonight,

but times like this, you just gotta dig deep.

You gotta get on with it. Don't think about the illness.

Think about the course!

Think about what you're gonna do to it, Fred Dorrington!

Wow! Well, there's a way of making a comeback.

Come on, Fred! This stuff's easy for you! You got this!

REBECCA: OK, are we doing better on the Floating Stairs?

Look how quickly he negotiates those steps.

Settled into the course now.

I'm sure that the gastro is at the back of his mind now.

The only one thing that should be in his head right now

is finishing this course.

Do not worry about anything else. Just get on with it, Fred.

Yeah, buddy!

I must admit,

I don't reckon he looks like he's really enjoying this.

Just labouring through this.

A half-hearted fist pump to his support crew.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

On to the Basket Toss now. Another big test.

I really hope this one doesn't break him.

You've got this one!

Come on, Fred. The whole crowd's behind him.

Up! Yes! We know he can do it, Bec.

He may not be at full health, but this bloke's a freak.

We can't underestimate him.

Will transfer now onto the second of the baskets.

Digging deep there, lad.

Not feeling well, but he's still out on the course.

Not gonna let that stop him.

Now he's ready. Fred Dorrington does it.

And now... oh, he's going straight up the wall!

Smashes it. Unbelievable!

How good is this bloke Fred Dorrington?

The other question is, how much has he got left to give?

Because the hardest part of the course starts right now.

Look at him sizing it up,

and I reckon he's gonna need to take a breather here.

CROWD: Let's go, Fred, let's go! Let's go, Fred, let's go!

Let's go, Fred, let's go!

Up onto the Salmon Ladder. Three rungs to get up.

OK, one... two.

Oooh! One and a half.

Two. Corrects it. It's alright.

One to go. Two and a half.

Making hard work of this.

He moves on. Now, that's OK.

The rules say you only need to get the bar up to the third rung.

So, he did that. He's good to go. The Flying Shelf.

Big swing. Come on, Fred!

Oh, no! Oh, no!

Ladies and gentlemen, furthest fastest in season one,

is out on the Flying Shelves.

Into the water, and he's not happy.

Really not happy. I've never seen him like that before.

What an upset in semifinal one.

Smashed it, mate! Don't worry, mate!

Fred, how are you feeling, mate?

I've heard you're a little bit under the weather.

Yeah, not great. Alright, though.

Did you get further than you thought on the course tonight there?

'Cause it looked a bit of a struggle.

Thought I was gonna finish it, for sure,

and as soon as I was falling, I was, you know,

pretty pissed before I hit the water.

It's not all bad.

You've still got a chance of making the grand final,

depending how the rest of the ninjas go.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

There you go. They love you, Fred.

Fred, go and rest up. Hopefully you get into the grand finals.

Great to see you, mate. All the best.

Well, Freddie, he shouldn't feel too down.

Fred was fast enough to put himself into fourth position.

So, even at half-health, this champion ninja competitor

is still within a shot of making the grand final.

But remaining in that top ten will be tough.

Some of our biggest names are still ahead,

and as the grand final approaches

and that prize money comes into focus,

our ninjas are sizing each other up

for the fight of their lives.

Gonna get in the middle of them here.

Dan Mason, the Barefoot Ninja,

and obviously, look at that head -

it's Ashlin Herbert.

Lads, come in, come in, come in.

Right, you two lads, this match-up tonight.

Semifinal - the Barefoot Ninja against Flashlin.

Who's gonna win?

Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

I've gotta stop this humbleness now.

You can beat this lad, can't you?

Um, on a good day, I guess, might have a chance, but...

Is today a good day? Is today a good day?

Today's a very good day.

Well, he's gonna beat you, Ashlin.

That's as good as him saying he's got it in the bag.

What have you got for him?

ASHLIN: Oh, I'll give it my best shot.

Are you feeling confident? Yeah, I'm feeling pretty confident.

Looks like a fun course.

Well, this is gonna be the match-up of the night.

Do not go anywhere. Get a cup of tea. Come straight back.

It's Ashlin Herbert against the Barefoot Ninja.

BEN: The ninja warrior who powers their way furthest and fastest,

outlasting the others,

will be declared the season's winner and take home $100,000

thanks to Energizer.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Welcome back to the first night of the semi-finals

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

And to the first half of a head-to-head competition

we have been waiting to see.

The Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason,

is considered by many the main rival for Ashlin Herbert

to take out this year's crown

and at least $100,000.

But he's never made it to the grand final before.

Will tonight be the night?

Next on course, the Barefoot Ninja.

I'm the Barefoot Ninja because I do all of my training barefoot.

This year, the balancing between parenting and training

has been a bit of a challenge,

but I take Fletcher to all my training sessions, basically.

So, everyone at the compound knows who he is.

Fletcher seems to follow in my footsteps.

We've recently built him a rock-climbing wall in his room.

So, he's scampering up that.

Up! Good boy!

Put it on the plant.

The money this year to be furthest fastest,

for us, it would mean being able to build a house,

which is something we'd love to do at some point.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

After the heats,

I was still reasonably happy with how I finished,

but it was pretty shattering not to make it up the Mega Wall.

Don't miss this. Ohh!

I was just really happy to get through to the semis,

although I am a bit nervous coming into the semi-finals,

'cause that's where I've been knocked out the last two years.

So, yeah, hopefully I can just stay calm and just do my normal run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

So much excitement surrounds this guy tonight.

Go, Dan!

There's his wife, Maddi, on the sidelines,

and I think we'll find little Baby Fletcher up in the stands

with Dan's sister, Jess.

Daniel Mason - the Barefoot Ninja.

All the other ninjas have been talking about this lad.

He's a real contender.

Can he beat Ashlin Herbert? Well, never mind Ashlin Herbert!

What about Zak Stolz? He's put his name firmly in the hat.

Yeah, Zak's time was 3:23, Freddie.

Can Dan beat it?

The whole course in front of him.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, the buzzer goes.

The Barefoot Ninja off to a flying start now.

Look at him go! Scampering!

Now, the Barefoot Ninja, Dan Mason, on the Rolling Log.

He's so quick, so determined.

Look at the ankles.

They're not quite locked in there, but he's holding on.

Oh! Oh!

See that? He whacked his foot, just like Trudie.

Seems OK.

Go, Dan!

He's just lost his shoe here,

so he's taking a little bit of time to slip this back on.

That's for safety reasons.

All ninjas must wear shoes on the course,

even the Barefoot Ninja.

We've seen one shoe come off on the Rolling Log.

Didn't want another there.

Now the Barefoot Ninja, as he's known,

whips his way through the Razor's Edge.

How quick is this guy?

Just a reminder, in his heat,

he had a crack at the Mega Warped Wall and couldn't get up it,

but he got all the way there, make no mistake about that.

Powering his way through the Floating Stairs.

Look at that for speed.

Zak Stolz has got the time to beat at the minute.

He's the leader in the clubhouse,

but Daniel Mason having a bit of this.

Straight onto the Basket Toss.

Lands the lache. To this point, he's ahead of Zak by seven seconds.

The master at work.

Oh, is he what? Onto the Warped Wall. Flies up it.

Almost over it.

Hard to believe he has never made it to a grand final.

If he is gonna take a bit of a breather, now's the time to do it,

because this next obstacle has burnt a number of our ninjas

when they haven't had time to rest.

Oh, but he is not resting, Ben.

He's got the mixed grip. That stops the bar rolling.

There's one, there is two, and there is three!

Not wasting a second.

Now on to the Flying Shelves.

This obstacle has taken out ten ninjas tonight.

Daniel Mason - have a look at the kick!

He also needs the swing and the catch!

He's now overtaken Zak Stolz - 15 seconds faster.

Now the Bouncing Spider.

Into the corridor, down he goes.

Just like a crab right through the corridor.

He's gotta hit this tramp, push his way through those punching bags,

and then he's one obstacle away from the grand final.

There he goes!

And now the Barefoot Ninja on the final obstacle,

the Invisible Ladder.

Straight up, Dan.

He's 21 seconds faster than Zak Stolz to this point.

This is, without doubt, the hardest obstacle on the course,

and this is where the real contenders will shine.

What's he got left? Up he goes.

27-year-old osteopath is halfway up.

Look at the knees!

The five-metre mark, the six-metre mark,

seven metres, and he doesn't even...

Daniel Mason!

..struggle one little bit.

Hits the buzzer.

Oh, the fireworks go up!

The Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason. What a time!

He is into the grand final, and without doubt, in this competition,

the one to beat, Daniel Mason.

Ten out of ten!

He's not even out of breath. Look at him.

It could have come all unstuck for Daniel on the Rolling Log.

The Barefoot Ninja nearly lost his shoe.

It cost him five seconds,

but he soon made up for that,

barely pausing on his way through this punishing course,

and at last we'll be seeing him in a grand final.

Was there any part of that course that you struggled with?

Didn't look like it.

Yeah, getting my shoe back on after the second obstacle.

That would have been ironic -

the Barefoot Ninja losing his shoe in the water.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

Now, we saw Zak go through the course earlier

in a very fast time.

How do you think your time compares with that?

Oh, I reckon I might have been a little slower.

I think he went through it pretty quick, but, uh... yeah.

A little slower?

You've gone through the course nearly a minute faster than Zak.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

So, now it's fair to say you have firmly thrown down the gauntlet

for Ashlin Herbert.

Can he beat that time?

He definitely can.

Come on, talk it up! Go on, throw the gauntlet down to him!

Do you think Ashlin can do it?

No, no way! (LAUGHS)

Come on, Ashlin. I've set down the time.

Let's see if you can beat it.

Oh, fighting talk, Ashlin.

Dan, that was unbelievable.

Everyone's waiting for you round there.

Wow! Ashlin's got something to do there.

(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)

The Barefoot Ninja has really kicked the competition up a gear.

His time of 2:48 easily furthest fastest so far,

and the time to beat in semifinal one.

But hot on his heels, Flashlin Ashlin Herbert.

First up the Mega Warped Wall in the heats.

Ashlin Herbert is back! Whoo!

He's already spent the $5,000 prize money.

Thanks to the Mega Wall prize money,

I got this thing up another three inches.

Three inches, eh? Three inches.

Righto, boys.

Now he's got his eyes on the big one,

but he's gotta take out the semis first.

I'm just gonna do what I always do - not think about it, just do it.

But aiming to put the brakes on Flashlin's plans,

'Ninja Toddles', Todd Smith.

Oh, look at that!

Still on a high after claiming furthest fastest in his heat.

Have you come down from Cloud Nine yet?

Oh, no. I didn't get much sleep that night of the heats.

Yeah, just extremely happy to be back for the semis,

and hopefully hit another buzzer.

You're gonna hit this next buzzer?

Yeah, I can't wait. Hopefully I can do it again.

Wow. Toddles has found some confidence.

Don't go anywhere. Watch this lad run after the break.

BEN: Welcome back to Melbourne,

and Ninja Warrior semifinal one.

REBECCA: Over the break,

we were seeing double with the 'Surfing Twinjas',

Luke and Matt Filippi, stepping up.

Joining the growing list,

Luke fell victim

to the Flying Shelf Grab.

This is 2.4 metres across.

Should do this well.

Oh, he was just short! No!

And brother Matt is on course now,

hoping to show Luke how it's done.

Matt Filippi made it to the semi-finals in season two.

Wants to go one further this time,

but this is the dreaded Salmon Ladder.

And he's up.

Just adjusting that grip now.

Stop the swing!

There is one, there is two, there is three!

Looks comfortable here. Now across to the Flying Shelf Grab.

This brought his brother undone.

CROWD: Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing!

Good swing!

And Matt Filippi lets go and grabs it.

Oh, he is looking so good, Ben.

Only two more obstacles to go,

and then he has booked a spot in the grand final.

Brother Luke celebrating

and probably thinking about what could have been for himself.

Come on, Matt!

An obstacle we've seen before on Ninja Warrior, the Bouncing Spider.

Get off the trampoline, then push his body into the sides.

There we go. Just manoeuvre himself round.

Push your feet, push your arms into it.

Now, if the corridor looks hard, just imagine what's ahead of him.

He needs to hit the trampoline

and then make it past those punching bags,

and Matt Filippi is through.

Oh, he held onto one,

and almost came back a little bit, but he did it.

This is a fantastic effort from Matt Filippi.

Come on, Matt! Killing it, Matt!

It is indeed.

He's two-minuets slower than the Barefoot Ninja to this point.

Here he goes.

FREDDIE: His arms will be burning, his shoulders will be sore.

Every part of his body will be screaming, but he's gotta dig deep.

Oh, what strength here!

He's not giving this up for nobody.

Up to the six. Coming up to the seven.

Nearly at the platform!

Now his head's popping out the top! Dig deep, Matt!

Pulls himself up, presses the buzzer, and isn't he happy?

He is through to the grand final! Matt Filippi!

Matt Filippi, you are spectacular!

Gestures to his brother,

"That's how you do it, Luke. That's how you do it."

And with that,

Matt Filippi has climbed his way into the third spot.

Wow! After that run, he's the equation for our remaining ninjas.

To make the grand final, they need to at least get as far

as the Flying Shelf Grab in under 3:30.

Our next competitor will love the challenge.

He is a ninja super fan who lived out his dream blitzing the heat,

pressing the red buzzer and getting the furthest fastest of the night.

Yeah, a real underdog.

He can't believe he's in the semi-finals.

So, let's give him a loud roar -

22-year-old Ninja Toddles, AKA Todd Smith.

TODD: I am a self-confessed ninja nerd.

I think about it 24/7.

I talk to everyone about it,

even if they're not listening to me.

I'm just nonstop going on about it.

Go, Ninja Toddles. Mmm?

My wife's nan, I show her my ninja videos, and she loves it.

Ninja Toddles.

Mikaela, my wife, is, yeah, suffering.

Sometimes she doesn't want to talk about ninja.

It was just random.

Like, we watched the TV show,

and all of a sudden, he became empowered by it,

and he went into training and met all his ninja crew,

and, yeah, he's just been going ever since.

(MEN EXCLAIM)

He's just wild, and I am very proud of him for it, yep.

Go, go, go, go, go!

So, when I took the furthest fastest in the heat...

And he makes it!

REBECCA: Oh, Todd Smith! Yes! Yes!

..couldn't believe it.

I never expected something like that to happen.

Definitely the best night of my life.

It was great.

Alright, this is you! Semifinal time! Let's go!

Let's go!

Can't wait to see the crowd and everyone just yelling,

"Ninja Toddles!"

(CHEERING)

MAN: Go, you good thing!

Go, you good thing.

Todd Smith so pumped to be back and so is his support team.

That's wife Mikaela, mate Nathan Burley from the heats,

his dad, and little bro, Blake.

Oh, how good's Blake?

FREDDIE: Ninja Toddles -

he was furthest fastest in the heats.

A big, big, big ninja fan

living his dream.

He said the heats was a better day than his wedding day,

and apparently his wife doesn't know he said that.

She'll know now!

Here's a little fact about Todd Smith.

He's timed himself. He goes faster with the shirt off.

So, to all those who love looking at the human form,

Todd Smith, get a load of him.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Let's see how quickly he does the Archer Steps.

Bam! Sorted, fixed!

I mean, he really blew us out of the water.

He came out of nowhere and he was the furthest fastest of the night.

That's incredible.

Here he goes on the Rolling Log.

Here he goes now. I'm worried about his glasses on this one.

Just keep hold of it, Todd. Just keep hold... oh, no, Todd!

Oh, no! He hangs on!

Did he recover? Oh, he recovered!

Just with the fingertips, he hangs on.

MAN: Need to go faster!

Little Blake breathes a sigh of relief.

Fast to the other side! Come on, buddy!

All the ninjas after the Rolling Log a little bit disorientated.

This is a seven-metre run. It's a dash, and he does it.

Oh! Look at that!

Now straight up the Floating Stairs.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's trying to put a time in again tonight.

He's not hanging around, is Toddles.

And he's already halfway. Makes the gap.

It's a one-metre gap, and then down the stairs on the other side.

Swing, buddy, swing!

If he gets to the final, what's he gonna describe this night as?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, this is exceptional, Freddie.

The ninja honeymoon continues.

Now, he's two seconds faster than Daniel Mason at this point.

Toddles - could he be furthest fastest again?

Up he goes - launches onto the first basket.

Made a little slip, but nice transfer.

He's backwards.

He's gonna have to get himself around to make the lache.

That's it, that's it. What about the confidence on this young bloke?

So confident!

22 years of age. Straight up the wall.

Whoa! He just wandered up the wall.

This guy's good! This guy is really, really good!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Having a dash at this one, is Todd. Just needs to take his time.

Getting the crowd going.

You can see how much he loves this, you can see what it means to him.

Having another night out is Todd Smith.

(LAUGHS)

Up he goes onto the Salmon Ladder.

Using that conventional grip. Here he goes.

One!

No, no, no, Bec!

Oh, if he made the Shelf Grab, he would have been through on time.

So close!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I thought he was gonna make it! He did really well, bud.

Yeah!

For the first six obstacles,

Todd was well on his way to ninja glory

and a fan boy dream come true,

but here's how little margin for error there is.

Todd chose a conventional grip on the bar.

Normally that's fine,

but see how the bar spins back just a centimetre on the second rung?

It's weakened his grip just enough, and it was game over.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Are you pleased with where you came, knowing you're such a fan?

Definitely, I could... definitely think I could beat this course.

Overall, I'm just so grateful to be here.

Massive fan, as you all know,

and, yeah, this is a dream come true.

Well, that's what I was gonna say.

There'd be people sat at home now watching Ninja Warrior,

thinking, "You know what, I fancy that."

What would you say to them people? Yeah, definitely get on it.

You know, I'm just a general guy, you know?

I'm not elite athlete, I never have been,

and just get on the course and swing on some stuff.

That's what I love doing. Just swing on some stuff.

There you go - you've heard it from Todd, AKA Toddles,

but I disagree - you are an elite athlete.

Well done, mate.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ninja Toddles - what a man! What an inspiration.

What a ninja!

Yes, sadly Ninja Toddles misses out tonight,

and to think, with that time,

he could have been up there

with the Barefoot Ninja,

who's currently sitting

at least 35 seconds faster

than our other two finishers.

After that,

it's down to furthest fastest.

India Henry hanging in there

in tenth,

which means, unfortunately,

Mel Armstrong and the Ginger Ninja

are gone.

Yes, the Barefoot Ninja still holding on

to the furthest fastest title at 2:48,

but can Flashlin beat that time and the course?

We'll find out after the break.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Ninja Warrior.

Over the break,

gymnast Lachlan Walker got it all wrong on the mini tramp...

Oh! Straight into the wall! Oh, he's fallen short!

..but there was a standout performance from Matthew Bowles,

who became the fourth ninja to finish the course.

Through the ceiling! There he goes!

BEN: Matthew Bowles, you've done it!

The free diver from WA completing it in 4:28

and climbing to third on the leaderboard.

But there is one ninja left to run.

It's time to bring him out -

the man who most think will be crowned this year's winner

and walk away with 100 grand.

He's seen the Barefoot Ninja post a lightning fast time of 2:48.

The bar has been set.

If anyone can raise it, it's Flashlin Ashlin Herbert.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Flashlin was the first

up the Mega Warped Wall in the heats,

scoring himself $5,000

and furthest fastest.

So, what has he got for us tonight?

Here he goes - Flashlin Ashlin Herbert.

He's gonna be fast. (CHIME SOUNDS)

He's gonna show Dan Mason, "This is how you do it."

We're gonna have to run!

We're gonna have to keep up with him!

What's he doing there?

He does not want his headband to fly off and go in the water.

So, very, very smart, Ashlin Herbert.

Yeah, we saw a shoe go in earlier.

Look at him spinning! Oh, it's a big landing from Ashlin.

Focus yourself! Take your time!

As now he takes on the Razor's Edge.

Oh, my word, Ashlin Herbert. This is gonna be tight.

He's a machine, this young man.

He doesn't think about it, he just gets it done.

Yeah, but look at this.

He's just missing rungs all over the place

and he is 15 seconds faster than Dan.

He is sure and confident. No break. Onto the Basket Toss.

We haven't seen one... Oh, what about that?

Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness me!

One basket, two basket, and now the Warped Wall.

Oh, talk about not being fast, Ben Fordham.

Didn't he just pick it up a gear?

(LAUGHS) He's the man to catch. Everyone's running behind him.

Looking at the clock, he's 25 seconds up on Dan.

Incredible!

He's straight up and onto the Salmon Ladder.

One, two. Oh!

Too easy. That's three. Ashlin!

I tell you what, in season one, we thought this guy was great.

Season two - even better,

but what are we looking at in season three?

I think we're looking at the person most likely to be

the first ever Australian Ninja Warrior

at the top of Mount Midoriyama.

This guy is unbeatable. Incredible.

The clock ticking. He wants to beat Dan Mason's time.

He wants to be furthest fastest tonight,

that is in no doubt whatsoever.

Take a breath!

45 seconds up on Barefoot Ninja. 2:48, the time to beat.

The Invisible Ladder now. Gets himself in.

He needs to pump and pull and push.

Having a little bit of trouble getting started here,

but he'll fix it, don't you worry.

Yeah, he's moving, but it seems to be taking him longer than others.

Hasn't gone very far at all. Come on, Flashlin! Dig deep!

He's really fighting, he's really working. His arms have gone.

And there's now a question mark over whether he'll make it.

Oh, he's in a little bit of trouble, Ben!

He's in a little bit of trouble! He's in strife.

He's not moving at all. He's stuck at level six.

Pick it up! Pick it up! Come on!

And this is the first time we've seen this young man struggle.

What's that move?

He's like a fish out of water, flapping around! Come on, Ashlin!

Come on!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, he's gone.

Come on, you can't stop there!

Can he save himself? He's got another metre to go!

He just uses his legs! He gets the legs on top!

Any way you want! Any way you want!

He's on the roof. Hits that buzzer. Oh!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ashlin Herbert was almost down and out,

and somehow he found something, Rebecca Maddern,

to get himself out of strife

four seconds faster than Daniel Mason.

And everyone here, I think, is breathing a sigh of relief.

He was his usual impressive self, Flashlin Ashlin Herbert,

but then it was like he had a bag of concrete around his ankles.

Somehow, though, he found a way out.

Houdini-like performance from Ashlin Herbert -

furthest fastest of the night.

By the looks of things, Ashlin, you need that water.

I think that's the first time I've seen you nearly gas.

Yeah, it was a struggle, that one. That's hard.

Well, I can tell you,

before that run, Dan Mason was the furthest fastest,

and he threw the gauntlet down to you,

but you've beaten him by four seconds.

Ohh!

Are you pleased with that, mate?

Yeah, yeah, pleased with that.

And a bit of a struggle at the end.

So, you still think you can be quicker?

Oh, maybe. He's definitely got the lock-off strength more than me.

So, we'll see.

OK, well, Ashlin, I'll let you go,

'cause these conversations tend to go nowhere.

Go on, you carry on! Cheers, Ashlin.

Go and join your mates.

Looking at the leaderboard

for the final time,

these are our grand finalists.

Ashlin Herbert on top -

just four seconds ahead

of the Barefoot Ninja.

Zak Stolz in third.

The Furbinator Stewart Furze

makes it into sixth.

A very unwell Fred Dorrington

scrapes through,

but dairy farmer Bradley Vanderland

misses out.

We started with 30,

but these are the ten going through to the grand finals,

with special mention, firstly, to Fred Dorrington.

He battled through sickness,

but he's booked his place in the grand finals,

but tonight was all about the showdown

between Ashlin Herbert and Dan Mason.

Ashlin hung on for dear life up the Invisible Ladder,

pressed the button,

and was a whole four seconds quicker than Dan.

So, tonight, Ashlin, you're our furthest fastest.

Back up there to you, Bec and Ben.

Well done, Freddie.

It is job done for our top ten ninjas.

They'll make their way straight into the grand final,

but there's no time to rest.

And someone is guaranteed to be a winner

and pick up a minimum of $100,000.

So, we'll see you when the action continues

right here on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Goodnight, everyone. Goodnight!

Tomorrow night, semifinal two.

30 more champion ninjas, ten grand final spots.

Who will conquer the Invisible Ladder?

He is through to the grand final!

Fighting for a place, North Queensland speedster Justin Flegler.

I'm gonna punch that course out as quick as I can.

Ready to take a bite out of the competition, Riley Murphy.

I can't wait to chew through this course and hit that buzzer.

High-flying 'Aerial Ninja' Celeste Dixon.

Tonight it's all or nothing. I'm gonna get to that grand final.

And Rob Patterson, looking to go one up on Ashlin Herbert.

Last year I was furthest fastest.

This year I'm hear to collect my ticket for the grand final.

Ashlin, watch out.

The grand final and a guaranteed $100,000

is within their grasp.

Who's got what it takes to become Australia's first Ninja Warrior?