Original subtitles

(CHEERING)

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: I'm standing on

the most fearsome Ninja obstacle of them all,

the Power Tower,

ground zero for another Ninja showdown.

Tonight, our two fastest ninjas will go head-to-head

to win a massive advantage.

If you want thrills, this is the place to be.

BEN FORDHAM: In a new Melbourne location...

Welcome to Melbourne, the sporting capital of Australia!

..the toughest course on the planet...

Hang on, Skye!

SHANE CRAWFORD: Six of the toughest obstacles in the world...

Aww! Aw, wow!

(SCREAMING)

..got even tougher.

It burns the arms, burns the fingers.

This thing is becoming a ninja killer.

BOTH: Oh!

Favourites fell...

Oh no! Max! He's gone!

..new heroes rose...

Jake Baker from Victoria. Oh, he's done it!

He gets up the Warped Wall!

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

..and the all-new Power Tower took our breath away.

It was ninja versus ninja for the first time ever...

Here comes Daniel Mason.

Ashlin Herbert gets the swing, moves across the bars.

Oh! (KLAXON SOUNDS)

..and it was 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert

that took home the prize.

Ashlin banks a crucial ten-second time advantage

in the semifinals.

Heat number two.

They've been training all year

and now 14 more ninjas are up for the challenge.

I'm gonna be Australia's

first female ninja warrior.

(ROARS)

We have a bit of rivalry.

I guess we'll find out on course

who is the best twin.

Watch out, buzzer, you're gonna get hit.

Plus...

after three seasons, Ninja Warrior has become their life.

And now, power couple Ben Polson...

and Olivia Vivian are back.

I aim to be the first female

to ever do a Power Tower anywhere in the world.

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

Tonight's two Furthest Fastest

will once again be competing on the monstrous Power Tower.

The competition is heating up

in the search for Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

Welcome to an all-new season of Australian Ninja Warrior.

We are back bigger and stronger than ever

for our toughest season yet.

And tonight, once again, filling in for Bec Maddern...

Shane Crawford. How are you, buddy?

Thanks for having me, Ben.

Very, very excited to be back for heat two.

I am pumped.

A new season means new ninjas.

We've got some impressive newbies tonight,

but also some returning legends,

including the awesome Ben Polson.

Don't forget Olivia Vivian.

I've only ever seen her on TV

but tonight, I get to watch her live in action.

They are a ninja power couple,

Ben Polson and Olivia Vivian from WA.

She actually knocked him over in the semis last year.

Can she do it all over again in 2020?

Tonight is the second of four heats,

with only the top 16 from each heat

moving to two semifinals.

But tonight our ninjas aren't just battling for a place in the semis.

Isn't that right, Freddie?

That's right, Ben.

Tonight's two fastest ninjas

will go head-to-head on the all-new Power Tower.

Could it be Olivia versus Ben?

Power couple on the Power Tower.

Now, that would be amazing.

But this course tonight is no gimmick.

Let's see what the ninjas have got in store tonight.

It's heat two and it's fair to say

that in 2020, we've dialled up the intensity.

Once more, the ninjas will have to beat six obstacles

to hit the buzzer.

Straight out of the blocks again are the Quintuple Steps.

Five steps 1.5m apart.

You've got to get across without touching the water.

Next, the Tic Toc to Net.

Ninjas jump from the mini tramp

to the Tic Toc pendulum,

then leap onto the cargo net

and climb underneath to safety.

Obstacle three, the Bridge of Blades.

6m in length,

ninjas must distribute weight evenly

across four large spinning blades.

Next is the dreaded Doorknob Drop.

A huge test of upper-body

and grip strength,

ninjas must cross eight small red knobs

on the first door,

four of which are on an incline.

The door will then drop over a metre

before ninjas make the tricky transition

to the second door,

where they will do it all again.

If the doorknobs are challenging,

wait till you see obstacle five,

Flying Shelf Grab.

It's a killer.

Ninjas must lache across three shelves,

each with an overhang only wide enough

to grip with fingertips.

The sixth and final obstacle in heat two

is the infamous Warped Wall.

Each ninja has three attempts to run up the 4.25m curved wall

and hit the buzzer.

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

Wow, that is one of the toughest heat courses

I've ever seen on Ninja Warrior.

OK, are we ready?

Let's bring out our first ninja.

He's a schoolteacher and a self-confessed ninja geek

who has a plan for season four success.

Nathan Burley.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ninja Nerds are back again!

The Ninja Geeks are back.

I'm here with my brother from another mother, Ninja Toddles.

We are the Ninja Nerds, the Ninja Geeks,

and we are here to conquer the course

and we're here to show the really ripped, big athletes

that you don't need to have a six-pack to achieve it.

But we went and got six packs anyway!

Yeah!

I am over 100% a fan of Ninja Warrior.

We've got a rule at our house P five minutes of ninja a day.

That's all I can talk about.

So I just like - drrrr! -

to try and get through it real quick.

So I made it in season three.

There we go, look at that.

That's a lad who wants it.

And I was so excited, super pumped.

And then I met my nemesis, the Butterfly Wall,

and came crashing.

CROWD: Aww!

I had nightmares about it,

waking up as if I was falling into the water like...

(GASPS) And I couldn't sleep, you know?

The only way I could sleep was to draw how to conquer it best

and that was really, really fun to me,

so I thought, "Why not keep going?"

So I've gone back and watched every season of Ninja Warrior

and I've drawn all 177 obstacles

from every season of Ninja Warrior,

both international and Australian.

Cannonball Alley, Cargo Crossing...

And I kept on going.

..Tarzan Rope, Tarzan Swing, Tic Toc,

Tilting Table, Tilting Slider, Timebomb...

So now I had the physicality to clear them,

but now I also had the mentality to clear them as well.

I've done my homework and now it's time to ace the test.

Watch out, buzzer, you're gonna get hit.

(UPBEAT ROCK GUITAR)

(CHEERING)

(YELLS)

He's excited, the schoolteacher Nathan Burley.

Do it for Eli!

Nathan's wife, Sarah, cheering on the sidelines there.

BEN: And that's baby Eli with Nathan's parents,

the latest addition to the Ninja Geek family.

That's what they call themselves.

OK.

We are ready for heat two.

Let's go! (BEEP)

Watch this, here comes Nathan Burley.

Onto the Quintuple Steps.

Five steps 1.5m apart.

He's making true of every single one of them.

No early mistakes.

Yes!

Makes his way through the first obstacle.

Having a look at the Tic Toc.

He needs to throw his weight into this jump.

Ready...

go!

Now he comes, onto the Tic Toc.

Nicely done. Smooth landing.

And now he's got to make this transition onto the net.

No problem whatsoever. Hang on there, Nathan.

Don't end up in the drink.

(CHANTS) Let's go, Nathan, let's go!

He's just got his right leg stuck a little bit in the cargo net.

Just gonna remove it now as he gets onto the platform.

Just get it out. Give it a wiggle, Nathan.

Yeah, he's taking your advice, Freddie.

Slowly but surely. OK.

Good recovery.

Nathan Burley, he is 64kg.

That means he is well-suited to the Bridge of Blades.

Here he goes. He is OK.

Well done, well done!

Three obstacles down and Nathan is looking good.

Straight onto the Doorknob Drop

and I hope he's studied this one.

He needs to work his way across these knobs.

And he's having a little bit of difficulty on that first one.

Can he get the grip? Here he goes.

Ooh! Only just.

Just a few fingers wrapped around the doorknobs.

He got it though, Crawf.

And now he needs to get moving and swing from knob to knob.

Up the ascent. This is where...

Oh no! He's missed it.

(BUZZ!) Nathan, no!

Can you believe it?

The Ninja Geek is out on obstacle four.

Here's the replay. Unlucky for Nathan.

He just didn't get that rhythmic swing going on the knobs.

He went for a lunge and he missed it.

He couldn't hold his bodyweight up with one hand.

Hi, Nathan.

You said in series three that you were in your physical peak.

But now you reckon you're even fitter.

What have you been doing?

Uh, had a baby.

Oh, congrats, mate. Yeah.

So doing a lot of push-ups

and while I change his nappy, it's like I have to do 20 push-ups.

So it's a lot of nappies... What, at the same time?

How does that work? Not that good.

You want to watch where you're putting that nose.

Aw, yeah! It's happened a few times.

Eugh, stop it! Aw!

No, you've just got to incorporate training where you can

when you're a young dad.

So yeah, it's good fun. Brilliant. Well, good luck.

Hopefully we'll see you in the semifinal,

along with your mate Todd.

Good on you, Nathan. OK. Thank you so much.

(CHEERING)

BEN: Great effort from the Ninja super fan.

What a start to heat two.

On course now is a former professional dancer

turned lifesaver.

Her patch is Cronulla Beach in Sydney.

Here's Nina Tetzlaff.

I'm Nina, I'm 33

and I'm a lifesaver at Cronulla.

So, I used to be a professional dancer

and a dance teacher.

Dancing was my life.

I just loved how you could train the body

to move in so many ways.

Unfortunately, about six years ago,

I sustained some serious injuries

and it changed the course and direction of my life.

So, swimming was something that I could do

that was nice on the body and still moving.

I joined the Surf club about four years ago.

It's now a massive part of my life.

I also am a bronze medallion trainer down here

and then, yeah, just doing active patrols,

keeping everyone safe down here.

(SCREAMS) What's for lunch?! Argh!

I just, I like to laugh at myself.

If you're not laughing at yourself, then life is pretty boring.

My ninja training is probably

a little bit different to other people.

I do a lot down here on the beach,

a lot of beach sprints to get the legs moving

so I can get up the wall.

Since I found ninja,

I found focus in my life, training and my diet.

After a lifetime of dancing,

I love challenging my body again.

MAN: Go, go, go!

Whoo!

Next up we have Nina Tetzlaff from Sydney.

I've got to tell you, since she got here

she has not stopped smiling.

If she gets to the top of the Warped Wall,

that is gonna be one big beam on her face.

(CHEERING)

It's your time.

BEN: I'll tell you what, Crawf, she is fit.

Fit and raring to go, Ben, don't you worry about that.

She is a former dancer, so they require a lot of fitness,

a lot of strength, particularly in the legs.

Let's see if she can be a ninja.

That's it, one at a time.

That's David on the sideline, Nina's boyfriend.

He's at the same surf lifesaving club,

Cronulla Beach in Sydney.

G'day to everyone in the Shire.

That's it, two more.

Look at the concentration on her face.

She is determined.

There we go.

Go, go!

A few nerves but she's through.

And now onto the Tic Toc.

She's a lightweight 58kg.

She needs head this tramp perfectly.

Big jump.

Look at her eyes, just focused.

I thought she was gonna go then.

Jeez!

No, she's not having a run-up.

Oh. Here we go.

Oh no! Oh no! (BUZZ!)

Aww no.

Sadly, the dancer takes a tumble off the Tic Toc to Net.

Good effort, good effort.

It was a good effort.

She is still smiling,

but Nina really didn't give herself the best chance on the mini tramp.

In hindsight, she should have given herself a bigger run-up.

Instead, she didn't get enough momentum or elevation

and she smacked headfirst into the Tic Toc.

Ouch.

She'll be a bit disappointed.

Boyfriend David got it right.

Very disappointing end for Nina.

But this course is one of the toughest

we've ever seen tonight.

OK, time now for a ninja who, last year,

used his fantastic skills on two wheels

to take him all the way to the grand final.

He's back for more action.

Put your hands together for Le Hua.

(CHEERING)

LE: I ride my bike over obstacles.

The explosive power, the precision

and the mental game that I bring from that sport

transfers to ninja really well.

Last year, I was the only one

to face-plant the Warped Wall.

BEN: Oh! He's just smashed headfirst

into the Warped Wall!

Wasn't planned.

It knocked me around a bit

but got to the grand final and it blew my mind.

Oh, Le Hua! Look at that.

I've lived and breathed ninja since then

and I even got some of my workmates on-board as well.

Here's Dave, my apprentice ninja.

I've got my apprentices rope climbing,

push-ups, core workouts,

and they are all really, really into it.

I'm pretty lucky to be a mechanical engineer.

I've been able to build all my own obstacles

and after work, me and the boys from work,

we go home and we train on them.

It's built this incredible camaraderie between us.

You know what they say P

those who hurt together stay together.

(CHEERING)

Here we go, we've got a returning series three grand finalist, Le Hua.

The trial bike BMXer.

Remember last series, he came up on his bike.

None of that today.

He means business. Look at him!

You go, Daddy!

There's Le, his beautiful kids and wife, Catherine

cheering on from the sideline.

Go, Le! Go, Le! (BEEP)

And Le Hua's season four campaign is underway, Crawf.

Can he repeat his form from last year?

Straight through that first obstacle.

He's got time on his mind

and now flies himself towards the Tic Toc.

He's shuffling around ready for the leap to the cargo net.

Don't waste any time, Le Hua.

Look at that.

There's a real ease about him, a real confidence.

And I tell you what, Ben Fordham, I reckon you're right.

He means business.

(CHEERING)

I reckon Le Hua might have an eye on the Power Tower.

It's three steps.

Some take four.

BOTH: Oh!

A bunny hop very much like on his bike. It was too!

That is what he's done there with the Bridge of Blades.

Plenty of advice coming from the sidelines.

Missus telling him to take his time.

And now he's got the body type to nail the Doorknob Drop.

Watch this. Le Hua.

He's light, he's agile.

And look at the ascent.

He's doing it with a degree of ease.

Look at this, this is a masterclass on the doorknobs.

Even though it's burning those biceps.

Very much. He just hangs on.

That incline really, really kills you,

but he is absolutely crushing this.

And, Crawf, the second door drops down.

He just needs to dismount and he's onto the Flying Shelf Grab.

Oh no! He's hit the pylon. Ouch!

He's hit the pylon, Ben.

He steadied himself on the scaffolding.

(BUZZ!)

You're not allowed to do that! You can't touch it.

I don't think Le realises it.

It is a disqualification.

And such a shame because as you can see,

he was going to beat the Flying Shelf Grab

and go straight up the Warped Wall.

Yeah!

Oh no.

God dammit, the buzzer didn't work.

This is usually where the fireworks would be going off,

but the crowd is in stunned silence.

Crawf, you better tell him.

Unfortunately, Le,

you've been disqualified because you grabbed the pylon.

AUDIENCE: Aww.

CATHERINE: Aww.

I bumped it. I know.

However, unfortunately there are rules

and we've got to stick to the rules. Aww.

So sorry, mate. That must be tough for you.

I still got to hit the buzzer.

(CHEERING)

Le, can I just say, you were awesome.

Even though you hit the pylon, how good were you?

Let's give it up for Le Hua.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here's another look at that devastating moment.

You can see here, as Le jumps down,

he's had to prop himself back up on the column and,

Ben, unfortunately he's out.

Yeah, especially sad

because he was doing so well to that point.

But one little mistake is all it takes.

They live and breathe Ninja Warrior 24/7

and our big guns are back for 2020.

Olivia Vivian wants to rewrite the history books.

I aim to be the first female

to ever do a Power Tower anywhere in the world.

But from surgery rooms to shearing sheds,

tonight's first-time ninjas are not to be underestimated.

MAN: I would love a crack at that Power Tower.

And then... there's this guy.

(BOWL REVERBERATES)

Hmm.

Up next, he survived war-torn Africa

for a better life in Australia.

Tonight, this inspiring young man is here to prove how far he's come.

I've trained for a year and a half,

I'm in the best shape as possible and I'm gonna show you what I got.

Melvin Solo takes to the course after the break.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where the competition is as fierce as it gets, Crawf.

And tonight, our two fastest ninjas

have a date with the all-new Power Tower.

CRAWF: Yep, a ten-second advantage into the semis

is up for grabs for the fastest ninja

on the Power Tower tonight.

And two of our best have their eyes on the prize.

They are with Freddie right now.

So here I am with our power couple.

The big question is, who is gonna get furthest this year?

Ben, she did you last year, mate.

How is that not gonna happen again?

Yeah, look, she definitely... she did me last year.

She outed me and got that little step further,

which she is more than capable of, but not gonna lie,

it is in my heart, it hurt me a little bit.

And, Olivia, you've got big plans for this season?

Absolutely, Freddie.

I'm going in absolutely blazing.

I want to reach the top

and it's scary to say out loud, but I truly believe in it.

BEN: You're not alone, Olivia.

Some fighting words from two Ninja legends.

Let's see if our next ninja can be

the first to focus his mind and beat this course.

Will this man get a shot at the Power Tower?

Go, baby!

CRAWF: Hang on, is that... is that a flute?

I think it's a flute,

which would be a first on this course.

(PLAYS FLUTE)

Is this where the snake comes up? (BEN AND CRAWF LAUGH)

(CHEERING)

Wow. Very peaceful. (LAUGHS)

What's this guy's story?

I'm Joel Hogan.

I'm from Perth, Western Australia

and I'm a Reiki master,

a sound healer

and also a spiritual ninja.

(BOWL REVERBERATES)

What I love about Ninja Warrior,

the obstacles I relate similar to life.

Sometimes they are not easy

but if we have the courage within to bring forth our energy,

anything is possible.

I've enhanced my spiritual energy through meditation.

Meditation will help me get in the zone

and really help me touch that buzzer.

(CHEERING)

You got this, baby!

BEN: There's Joel's wife, Lan, supporting him on the sidelines.

Got to tell you, I'm not particularly spiritual.

But maybe it will rub off.

Maybe it will.

He'll be so relaxed, he'll be so calm.

And staying calm is important on this course.

Whoo! Go, bubba!

I think I'm prepared to make a call.

We're gonna see him up the top of this Warped Wall.

(CROWD CHANTS) Go, go, go!

That's a very big call.

We are about to find out.

(BEEP) Righto.

Here he goes, then.

Joel Hogan. Onto the course.

In a pair of pants he's borrowed off MC Hammer.

And look at him size each step up,

imagining exactly what he has to do

and visualising his goal.

He's like a cloud, he's just floating.

Whoo!

Not even broke sweat.

I reckon he could be one of the coolest contestants

we've ever had.

Just looks like he's got everything under control!

Maybe there's something into this spirituality.

As he takes to the trampoline, bounces off.

Clings on, nice! He does that beautifully.

He's quickly got to get onto that net

and get himself to safety.

Tell you what, he's pretty to watch, isn't he?

He is. Really delightful style.

Very, very elegant, he really is.

And that's already early proof

that he's got the upper-body strength,

'cause he was quite happy to hang onto that net

without any assistance from his feet.

I'm gonna put my head on the chopping block.

I reckon the Bridge of Blades,

he will just float like the cloud that we think he is.

Here he goes.

The Spiritual Ninja.

Oh, yes!

Well done! Yes!

He just bounced it either way and managed to find the ending.

Now the Doorknob Drop.

I tell you what, Ben -

you were right, this guy is a contender!

Just drying his hands on his trousers.

Joel knows he's got to carry his body weight

across 16 tiny knobs.

The Spiritual Ninja gets a hold of that poll,

reaches out for the doorknobs.

Such an unnatural grip,

to pull your body across.

Going for the overhand technique.

Does he have the upper-body strength?

Yes, so far he does.

So far going very, very well.

But as we know, this is a grip-strength drainer.

Whoa!

He's got to turn, he's got to flip that body around,

keep the momentum going to get to the other side.

ALL: Oh!

(BUZZ!)

Just as you were saying, "Can he keep the momentum going?"

he fell.

Well done.

But you know what?

He was elegant to watch.

(LAUGHS) Yeah, Joel's run was impressive.

Unfortunately, he hesitated before moving across

to the second set of doorknobs,

he lost momentum

and that's the pool.

He nearly had it.

Joel, I've got to ask,

I know you've got a few jobs, but one of them is a sound healer.

Yeah. You're gonna have to explain that one to me.

So, I can take you for a session if you want, Freddie?

Yeah, yeah, go on then.

Yeah? Yeah.

So just close your eyes.

We're doing it now? Do we want to do it now?

Yes, do it now. I'll close me eyes.

Take a deep breath in

and just say the word 'om'.

Om.

(HUMS) Ommmmm.

(BOTH HUM) Ommmmm.

(CONTINUES HUMMING)

I think you're a natural.

I've got it. How am I meant to feel now?

I think you feel amazing, don't you?

All the time, Joel! All the time!

Mate, hopefully we'll see you in the semis. Cheers, Joel.

(CHEERING) Well done, Joel.

The Spiritual Ninja bringing a little bit of calm to the course.

Let's see if the good vibes continue for our next ninja.

He's a man who's already beaten so many obstacles in his life.

He is an inspiration to all of us

and let's hope he can conquer the course tonight.

I'm Melvin Solo, I was born in Ivory Coast.

Coming from a war-torn country was very hard.

(EMOTIVE STRINGS)

The conditions was awful.

It felt like a dark place.

Not knowing when your next meal would be,

not knowing if you have water to drink.

I didn't even have clothes to wear.

I only had a shirt and no pants.

I had one shoe and my legs were hurt.

We were basically scavengers, you know,

surviving, trying to survive.

I think the scariest thing I've ever been through

is probably seeing someone die in front of my eyes.

Because of what was happening in the war and everything.

It was very hard because I was still a child as well.

When I found out that my family and myself,

we were going to Australia,

it felt like, honestly, winning the lottery.

But then I was also scared

because I didn't know what lies ahead,

what would happen to me.

When we first came to Australia,

my mum was introduced to a lady called Jo,

who at the time was helping with refugees.

When I first met Cynthia and the family,

they were big-brown-eyed, skinny-faced...

and scared.

Melvin was a shy, introverted child,

very unsure of his place in the world.

And that gave me a great opportunity

to help create a place for him in the world.

She taught me how to read, how to write,

how to dance, how to drive, how to cook.

She was amazing.

She made us feel safe, she made us feel loved.

She made us feel like we could do something with our life.

She was like a grandparent to us, so we started calling her Grandma Jo.

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

What drove me to Ninja Warrior

was I watched Ninja Warrior growing up with my Grandma Jo,

and from there I just felt fascinated in what they do

and I wanted to become a ninja warrior when I grew up.

Remember the Ninja Warrior? Yeah.

Guess what your boy made it onto Ninja Warrior.

Aw! Oh!

Melvin!

I'm 100% sure that she is gonna be my energy

and my fire to get me through the whole course.

Thank you for supporting me and guess what -

I'm gonna win it for us.

Yay! Solo!

(CHEERING)

CRAWF: Here he comes, the Solo Ninja!

He's pumped.

Grandma Jo there, mum, siblings.

He's trying to crank up his very vocal support group.

All cheering him on from the sidelines.

Melvin Solo from Melbourne,

originally from the Ivory Coast.

Studying to be a paramedic and a flying doctor.

BEN: What about the response here?

Fantastic.

I know that it's Melvin Solo up on the starting blocks,

but have a look at Jo, Grandma Jo.

These two have watched Ninja together

and she's inspired him to be here tonight.

Go, Melvin! Come on, bro!

(CHEERING) (BEEP)

OK, here we go, the Solo Ninja.

He is underway.

Looking good, Freddie.

Grandma Jo on the sidelines his biggest fan.

She will be screaming him on.

She'll be living every obstacle with him.

Oh yes! Come on, Melvin!

The Solo Ninja.

(CROWD CHANTS) Solo Ninja! Solo Ninja!

Crowd getting right behind him.

'Solo Ninja' is the chant.

Bounces on the trampoline.

Hangs onto the Tic Toc.

One swing, I reckon he's gonna dismount on this one.

Oh, nicely done.

Look at the strength in this lad.

Oh! Wave to the crowd.

One hand on the cargo net.

Watch your feet, Melvin.

Put your legs up, son.

Oh!

Oh, there we go. Gets through.

Listen to that crowd!

It's gonna be one hell of a party in Melbourne tonight

if he can get himself up the Warped Wall.

I don't think I've heard a support crew making this much noise.

Here he goes, Bridge of Blades. One, two...

Oh! Oh! No!

He's in the water!

BOTH: No!

The Solo man has been crushed.

And Melvin Solo finds himself in the water.

What happened there?

Melvin had the speed

but the first step was to far to the outside of the first blade.

It sent them spinning so fast,

he was unable to clear the last one

and he spun out.

Melvin, I did not see that coming, the Bridge of Blades.

Did you underestimate that a little bit?

I think I did, man.

I thought it was gonna be easy,

but hey, anything can happen, man.

That was crazy.

On the start line you looked so cool.

You looked like you had it in hand.

I was expecting you on the top of the Warped Wall.

Same here, man! I was so calm, I was relaxed.

But you know what? Anything can happen, man.

It is what it is. I'm so happy.

Thanks to all my supporters. I love you guys so much!

Thank you so much!

(WILD CHEERING)

He may not have gone as far as he wanted to,

but it looks like Melvin's Grandma Jo could not be prouder.

Coming up, some of the strongest female ninjas we've ever seen.

They've got their sights set on going all the way.

I'm gonna be Australia's first female Ninja Warrior.

And up next, a 26-year-old plastic surgeon

set on slicing through the competition.

I'm confident that the precision of these hands in operating room

will translate well to precision on the ninja course.

Dr Henry Li is right up after the break.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

CRAWF: It's heat two of our toughest season ever

on Australian Ninja Warrior

and during the break,

there was no let-up in the ninja action.

BEN: Radiographer Arnold Cheung

was flying through the course...

He doesn't even wanna...

BOTH: Oh no!

He's hit it headfirst!

..but came crashing down on the Bridge of Blades.

Ex 'Survivor' contestant Rob Skibicki stumbled on the Tic Toc.

Oh no. Oh, he's in trouble.

He's hanging on for dear life.

He managed an epic recovery.

He's done it! He's got back up.

But didn't have enough swing to make it to the net.

He's off! (BUZZ!)

And a Freddie Flintoff favourite,

the Ginger Ninja took to the course.

Yes, that isn't ONE of my favourites,

he IS my favourite!

And he also made it to dreaded obstacle number four.

He needs to get higher.

Aw no!

But even Freddie's boy got a little wet.

That's a tough obstacle.

There is a chance you'll get through to the semis.

I hope so, Freddie.

I've brought my T-shirt, I'm gonna keep this.

I might get you to sign it after.

And on course now is a plastic surgeon.

These guys need a lot of strength and precision in their hands,

which is also what our ninjas need to get through these obstacles.

Next up we've got a doctor,

Henry Li, a plastic surgeon from Melbourne.

And a massive Taylor Swift fan.

(CHEERING)

Taylor Swift?

Wow, it's true. It's true.

Let me work out how he got here.

You're at one of your regular appointments,

you tell him you're filling in for Bec Maddern

and he says, "Can you get me on the show?"

Well, I think that's how he got here.

Shane Crawford's plastic surgeon, Henry Li.

Good luck, Henry.

And you look wonderful. Thank you.

Look after them hands.

The tools of his trade.

This is mine.

WOMAN: Go Henry!

It's a wonder I get work.

(BEEP)

OK, we are down to business.

Henry Li. The plastic surgeon.

How is he gonna go, Crawf?

Well, he is taking the course like he's in surgery P

very, very careful,

making sure he doesn't make any mistakes.

OK, he's onto the Tic Toc to Net now.

Testing the trampoline.

You've got to get the bounce right P that is crucial.

Aw, no!

(BUZZ!)

It was not a big jump.

It was way too small.

Dr Henry just didn't get the momentum he needed.

He only landed one foot on the Tic Toc.

He never stood a chance!

He's out.

But his hands are OK

and there'll be plenty of people who will be pleased about that.

Let's hope our next two ninjas have a little more luck.

Yeah, we are in for a real treat.

Ninja twins!

The girls hail from the family farm

at Gnowangerup in Western Australia.

They're competitive

and they want to know who's number one.

(COUNTRY-ROCK MUSIC)

Ninja twins are here.

Lots of people are like, "Is it weird having a twin?"

And I'm like, "Nah, it's the best thing ever."

Me and Channy are like best friends.

We're both very adventurous and outgoing,

so we're always pushing each other to do better.

I was like, "Hey, Chan, you want to do Ninja with me?"

If we're this, we've got to do it together.

I'm mainly here because of my twin sister.

Now it's on to see who's the best, really.

We're both from Gnowangerup.

Gnowangerup is four hours from Perth,

a very small country town.

The closest gym would be Albany - that's like an hour and a half away.

So we pretty much use what's around.

We've got hay bales and machinery

and our husbands worked together and built us a nice gym

and an awesome rock wall that we could train on.

(ROARS)

We have a bit of rivalry and we're always like, "Who's better?"

I guess we'll find out on the course who is the best twin.

KIDS: Ninja Twins!

BEN: Well, they look like a lot of fun.

Let's meet our first twin, Danielle Smith.

(CHEERING)

Danielle Smith from WA making her debut on the course.

Sister on the sidelines, she's running later.

They've got a farm back home

and they've built loads of obstacles

in preparation for tonight.

But I'm not sure you can replicate this course.

Tonight is so tough.

And poor old Danielle is about to find out how tough.

(BEEP) Let's see if the obstacles

on the farm that they built will come in any use.

CRAWF: Dani is 167cm tall

and these steps are 1.5m apart.

But she's flying through them.

ONLOOKERS: Go, Dani!

OK, now she's got to make the 1.7m leap

onto the Tic Toc.

Oh, she's banged her head on it there.

She hit that hard.

Don't worry, Freddie, these are farm girls, they're tough.

She is agile as well. Look at her go.

She is absolutely crushing this.

Hold on tight, don't let those feet drop into the water.

And now she's through.

And the hands go into the air!

That's it, take your time!

Here she is, over the Bridge of Blades, no hands.

Yes, Danielle!

Here we go, she is loving life at the minute.

Well, Gnowangerup will be up on their feet at the moment.

This girl is the real deal.

She's used to rolling hay bales back on the farm,

so she'll be strong enough

to get through these brutal doorknobs.

Look at the tough hands.

Oh no, ooh.

What a serve that was.

Just slipped a little bit but what a great recovery.

And now she is powering away!

ALL: Oh!

(BUZZ!)

And look at the moment when you go from going straight...

You think you're in control.

..to then having to go up.

Gnowangerup. It's tough.

Yeah, you can see that Dani had great momentum with her swing,

but when she started on the incline,

she missed the next knob.

We'll see later on if sister Chantelle

can go even further.

Chan, you got to be me.

I'll beat you.

And make it to the end.

CRAWF: It could be twin-tastic! Or double trouble.

(CHUCKLES)

Time for a break.

More Australian Ninja Warrior right after this.

Coming up, she made the semifinals last year

and has been rock climbing around the world ever since.

Raphaela Wiget returns to the course stronger than ever.

And a giant among ninjas is back.

My name is Ben Polson,

also known as Olivia Vivian's boyfriend.

I've even got,

"You're the girl that did the backflip up the wall's boyfriend."

Tonight, this two-time grand finalist

is laser-focused on one thing.

Power Tower, let's go.

BEN: Tonight's top two Furthest Fastest ninjas

will face off on the all-new Power Tower

for a game-changing advantage.

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

All thanks to Energizer.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Welcome back to Melbourne

and a thrilling second heat of Australian Ninja Warrior.

During the break, there was more action

on this nightmare of a course.

CRAWF: Series three grand finalist

and other Ninja Geek, Ninja Toddles,

made it further than most,

reaching the second set of doorknobs.

This is not an easy obstacle.

This one I think is as tough as it gets

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Seen so many off.

And another one is gone! Oh!

Ninja Toddles! So close!

What happened?

Current heat frontrunner

Danielle Smith's twin sister

Chantelle Varley looked like

she was going to have an identical run.

Like her sister, banged her head.

All the rage with these farmers.

But she failed to connect with the net...

Oh! (BUZZ!)

..going out early on obstacle two.

And on course now is one of our strongest female ninjas.

She made it into the semifinals last year.

Let's see her rock climber Raphaela Wiget goes.

Olivia Vivian was the only woman

who progressed to the grand finals last year.

But Raphaela Wiget was there,

along with six other women in the semifinals,

so she is among the very best in Australia.

In total control.

And it's all about technique. And she's got wonderful technique!

Oh!

She nearly ended up in the pool on the other side going so fast!

She was straight through!

She had to hit the brakes.

She's going to have to grab onto that poll and hold on tight.

Here she goes, she's just sussing it out.

This is where she comes into her own.

Oh, mate, I hope so.

Rock climbing is her ability. I hope so.

And these doorknobs, they are massive rocks!

I love your optimism, Crawf,

but we've seen this obstacle take down some big, strong ninjas.

MAN: Come on! WOMAN: You can do it!

Here she goes, straight up the pole.

Get the hands out.

This is like a Saturday afternoon for her,

climbing these doorknobs.

You can imagine the nerves, though.

She's in front of a big audience here.

And now, Raphaela Wiget starts to get her swing on.

Great momentum.

She is doing this with such ease, Ben!

Go!

Come on, keep going, don't stop.

Yes, as she climbs up there she'll reach the last one

and then the arm will drop

and she's got to transfer onto the other side.

Displaying so much upper-body strength.

But now this is the tricky bit.

Can this rock climber make the transfer

onto the second set of knobs?

Of course she can!

Y... yes!

Raphaela!

Just has a quick look down.

It's starting to hurt, starting to catch up with her.

She is gritting her teeth.

Oh no! Oh, wow!

(BUZZ!)

In a split second, she went from being in total control

to being in the pool.

Yeah, Crawf, Raphaela's technique across the doorknobs was good,

using all that rock climbing experience.

But the transfer from one door to the next

is a pinch point.

She made it across

but I think fatigue caught up with her.

She couldn't hang on.

Yeah, just slipped straight off them.

I tried to get as much of the clamminess

off my hands as possible

before getting on the obstacle,

but yeah, they just slipped straight off unfortunately.

But yeah, went alright other than that!

(CHEERING)

It seems the best of the best cannot get through this course.

But I tell you, if anyone is going to do it,

it is our next ninja.

At 6'5" he's our tallest competitor.

Olivia Vivian is his partner.

Give it up for Ben Polson.

(CHEERING)

Here he comes.

Make no mistake, Australia -

this is the man of the moment, Ben Polson.

You've got this!

BEN POLSON: Last year for me was my worst year, unfortunately.

Falling in the semifinals was a definitely disappointing result.

BEC MADDERN: That is a major shock in this competition.

Look, hands down, Olivia beat me last year.

BEN FORDHAM: She hits the buzzer!

And I'm totally fine with that, to be honest.

Maybe it hurt me a little bit.

But she is an Olympic gymnast,

she knows how to deal with pressure

and I can learn a lot from her.

I think a lot of people's perception is that Olivia and I

are kind of going back and forth throwing punches at each other

in the training ground,

but the reality is we are super supportive.

There's maybe been certain times

where she wanted to throw a little cheeky comment

here and there.

"Oh, I beat you last year."

Hey, look, I'll take those punches, it's fine.

If I want to win and become the Australian Ninja Warrior,

then I have to train harder, stay focused.

He's ready this year.

Ben is looking super strong.

He is mentally focused.

I truly believe in his capabilities.

I want to make it to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

I'm not afraid to say that I really do want to hit that buzzer

and overlook Melbourne city

and just be super stoked, crowds cheering.

I'm looking forward to that moment.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here he is, Ben Polson.

Girlfriend Olivia Vivian on the side will be competing later.

Remember, last year Olivia got further than Ben.

She got the grand final.

Ben Polson will be desperate to put the record straight

this time round.

BEN FORDHAM: Ben Polson.

Not only does he see himself up the Warped Wall,

he sees himself, Shane Crawford,

at the top of Mount Midoriyama

with $400,000 in his pocket.

That's what this means for Ben Polson.

He can do this, he's got everything it takes to do it.

OK, this is his chance to book his place

(BEEP) Olivia Vivian is yet to run.

Here comes Ben Polson.

Watch closely because this bloke

will absolutely bolt through the course.

He's done at the Quintuple Steps many times before.

And already he is onto the Tic Toc

and he is flying.

He's absolutely airborne!

He's not worried about anything.

Got amazing confidence, the way he's attacking it.

And you've got to remember,

he's 196cm and 85kg.

He is a very big man for this course.

Watch this, here he comes on the Bridge of Blades.

Won't give it a second thought.

One, two, three -

straight through.

That's three down, three to go.

And now the Doorknob Drop.

Can Ben carry that large frame across 16 knobs?

Using them massive arms.

Long reach, Ben Polson.

Our tallest ninja at 6'5".

And he is slowing his pace right up.

Yeah, he's made some silly mistakes in the past,

so he wants to make sure that he can get through this

without any of them.

You got this.

Now it's time for the transition.

He makes it! Good boy, Ben.

Just starting to take its toll a little bit now.

Concentrating so hard.

Eyes fixed on each of the doorknobs.

Go on, Ben Polson!

He's pulling himself up.

Feeling the burn.

It takes so much gas out of you,

but he's grinding his way through this.

There we go, he's off.

Give him a round of applause! Yes, Ben!

The first ninja to successfully make it past the Doorknob Drop tonight.

Great stuff from Ben Polson.

And now we've got a ninja taking on the Flying Shelf Grab.

So, hand fatigue is massive here.

You have to go over 2.2m each one

and this is really going to test him.

And the middle shelf is 20cm higher

than the first and the third,

so he's actually got to lift up higher here

to grab the second shelf.

But look how big the bloke is.

Look at the muscle. Oh, this is good.

Look at the focus.

And see the way he grabs on at the front

and then he works his hands now around to the side.

Oh!

Oh, look at that control. Watch this.

Don't you worry about that.

Ben Polson goes up the wall!

He's done it!

You little ripper! (KLAXON SOUNDS)

Ben Polson looks up at the Power Tower

and says, "Here I come!"

Whoo! (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

What an absolute superstar, absolutely crushed that.

Ben Polson, you legend!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

How does that feel, champion?

It feels pretty damn good, I'm not gonna lie.

You know, the crowds here have been waiting

for someone to hit a buzzer!

I'm glad it finally happened.

That was amazing.

Get down and see Freddie Flintoff.

Well done, put your hands together for Ben Polson.

It has been such a tough night

but Ben Polson just showed us how it's done,

using all of his experience to make his way through the course.

He was so committed on every single obstacle.

He took his time, didn't rush, executed perfectly.

And at this stage, Ben Polson is on his way to the Power Tower.

Ben, you've been with us since the start.

Is this the hardest heat course you've had?

I would say there was one particular obstacle

on this heat course

which is the hardest obstacle I've done in a long time.

The Doorknob Drop.

It is the one taking out everyone tonight

and when I was up there, I finally felt it and thought,

"Far out. I know why."

But for me, it was move fast, use your hips.

More about technique than about strength.

And hit that buzzer.

(CHEERING)

BEN FORDHAM: And off they go,

the power couple side-by-side.

And you never know,

they could be side by side, Crawf, on the Power Tower.

That would be incredible.

But on this tough course, it could be anyone.

You are right about that.

Let's look at the leaderboard.

Ben Polson on top after

that incredible performance.

The only ninja to have

completed the course so far.

Right now, Ninja twin

Danielle Smith's awesome run has her

in the second Power Tower spot.

Ginger Ninja Tom Nicholson

and Ninja Geek Nathan Burley

rounding out the top five.

Coming up, she's been a fan of Olivia Vivian since she was 11.

And I got her signature with the Olympic team.

But tonight, Judith Carroll is taking on her idol.

Plus, a garbo and former rugby league star

whose career was cut short due to concussion.

The brain is an area of the body

that you don't really mess around with.

He is donating his brain to science to help concussion research.

But tonight, he'll use it to conquer the course.

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you.

Eloni Vunakece up after the break!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to this season's electrifying heat

of 'Australian Ninja Warrior 2020'.

(CHEERING)

OK, Crawf, you're gonna love this bloke.

Eloni Vunakece - family man, former NRL star and garbo.

Eloni Vunakece!

(CHEERING)

Go, Dad! Go, Daddy!

And look at these three gorgeous kids,

excited to see Dad on the course.

FREDDIE: Here he is. I must admit,

after last season, I like this lad.

It's Eloni Vunakece -

ex-Sydney Roosters NRL player,

forced to retire early through

concussion injuries.

Have a look at this. He hasn't done a lot of training recently,

but he's just got one of those physiques

that's built for anything.

(ALL CHEER)

And now he cracks a bit of a smile.

You can't help do that when the kids are yelling out, "Come on, Dad!"

And there's Melissa, Eloni's wife, and the little bub Jagger.

And this is a moment that those kids will never forget.

They'll reflect, in 20 years' time -

"Remember when Dad was on 'Australian Ninja Warrior'?"

"Remember when he was on the Quintuple Steps?"

He had no problems with them whatsoever.

And then came this challenge - the Tic Toc to Net.

He's a heavy bloke. He's gonna weigh down that Tic Toc.

Will he do it, Crawf? He could go through the bag...

(BOTH CHUCKLE) ..and on the net. Have a look at...

Ooh! That is a huge swing.

He's used to tackling the tackling bags.

He's just gonna have to reach here, Ben.

Just reach. That's all he has to do.

There you go. But now a lot of pressure on the arms

as he crawls his way down the net.

Almost 190cm, so do not let those legs drop -

otherwise they're in the water.

BOTH: Oooh!

Eloni Vunakece, all of a sudden, has one of those moments

where we all hold our breath. He does it, though.

Now, this next obstacle - the Bridge of Blades -

is built for the lighter ninjas, and he ain't light.

Get ready, Eloni. The blades spin straight away, as you know.

He's gotta be really light that first step.

Whoa! That's a try!

That is a try! (CHUCKLES)

It was, Crawf,

but just watch, because this next obstacle is gonna be a difficult one

for the big fella - the Doorknob Drop.

Now, I can't imagine he has seen anything like this

in his life before.

He's gotta lift all 103kg

of his big frame, hanging on to those doorknobs. He's got to...

BOTH: Oh! No!

Oh, I think his weight might have got the better of him.

And on his way down, he thought,

"Hang on, I'm gonna go out with a bit of a bomb

"and splash the crowd."

Oh, Daddy!

A strong run from Eloni,

but he just couldn't find a way past those doorknobs.

It was tough enough with his size and weight,

but he also struggled gripping on to the small knobs.

He just couldn't hold himself up.

Mate, can you prepare for an obstacle like them doorknobs?

Nah, mate. Nah, nah -

unless you're Bunnings Warehouse. Really small doorknobs.

Nah, mate. No way.

Hopefully I was fast enough for the rest, and see how we go.

Alright, go see the family. Cheers, pal. Cheers, mate.

Great bloke. I hope that'll be enough to get him into the semis.

A really strong performance by a really big ninja -

big in size, big in heart -

and some very proud kids hanging out with Dad.

OK, let's fire up, because this is one of our many female ninjas

who have what it takes to go all the way

and maybe knock over one of the favourites, Olivia Vivian.

Give it up for Judith Carroll!

(CHEERING)

I'm Judith Carroll. I'm 23.

I'm from Sydney.

Olivia Vivian would be a hero of mine.

When I was 11 or 12,

I was at the Australian Institute of Sport for gymnastics,

and Olivia Vivian and the rest of the Australian team

that were going to the Olympics

were all there training, and I got her signature,

and it was pretty cool to get someone that big in my sport

to meet me, yeah.

But today I'm here to give her a run for her money.

I'm always trying to set new challenges.

After I finished school, I set the challenge

of walking from Mexico to Canada,

so I hiked 4,500km.

Then I got into rock climbing,

and I ended up representing

Australia in the world youth championships for rock climbing.

I won the national championships

the following two years after that, as well.

My new challenge - I'm gonna be

Australia's first female Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING)

And here she comes.

At only 23, she's 172cm -

the tallest female ninja in tonight's heat.

You got it!

She's a champion rock climber,

and we've already seen the climbers do so well on the course.

FREDDIE: Judith Carroll. This girl, we reckon,

is one to watch. She's watched 'Ninja Warrior'.

She's seen the girls doing it. She's seen Olivia Vivian.

She thinks, "You know what? I can have a go at this."

All the way, Judith!

Judith's boyfriend, Matt,

and friend Laura.

They are cheering her on.

First time on the course for Judith,

but she's no stranger to pressure.

(BEEPING AND CHEERING)

Here she goes.

Judith Carroll is underway.

With her background in rock climbing and elite gymnastics,

she's got everything she needs to make the Power Tower tonight.

And wouldn't it be great to see a newbie on the Power Tower?

She's almost done obstacle number one. Now she has.

She comes from Manly Vale in Sydney - 23 years of age.

She's a nanny, and she reckons sometimes people underestimate her

because she's skinny. But, look, she's got some strength.

(CHEERING)

On to the Tic Toc.

Very quick around to the front, and then on to the net.

BOTH: Oh no!

Judith hits the water, and that's not the ending we were hoping for.

We were hoping she was gonna be a contender for the Power Tower.

It's not over. So proud!

The support crew is still proud of her.

Let's have a look at what unfolded.

Judith had no problem making the distance to the cargo net,

but then the hands were just all over the place -

one goes high; one goes low.

And even though both of them, at different times,

looked like they were going to hold on,

she ends up slipping down that net and finding the pool.

(CHEERING)

I think I just didn't...

..wasn't focusing on an exact spot on the net,

so I ended up slipping, which is...

Kind of sucks, 'cause I knew I could, like,

get through all the obstacles today.

But what happens on the day happens.

Bad luck, Judith,

but I think she got a taste for 'Ninja Warrior',

and I'm sure we'll see her back on the course.

Coming up - he's got style and one hell of a beard.

The Hipster Ninja, Eddie Burrill, is here to add some flair.

Plus, Ashlin Herbert decimated the Power Tower last night.

It's Ashlin Herbert!

That was incredible. Wow.

Now the woman who trains him takes her shot.

You have to smash it.

And she just happens to be his girlfriend.

Sarah Blackmore is up right after the break.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to 'Australian Ninja Warrior',

right in the heart of your home town, Melbourne. How good's this?

We love our sport in this city, Ben, and we love our ninjas.

And we love to see them smash this course.

Let's hope our next ninja does just that.

(CHEERING)

Up now is the gymnastics teacher

who is behind some of the very best ninjas we've ever seen.

But this year, it's her turn to hit the 'Ninja Warrior' course -

Sarah Blackmore.

When I was eight years old, I was told I was too tall and too old

to go far with gymnastics.

I proved them wrong.

2009, I was Victorian state champion...

..and the years following after that, I placed top five.

I then moved into teaching the next generation of gymnasts,

and some of the best ninjas in Australia -

Troy Cullen, Zak Stolz and Ashlin.

ASHLIN HERBERT: Sarah keeps up with the boys pretty good.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Ash and I have been training together for about six years.

We just slowly started to hang out more and more,

which was pretty cool, and then we took it

out of the friend zone. (LAUGHS)

You don't wanna know! (LAUGHS)

Hopefully I can beat him,

to prove that the girls can give the boys a bit of a run for their money.

You have to smash it. Oh, we'll see. (CHUCKLES)

(CHEERING)

Aw, isn't young love sweet?

Go, Saz!

FREDDIE: Next up, we have Sarah Blackmore -

a 23-year-old from the Mornington Peninsula,

and a gymnastic coach.

And, incidentally, Ashlin Herbert's girlfriend, so...

..potentially, could be very, very fast.

Tell you what - she's been more animated

in the past ten seconds than Ashlin has for four series.

(CHEERING)

Sarah was here in the audience last year.

Tonight, it's her time to be front and centre.

CROWD CHANTS: Let's go, Sarah! Let's go!

Come on, Saz.

Ashlin Herbert on the side.

He's clapping. He's smiling. He's doing all sorts, Ashlin.

Who is that man?

Come on, Saz.

What do you reckon, mate?

CRAWF: I reckon she'll go a long way.

And being a gymnastics coach is gonna take her a long,

long way down the course.

And don't forget, she's a Ninja trainer too,

so her mental game will be strong.

One more step, and she's completed obstacle number one.

And that'll give you a bit of a sigh of relief - to go,

"OK, well, I haven't bombed out on the first obstacle.

"I haven't been spooked by the occasion."

Here comes Sarah.

Does that easily!

And she also...

She hit it with the hands and the feet at the same time -

really good grip.

And now this is the time to exit, Sarah.

Yep, all good.

And you can hear Ashlin on the side, saying,

"Very, very good."

He's very, very calm, the way that he's coaching her through this.

Yeah, not much gets him fazed, Ashlin Herbert.

He's a cool customer.

Just getting a little bit of a tangle here.

Get that ankle out of there, Sarah.

Ooh, I don't know. She's a bit trapped there.

Now she frees herself.

"There you go," says Ashlin.

Two down.

And she slaps the mat, as if to say,

"Here we go. Let's do this thing."

Bring on the Bridge of Blades.

Really quick. Go really fast.

"Very quick," there, you hear Ashlin yelling.

"Very quick. Very fast." (CHEERING)

Great coaching... She's halfway there.

..from the super-coach on the sidelines.

Halfway there.

Now, the Doorknob Drop. It gets serious.

Everyone willing her on. ASHLIN: Come on!

Straight up that pole.

Getting some encouragement from Ashlin on the sidelines.

Let's just have a look at the grip she's got between those thighs.

That can give an indication

about whether or not she's gonna make the transition.

She's sliding. That worries me. That worries me.

It's generally a sign

that they're not gonna be able to hold themselves up.

Reach for the next one! Here she goes again.

Look at her, with the thighs. She's realised it.

She's a gymnast. She knows she needs better grip.

There ya go! Come on!

Ashlin knows it too.

Come on!

"Yes," he's saying. "Get that second doorknob."

Oh, I don't think so. I'm sorry to say, mate,

I think Sarah's in trouble here, sadly.

Hang in there. Get that second doorknob.

I can't watch. Get the body swinging,

and away she goes.

She's got the best coach in the business.

Oh, no! Oh!

(KLAXON BLARES) The struggle is over.

Unfortunately, Sarah's in the water.

That's a tough break.

But she got to the fourth obstacle,

and let's hope she can still make the semis.

There you go - there's a towel. Sarah, it looks so tough up there.

Just got stuck on the doorknobs? Yeah, yeah.

Unfortunately, they're pretty tricky, so...

..couldn't do it tonight. (CHUCKLES)

And Ashlin's on the sidelines. Has he been giving you any advice?

What I'm really asking - can he speak?

He can speak.

He actually doesn't shut up when we're at home.

No! What's...?

Is this right, Ashlin? What sort of stuff does he talk about?

Oh, that's probably not my place to say.

Oh, he's one of them! I'm sure Ashlin wants you back over there.

He's got so much to tell ya.

Sarah, congratulations. Great to see ya.

Thank you. Thank you.

That's a confident Ninja debut.

They're hard, aren't they? They suck!

It's not easy, Sarah.

Could we be seeing the beginnings

of another 'Ninja Warrior' power couple?

(CHEERING) OK, up next,

a Brisbane barista who competes in -

and I never knew that this even existed -

latte art competitions.

Here to take his shot is Eddie Burrill, the hipster ninja.

Hi. My name is Eddie Burrill.

I've been a barista for eight years,

and I'm 28 years old, from Queensland.

Also part-time hipster.

People call me a hipster.

The beard is the part. The sunnies are the part.

I do a lot of latte art.

It's the fun side of coffee.

'Ninja' means quite a lot to me.

I lost my brother Dan two years ago - on October 23rd in 2017.

He was involved in a plane crash in Darwin.

He was the pilot.

(POIGNANT MUSIC)

And we had been speaking about 'Ninja',

and he basically told me I should give it a go back then.

I guess a big reason as to why I'm doing this is because of him.

So, I'm gonna dedicate this run for Dan tonight,

..because he... he's the eagle above me, man.

He's gonna get me through. I'm gonna fly.

(CHEERING)

(ALL CHEER)

Oh, the Hipster Ninja has brought his own cup.

The Hipster Barista.

Usually competes in latte art competitions,

but not tonight, Eddie Burrill. Put that cup down...

..and let's see what you've got.

(ALL CHEER)

Eddie's parents on the sideline, and Lisa Campbell, Eddie's fiancee,

who just happens to be an Olympic hopeful in the pole vault.

(BEEPING AND CHEERING)

Here he goes - into his work on the Quintuple Steps.

Leaping between those steps quite comfortably.

Oh, it's a confident start from Eddie Burrill.

(CHEERING)

Making his debut on the 'Ninja Warrior' course tonight.

Just checking out the trampoline.

And Eddie Burrill is doing the course tonight

in memory of his brother.

He lines up at the Tic Toc.

Hits it.

(CHEERING)

He's got enough height. Get around it!

And now he gets ready to hit the net.

All good! Let's go!

Eddie Burrill - is he gonna be the surprise package of tonight?

Is he gonna join Ben Polson up the top of the Warped Wall?

Yes, yes, yes!

Is the hipster barista also gonna get a go on the Power Tower?

All will tell.

Not on your feet! Attack it, Eddie!

Attack it! I tell you what, Ben,

I'm loving his shirt. That is definitely a Queenslander,

if I've ever seen one.

A hipster Queenslander.

(CHEERING)

Whoa! That looked ugly.

But it doesn't matter how you do it.

It matters if you do it, and he did it.

You can do it, OK? Take your time.

Now it's the obstacle which the Ninjas have said

has been one of the toughest they've ever seen

on 'Australian Ninja Warrior' -

the Doorknob Drop.

Drying them hands. You need maximum grip.

Come on, Eddie! You can do it! Let's go!

Pole-vaulter Lisa right there.

She would understand the pressure Eddie is feeling right now.

Maybe she should be on the pole.

Eddie Burrill.

This is the obstacle that's been a nightmare for our ninjas tonight.

Shuffling his way across. Come on.

Starts to climb now. Gotta drag that body weight up to the top.

Get on to the last one, and then the arm drops down.

(ALL CHEER)

He's looking comfortable so far, but it catches up with you oh so quick.

We've seen so many ninjas fall on this.

Is Eddie Burrill gonna be one of them?

He's fighting it - you can see.

It's just starting to get taxing.

The pain in the arms is kicking in, but he's getting through.

Go on, Eddie! Go on! Drop down.

(CHEERING) Now, get off. Come on, Eddie.

Grit those teeth, son.

You've done the hard work.

Lache off. Yes, Eddie!

Eddie Burrill has just made it through the Doorknob Drop.

The newcomer, one obstacle away from the Warped Wall

and hot on the heels of Ben Polson.

You've got this! Let's go! Come on!

OK, here's where we're at right now, Crawf.

On time, currently it's Eddie Burrill in second place

behind Ben Polson.

Awesome performance so far,

but that spot's not guaranteed.

Eddie needs to make it as far as possible.

Just contemplating...

..the Flying Shelf. There he is.

Needs to lache now. Come on. Come on, Eddie.

"This is my moment," as he almost bumps his head into a shelf.

Look at the eyes!

Getting ever so close to the end of the course.

Does not wanna give up now. Oh, no, Eddie!

Eddie!

How good was Eddie?

Eddie was real good, and we thought he might go all the way.

Well done, Eddie! Well done, mate.

An impressive run from the Barista,

but the Doorknob Drop - it fatigued his arms.

It was a good lache to the second shelf,

but he didn't have enough left in his hands

to grab the overhang and hold on.

That was awesome!

Eddie, ever so close!

Not too many ninjas have got that far on the course tonight.

You must be so pleased. I am pleased, yeah.

You think you can go all the way? Mate, I know I can go all the way.

You know you can go all the way? I think the family are waiting

around there for you, Eddie.

You go and see 'em. Well done, mate. We'll see you in the semis.

Cheers, mate. Fantastic stuff from Eddie Burrill,

and, right now, he's on the Power Tower with Ben Polson,

who is still the only ninja to complete the course tonight.

Ninja twin Danielle Smith drops to third,

and Ginger Ninja Tom Nicholson is now in fifth.

Nathan Burley, the Ninja Geek, sits in sixth,

with the big man Eloni currently in seventh.

Super coach Sarah and rock climber Raphaela

are also sitting in the top ten.

But our final ninja in this heat can change everything.

After the break, the record-breaker, the show-stopper - Olivia Vivian!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: OK, deep breaths, Australia.

This is what we've all been waiting for.

She is the only woman to ever make

the 'Australian Ninja Warrior' grand final,

and tonight her other half,

Ben Polson, has already booked his spot on the Power Tower.

Will she join him and go head to head?

We're about to find out as we welcome Olivia Vivian!

(CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

My experience on 'Ninja' last year, to hit a buzzer in the semi-finals,

and be the first female to do that - incredible.

Wow! REBECCA MADDERN: You are...

..a superstar!

But as high as the season was for me,

and the incredible achievements I had along the way,

for me, it still ended on a sour note.

COMMENTATORS: Oh, no!

When I stumbled, running towards a tramp right at the end of stage one,

my heart sank. I was crushed.

I was devastated.

Over the last year, I took a little break, just to reflect.

I know that, as ninjas, we tend to be quite hard on ourselves.

But mistakes happen.

This is 'Ninja', and anything can happen to anyone.

You know, I'm confident in my abilities,

and I have nothing to lose.

Why don't I set my goal to be the highest?

Why don't I aim to be the first female in the world

to get up Mount Midoriyama?

I know it's sometimes scary to say out loud,

but I don't just wanna be the top female any more.

I wanna be the top ninja. That's my goal.

I'm just gonna take it one obstacle at a time and enjoy it.

'Ninja' is so fun, and being out on that platform

and that stage is exhilarating.

So, going in this year...

(EXHALES) ..mental game is strong.

(CHEERING)

You've got this. Focus.

The one everyone's been waiting for - Olivia Vivian.

One of five women who competed

in every series of 'Australian Ninja Warrior'.

She's seen boyfriend Ben Polson

get to the top of the Warped Wall tonight.

She will want to join him in a good time,

and maybe take him on on the Power Tower later.

Let's go, Liv. Come on.

(CHEERING)

Olivia Vivian -

the last ninja to run in this heat.

Currently, Ben Polson will face Eddie Burrill on the Power Tower.

So, to get there, Olivia needs to go further than Eddie,

who just came off on the Flying Shelf Grab.

And she's capable of that.

Let's not forget she went further than boyfriend Ben Polson last year.

A superstar and hero to boys and girls right around the land.

That's why I'm here tonight - here to watch her.

You wanna see her live in the flesh, and this is your first chance.

Here she comes, Olivia Vivian.

On the first obstacle of the night.

The girl from WA.

But she's already thinking about the Power Tower.

She wants to be the first woman in Australia to take it on.

But, first, she's gotta grab this net.

Make sure of it!

And got it! Well done! No problem!

She carefully makes her way underneath.

She's being very meticulous on the run here.

Just notice the tension that's, all of a sudden, gripped this crowd,

because they know there's more on the line.

Shake it off. Shake it off. They can already sense

the possibility of Olivia versus Ben on the Power Tower.

Oh, yes!

She makes it through the Bridge of Blades.

Catch your breath. Catch your breath.

Now gets ready for the pole.

That was quick.

And this is the one that Ben Polson said

you need to have good technique.

And only he and Eddie Burrill have beaten this obstacle.

What is going through her head?

Not sure all them thoughts are positive up there.

Seen so many ninjas fallen off on the Doorknob Drop.

There we go. On to the second one.

Transferring that weight.

Now watch the swing. She uses that momentum.

And, now, she reaches up to the next line.

You'd imagine being light and strong

is a massive advantage on this obstacle.

Down it drops. Now she has to make that transition.

WOMAN: Go, girl! Yes!

She is in full control.

Lock it in.

You can hear Ben Polson on the side.

She might be taking him on in the Power Tower!

Come on. You've got it. But at the moment,

she needs to deal with this second door.

Up to the top she goes.

Can she hang on as it comes down?

Yes, she can! One lache away.

Go, Olivia!

She does it!

Olivia Vivian completes the Doorknob Drop!

Look what it means to the crowd!

Look what it means to Olivia Vivian! What a champion.

Olivia Vivian, so pleased to get through the Doorknob Drop,

but your work isn't over yet. Don't go celebrating.

Take your rest.

Don't rush.

And now for the moment of truth - the Flying Shelf Grab.

This is where Eddie Burrill came off.

If Olivia completes this obstacle,

she's guaranteed a place on the Power Tower against Ben.

Just grit through it. It's three throws - that's it.

(CHEERING)

This is the sign of a ninja who's got experience,

because you can see Olivia Vivian resting those hands.

They've been tested, big time, on the doorknobs,

so she wants to make sure

they're going to be ready for this next obstacle.

Be aggressive with the throws. Be aggressive with the catches.

This is the moment.

This is where you've gotta dig into all that training

that you've been doing for a long, long time, and believe.

This is you, all day.

Let's go quiet for a moment and just watch this.

That's it.

Aggressive catch. Let's go.

There she goes. Lache on to the first of the shelves.

Swinging them legs.

On to the second.

Oh, my gosh. Yes.

This is impressive. This is unbelievable.

Yes! Olivia Vivian!

She just needs to land this to beat Eddie Burrill.

BOTH: Oh!

She's landed it, but hang on a moment.

She's hurt her back.

No, she's OK!

(CHEERING) She gives the double thumbs-up.

Oh, my goodness.

The most awkward landing I've seen.

You could see she was just about to slip off,

but she just made it. That has taken the wind out of her.

She's bounced straight back up, she's given the thumbs up,

and now she's gonna go for the Warped Wall.

ALL CHANT: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

She's already made the Power Tower.

Can she be the second Ninja to complete the course tonight?

Yes.

And now here she goes.

Shakes the hands.

Moves the legs.

She's, up, up and away! Oh, yeah!

Yes!

What the hell is this move? Oh, no! What are you doing?!

Hey, Olivia! Settle down! Get up and hit the buzzer!

Don't want you to slide back down! Here she comes. Yes, yes, yes!

(BUZZER BLARES) Olivia Vivian does it again!

(SCREAMS)

Now, that's what I'm talking about.

That's what Shane Crawford came to see.

That's what I'm talking about. That is incredible!

Oh, my goodness. What did we just witness?

How did you do that?

How did you recover after that landing?

I'm, like... When I was slipping off,

all I could think was,

"I'm gonna land in the water."

And I didn't!

(LAUGHS)

Olivia Vivian, ladies and gentlemen!

Oh, superstar. Now, listen,

I've got a feeling you know who you're up against

on the Power Tower.

Oh-ho! Oh, my god.

I think he's out of shape at the moment.

(CHUCKLES) What is your definition of in shape?

It's gonna make for an awkward conversation.

We'll let you guys go and have that chat right now.

Ladies and gentlemen, come on!

One of Australia's favourites, Olivia Vivian!

The queen of 'Australian Ninja Warrior' does it again,

dominating the course.

And, just like her boyfriend, Ben Polson,

she took a strategic approach,

taking the time to recover her grip strength

so she could finish every obstacle

and become only the second Ninja

to hit that buzzer tonight.

(CHEERING)

And with that amazing performance,

let's take a look at the final leader board.

Incredibly, it's Ben Polson first, Olivia Vivian second -

up against each other on the Power Tower.

It was a great performance from Eddie Burrill,

but he's squeezed into third.

Ninja twin Danielle Smith is fifth.

Freddie's favourite, the Ginger Ninja, is seventh.

Ninja Geek Nathan Burley is in tenth spot.

Eloni Vunakece makes it through to the semi-finals in 14th,

as does Ashlin Herbert's other half, Sarah Blackmore. She's in 15th,

while Raphaela Wiget claims the 16th and final semi-final spot.

(CHEERING)

And there they are. It's all smiles now,

but they are about to go head to head on the Power Tower.

I know. (CHUCKLES) That was so hard.

Didn't I tell you that before?

You thought that was hard, Olivia?

Wait till you see what we've got for you next.

Get ready for the Power Tower.

This is the dream match-up.

This is what any promoter would want.

(CHUCKLES) A big boxing bout -

we've got it right here.

And guess what? Here's the promotion.

The Power Tower - Olivia Vivian and Ben Polson,

head to head. Boyfriend and girlfriend. It's coming right up.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to the finale of this heat

of 'Australian Ninja Warrior', and it all comes down to this -

the Power Tower. Ninja versus Ninja.

The battle between boyfriend and girlfriend.

Can you believe it? Olivia Vivian

and Ben Polson.

On the line, a massive ten-second time advantage

heading into the semi-final.

CRAWF: That could be the difference between making the grand final

and heading home. Who will hit the buzzer first

to claim it? Olivia,

the first woman in the world to be on the Power Tower?

Or Ben, a giant among ninjas?

Big, determined and with a point to prove.

Here they come.

So, here's the match-up between

Olivia Vivian and Ben Polson.

Ben, obviously,

has a massive height advantage.

He also has the reach

and the jump on Olivia.

But Olivia is lighter,

and, more importantly, as a former

Olympic gymnast, she's agile.

This will be close.

(CHEERING)

I'm on the edge of my seat for this one, Crawf.

Me too, Ben.

Let's have a look at this beast of an obstacle.

The first stage of the Power Tower is five steps,

each 1.5m high - massive.

At the top, ninjas will leap on the round monkey bars,

shimmy around

and descend 5.5m down the U-bar to the unsteady horizontal beam.

This is a real pressure point.

If you fall off, it's OK to get back on.

After traversing the beam,

it's a challenge climbing back up the vertical pole

to the monkey bars, followed by a lache down the middle.

And, finally, it's a race to hit the buzzer

and claim that ten-second advantage.

As you can see, the crowd cannot wait for this one.

Ben Polson versus Olivia Vivian for that all-important

time advantage and, more importantly,

massive bragging rights.

Here we go.

Are you nervous?

I'm very nervous. Are you nervous?

Imagine how they're feeling right now.

It's Power Tower time.

(CHEERING)

A ten-second time advantage in the semis is on the line.

(BEEPING)

Here they go! Ben Polson off to a flying start.

Olivia Vivian not too far away.

Boyfriend versus girlfriend,

and the boyfriend's got a big advantage at the moment.

Up, over the top, on to the bars. They're moving really well.

But have a look at Olivia swinging and down into the U-bar!

Wow! Now the tricky bit.

It's like a tightrope.

Is he gonna get the shakes? He's got the shakes!

Oh! And he's down!

This is her chance!

Olivia Vivian is still up above.

He's trying to get back up.

Oh! And now Olivia's gone down!

She's off as well.

The balance just wasn't there. Olivia tries to get back up

on to the bar. Ben Polson's on the bar.

Now he starts to head up that pole.

Olivia, you'd better get a move along -

otherwise he's going to get you.

There's only inches in this at the moment.

Don't you worry about Olivia. She's cracking away at the heels.

Ben Polson!

Chivalry is dead in Australia, ladies and gentlemen.

It's all coming down to this.

A big lache from Ben Polson. He makes it!

Here comes Olivia, making a run! Will she get him?

Right towards the... BOTH: Oh!

But who hit the buzzer first?

Olivia came from nowhere!

I don't know who won! Who was it?

We may need the photo finish.

My goodness. Oh, my lord.

Let's have another look at that incredible conclusion.

Here they both are, in the monkey bars,

heading flat out for the platform.

Olivia had made up so much time by this point.

She's right on his shoulder for the last swing.

But who hit the buzzer first?

It's Ben Polson!

Ben Polson pulls it out of the bag...

Whoo! ..and wins an epic race.

He'll take that crucial

ten-second time advantage into the semi-finals.

Oh!

(LAUGHS) Well, that run had it all -

falls,

photo finishes,

and now it's got fireworks.

Just have a look how close this was!

Oh, it's a split-second call!

It was an amazing lunge.

Never gave up, did Olivia Vivian.

Ben Polson too good, but what a superstar she is.

Boy, oh boy. And what about Olivia?

She almost won it, but it's Ben that takes the ten-second time advantage

over his rival and girlfriend, Olivia.

Ben, Olivia, that was a tight finish.

Was the Power Tower a little bit harder

than you thought it was gonna be?

It's... I'll tell you, it's freaking intimidating from up there.

I'm not good with heights, so...

I enjoyed it, but, man, she... she had me at the end there.

It was tight, Olivia. You was clawing him back, wasn't ya?

When he fell off the balance, I was like,

"Ooh! I could have a chance."

And then my bar started, like, swaying side to side.

And I was, like... Oh, that was really tricky. That was hard.

Yeah, but what's happened between you two?

All the way through, it's been, "Oh, we're supporting each other.

"All want to do well." That just went out the window!

Every man, woman for himself! We were scrambling out there.

Honestly, we both really did want it.

And I knew I had the advantage at the start, so I took that.

But, man, she had me on that second half,

and I knew you would as well. Great race.

Great to watch. Ben, Crawf,

back to you lads. CRAWF: Congratulations, Ben Polson.

Bad luck, Olivia Vivian. And well done to all our ninjas tonight.

An absolutely incredible finish,

and just a taste of what we've still got to come

when we return tomorrow night on 'Australian Ninja Warrior'.

Tomorrow night...

The mo's back for season four,

and this time I've got my eyes set on the Power Tower.

..Rebecca Maddern returns...

Pump, pump, pump, pump, pump! Yes!

..in time to see...

I'm feeling better than I have ever before.

..'Ninja' royalty...

(ROARS)

..taking on a brand-new breed...

WOMAN: I've trained for moments like this.

I'm focused and ready to go.

..including the fast,

the inspirational...

It was, really, ten days of immense pain and suffering

for a really beautiful goal.

..and the unusual.

His brain is half, my brain is half, and, together,

it's one whole. Whole brain.

Another 'Ninja versus Ninja' battle...

I don't care about any other ninja.

I've gotta beat Matt. That's what it all comes down to.

..awaits on the almighty Power Tower...

..as we continue the search

for Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)