Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: They were the toughest heats in Ninja Warrior history.

REBECCA MADDERN: Oh no! No! Whoa!

He's almost up the Warped Wall.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Pressure? What pressure?

(ALL CHEER)

The cream rose to the top.

Oh! 51-year-old grandad - he's in the semi-finals!

World's gone mad!

But they've only just begun.

Whoo-hoo! How good was that?

Tonight...

Oh! What a landing!

..the semi-finals are here...

I've hit a buzzer in every semi. The pressure's on.

Ooh, there was a stumble, but he's held it together.

..with a longer course...

..and even tougher obstacles.

Oh, he's down. He's down. Oh no!

Our ninjas have never been more determined.

Watch me smash that buzzer like I smash avo on toast.

But let's not forget, Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall

and 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert...

He hits the buzzer!

..both have a ten-second time advantage up their sleeve...

I don't think Ashlin needs a ten-second advantage. (CHUCKLES)

The guy's a machine.

..courtesy of the Power Tower.

Speaking of the Power Tower,

it just got an upgrade.

Wait until you see this behemoth.

Our top two "furthest, fastest" from each semi-final

will go head to head for a new, game-changing advantage.

That advantage could take them one step closer to Mt Midoriyama...

ZAK STOLZ: So easy just to make a silly mistake,

and someone just goes "bang" and takes your spot straight away.

..as we continue the search for Australia's first ninja warrior.

I'm gonna hit that buzzer. Boom!

(CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome to the crucial semi-final

stage of 'Australian Ninja Warrior 2020'.

Now, as you can see, no Freddie Flintoff tonight.

Understandably, during the current global health crisis,

we thought it would be best to send Freddie back home

to his family in the UK.

But that means we have the one, the only Shane Crawford

back on the set of 'Australian Ninja Warrior'. Crawf?

Thank you, Bec, thank you, Ben, for having me.

It's great to be back. I've filled in for Freddie.

I've filled in for you, Bec. What next?

One of the ninjas? Now, that could be fun.

Well... That may be something for next year.

We'll leave that for now, Crawf. But, tonight - that's the focus -

32 incredible ninjas, a semi-final...

The pressure just goes up to a whole new level.

This expanded course in front of us -

nine obstacles, instead of six in the heats,

including four never seen before.

Gone are the Quintuple Steps,

replaced by the all-new Snake Run. It's dangerous.

Six steps to cross here, each on a slightly different angle.

The middle four steps force ninjas to lean over to one side.

The first and, crucially, the last step

face in the opposite direction. Good luck.

Second is the Rolling Log -

an obstacle that always ruffles feathers.

Ninjas must hang on for their lives

as the log spins, faster and faster, down an 8m track.

Then they'll need to recover,

pick themselves up and get over the dizziness,

because the next obstacle is the never-before-seen Diving Boards.

It demands serious respect.

Ninjas will have to clear their heads

as they face three spring-loaded boards,

each further away than the last.

Foot placement's key here.

One wrong step, and you're in the water.

Obstacle four is the Ring Toss,

returning from last season's semi-finals.

This is an upper-body killer,

as ninjas use two rings to cross 12 pegs on three angled boards.

Then it's the Slingshot,

and this could be the hardest semi-final obstacle we've ever seen.

Incredibly, there are seven laches for ninjas to make -

made even more challenging by rubber bungee ropes in each cradle.

Ninjas will need to control the bounce when they land

and be more explosive to get up and over to the next cradle.

More than ever, gravity is not your friend.

And if that wasn't enough,

the central cradle has a massive drop of 1m.

The sixth obstacle is the iconic Warped Wall.

This is where the heats ended,

but for our semi-finalists, the course is just heating up -

three more obstacles to go.

The Barrel Roll is another obstacle new to the semi-finals.

After a jump of nearly 3m to the first spinning barrel,

ninjas' lache technique must be perfect

to reach the handles on the second. It's higher.

Then they'll need to swing down and time their release

to fly over the wall to safety.

Obstacle eight is the Spider Jump.

Mini-tramp technique is crucial here.

Ninjas need to land deep in the tunnel

with hands and feet at exactly the same time,

then scramble down nearly 8m.

The ninth and final obstacle - the punishing Invisible Ladder.

8m straight up,

only reached by pumping two rings upwards,

one after the other.

There's nowhere to hide until you reach the top and hit the buzzer.

(CHEERING)

12 ninjas from each of our two semis go through to the grand final,

where the "furthest, fastest" overall will win $100,000.

And if any ninja can conquer the awesome Mt Midoriyama -

and, remember, it's never been done in Australia before -

Crawf, they'll win how much? $400,000.

You'd better believe it. (CHEERING)

We've got some great competitors tonight.

The two ninjas we need to keep an eye on -

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert and Sam Goodall -

both won their Power Tower face-offs in the heats,

and that means they both hold a critical advantage.

Whatever time Ashlin and Sam run tonight,

they automatically have ten seconds deducted from that time,

which could make all the difference

when it comes to a place in the grand final.

Then our two fastest ninjas tonight will also face off

on the all-new semi-final Power Tower.

If you thought the Power Tower in the heats was intense,

wait till you see this -

the ultimate "ninja versus ninja" race to the buzzer

for an incredible second-chance advantage in the grand final.

Get ready. It's a massive semi-final

with massive stakes, but, as we know,

these ninjas will rise to any challenge.

OK, I think it's time.

Let's bring out our first ninja in this semi-final.

(CHEERING)

He's one of our most popular ninjas,

and he continues to inspire people all over the country

with his spirit and determination.

A two-time semi-finalist,

hoping tonight's the night he can go one further.

You may know him and love him.

It is Twitch, James Sayers.

My name's James Sayers -

Ninja Twitch.

'Ninja' changed my life.

I couldn't be happier.

When I look back a couple of years, I'm a different person.

Whoa! (BLEEP)! Dang! Whoo!

I'm a 27-year-old panel beater with too much energy for my own good.

Oh, and I have Tourette's syndrome.

I think Tourette's is a disability.

(BLEEP) on me! It shows how much I know.

(GRUNTS)

'Ninja', it's just been so good for my mental state,

which is one thing I've been working on as a tactic

for this year's season.

This year, I am just so much more prepared,

physically and mentally.

I think I'm ready. (CHUCKLES)

James has been such a big role model to all these kids here.

When I saw you on TV... Yeah?

..I knew I wanted to be on 'Ninja Warrior' and be like you.

Really?

Aw, Isabelle, that's beautiful.

(CHEERING)

Now, we have a bit of a surprise for James.

His number-one fan, Izzy,

who we just heard say

she wants to be just like him -

she's joining us in the big screen.

Hello!

Izzy's there with mum Mandy.

You love this bloke, don't you? How do you want him to go tonight?

Great!

And he's ready to rock and roll, and he's given me the thumbs up.

You look a bit different, Freddie!

REBECCA: Now, James, don't worry about Freddie.

Have a good look at that Snake Run.

You've never seen anything like it before - none of our ninjas have.

You can't underestimate this first obstacle,

because you put one foot wrong,

you're in trouble.

We're ready to get this semi-final underway.

12 ninjas will make it through to this season's grand final tonight -

will Ninja Twitch be one of them?

(CHEERING AND BUZZER DINGS)

(CHEERING)

Here we go. James Sayers,

skipping across the Snake Run. How's he gonna go tonight?

Fast, if the first obstacle's anything to go by.

Now look at him hug this log.

Hold on tight.

Tie those shoes on tight.

This track - it's 8m long,

and that log gets faster and faster as he goes.

Hold on, James.

Made it! He's made... Oh, he's even done an extra spin at the end.

Now, some of the ninjas reckon you need about ten seconds

after getting off that log

to reset yourself and make sure that you're seeing things straight.

Now, James is clever. He's spun himself the other way,

just to straighten himself out.

The next obstacle is the Diving Boards.

You've got to put your feet in the middle, not on the overhang.

Oh, he just makes it.

Go quick!

On to the Ring Toss now - the first test

of the upper-body strength.

You've gotta grab a hold of these rings,

and then there are a series of pegs

that you need to navigate across three different boards.

And you'll see, with some of the top ninjas,

they try and use the least number of pegs that they need to.

He's looking good so far, James Sayers. He's been here many times.

He just charges down.

He's doing a great job. The crowd are really getting into it.

And now the final board coming up.

Making sure of every manoeuvre.

He's got a really nice rhythm going on now -

not panicking, not making a mistake. This is textbook.

Yes!

Izzy's happy. That is four down, five to go for James.

This is the Slingshot now.

And this just might be the hardest obstacle

we've ever seen in the semi-finals.

This is our first look at the Slingshot.

(CHEERING) Seven laches to make it through,

and not taking off from a solid base - they're rubber bungees.

Ooh! Yes! Great catch, and the crowd are loving this.

I'm loving this.

But this is nasty - a 1m drop.

James Sayers. The Twitch Ninja!

Nice, James!

Now getting ready for the next one.

Lands that too!

Oh, wow. The Twitch Ninja is on fire.

(CHEERING)

Hang on a moment, though.

The exit is vitally important.

His eyes are down.

Could he be going for the early dismount? It's a risk.

Oh!

Oh no! It's happened!

Right at the end of that obstacle.

I did not see that coming.

I did not see James' run finishing there.

Yeah, heartbreak for James. It was a great start.

He decided to get off the Slingshot early.

Until then, his laches had been spot on.

But, this time, it looked like he didn't quite commit,

didn't drive his hips up high enough.

He saw the mat, and, sadly, he couldn't get there.

Agonisingly short.

How's he feeling down there, Shane?

James, well done.

You were awesome.

Yeah, thanks.

You're such an inspiration to your supporters.

Oh, thank you.

And you had your biggest fan cheering you on?

Yeah, for sure. Biggest fan on the screen - did not expect that.

I'm so proud of you, James.

I'm just happy that I gave it my all, and,

I think, next year, I'm just gonna be a beast.

Like, this has just motivated me more, man.

(CHEERING)

A great effort from James there.

He made it all the way to obstacle five,

and who knows? That might be enough

for a place in the top 12 and a grand final spot.

Yeah, fingers crossed for the man who calls himself the Twitch Ninja.

We got an early look at the Slingshot.

It's gonna be a huge challenge tonight for our ninjas.

(CHEERING)

Next to take it on is a ninja

who, like James,

has been here twice before,

but hasn't quite been able to take

the next step and make the grand final.

She'll be giving it all tonight

to change just that.

From New South Wales,

Cian Maciejewski!

Having my beautiful wife, Tiarna, on the sideline, it's quite special.

Whoo!

I drown out the crowd.

Come on, come on, come on, come on! Yeah!

She's literally the only voice I can hear in my head when I'm up there.

T and I are going through the IVF process,

and it is quite expensive,

so the $400,000 would be a massive help -

might make our baby-making process more affordable.

So it's my motivator to climb Mt Midoriyama.

I'm not only doing this for my family -

I'm doing this to create a family.

So, tonight, I'm gonna hit that buzzer. Boom!

(CHEERING)

Yes, C! You've got it.

There's Tiarna on the sideline.

She's with Cian every step of the way.

And Cian really trying to tap into the energy

of this crowd this evening. She's got a big support crew backing her,

and she really feels this is her chance to go to the next level

and make the grand final.

I love the big smiles. She's gonna throw everything at this.

C! And here she goes,

Cian Maciejewski - hits that first pad.

Two, three, four...

Oh! Five wasn't there!

Oh no! What...?

Cian Maciejewski's semi-final ends on the Snake Run.

I'm warning our ninjas -

it looks like a first obstacle, but it is not easy,

because most of the steps all favour one way.

You see, they step to the right.

And then the last one's on the left,

so, naturally, your body is pushing towards the left.

And that's where may people are gonna come off.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)

Absolutely devastating for Cian,

after a whole year of training, to end her semi-final like that.

It just goes to show how much this means to our ninjas tonight -

physically and emotionally.

We love you, Cian.

We feel for her. She's put a lot of work into tonight.

It's a reminder - this course is ruthless.

Our next ninja tonight is a new dad

and a big-rig driver who surprised us all in the heats

and gave us plenty of laughs.

From Townsville, via Ireland -

give it up for Paul Culloty.

I loved every minute of the heat.

I was bouncing around the place like a little happy leprechaun,

hoping to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Go, Daddy!

Seeing my two beautiful ladies up there...

..I was, like, so close to breaking down in tears,

but it drove me on, 153%.

I felt like the two of them were on either shoulder

as I went through the course.

At the start of the night, people were like, "Oh," you know,

"lache from this to that."

And I'm like, "I have no idea what 'lache' means."

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

"I'm going to google it." Then I was like,

"No, I'll surely work it out."

And, lo and behold, I actually learned how to do a lache.

Yes!

I know how much grip strength means in 'Ninja',

so I have been doing a lot of training with my buddies.

Lifting a beer is definitely training.

You do that enough times in a night,

you get a good workout.

I love the Australian beer.

It's hard work some days. (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHTER)

I'm running the semis for my mother.

She died of cancer nearly five years ago now.

It was a very tough time on all of us, and it's...

It's hard, you know?

She was just positive, positive, positive,

and that's why I have such a positive outlook on life.

I love life more than anything, and it's, big time, from her.

And I'm sure, up there, she still is my biggest supporter, you know?

I... I love her with all my heart and all my soul.

(CHEERING)

Whoo-hoo! Yee-hah!

Oh, that's a good gift for Crawf.

Come on, Paul!

In the big screen right now, wife Aleisha and daughter Kora.

Hi!

Just four months old, Kora. She is beautiful!

Keep watching, Kora, 'cause Daddy's about to take to

the semi-final course here on 'Australian Ninja Warrior'.

I think a lot of people have fallen in love with his bloke.

15th in his heat.

Can he do it again? Can he make the grand final?

(BUZZER DINGS) Paul Culloty, on the Snake Run.

Taking it very carefully,

and through. Whoo! Go, babe! Whoo-hoo!

One down for Paul, and on to the Rolling Log now.

Needs to get a good grip here,

because this will really shake him up.

Paul, whatever you do, hold on. It gets faster and faster -

something like eight or ten revolutions -

and it's gonna mess with your equilibrium.

Yes! Is he OK?

He'll take a moment here to recover.

Get back up, son.

Steady. Steady.

Very, very dizzy. He is really disorientated right now.

And, Crawf, he needs to concentrate on his footwork now.

These are the Diving Boards.

Come on, mate - baby steps,

just like Kora will take in a few months from now.

Go, sweetie! You got it! OK, here we go.

There are three of them. The first is smaller than the second two.

He's OK!

Whoo-hoo! (CHEERING)

Ring Toss time - the first test of the upper-body strength

on this semi-final course tonight.

Three boards, many pegs and two rings.

You've got to add all of that up and come up with success.

Go, Paulie! Go! Smash it out! You got it.

You're right, Aleisha. He is gonna smash this out.

He's gonna go all the way.

And he trains on the side of the cattle truck,

lifting himself up and challenging himself.

But hang on a moment. Ooh.

You've gotta reverse that truck up for a moment, mate.

BOTH: Ooh!

He's had to do the twist, mid-air.

It's not a nice thing to do, but he's managed it well.

When you've gotta flip and change and twist, it's not easy.

Look at wife Aleisha tuning in,

and his young baby. Look, they're glued to the TV set. Look at them!

Go, Paul! Spin it off.

She is cheering him home.

Keep it up, Aleisha.

Yeah, babe! You've got it.

And all of this will be testing the upper-body strength.

It'll be burning him at the moment.

Here he comes. He's looking good.

He'll have one more swing,

and he's done. (CHEERING)

Next up, a brand-new obstacle,

the Slingshot.

Jumps up. Takes the first bar.

It is a nightmare for our competitors.

They've just come off an obstacle

which has really burned their upper-body strength,

and this one will really test their skills.

All comes from the hips, the strength and the momentum.

All comes from the hips in this one. Lines up the next shot.

He nails it. (CHEERING)

And just watch the eyes here,

'cause you've gotta watch the bar but also look at the next bungee.

Oh no! Oh!

Babe! Aw!

Paul, we had you at the end of that. We had you at the end.

How good was he, Aleisha? You must be proud of him.

Oh, so proud.

He was doing so well.

That Slingshot, though, is a nightmare tonight.

The drop down to the central cradle is a metre.

I think that's what was on his mind.

He just didn't do enough to get the bar up and over,

and the clipped the cradle on the exit.

He was all out of whack.

Bad luck, Paul.

Paul, congratulations. Thank you very much, Shane.

I just wanted to say, first off,

I'm dedicating the run tonight to my mother.

She passed away five years ago,

and today is Mother's Day in Ireland, so...

..she was with me all the way.

She obviously didn't carry me the whole way,

but she was still there nonetheless.

I thank her for that.

We've loved you so much that we've organised something for you tonight,

because you absolutely deserve it. What's that?

I'll just grab it right now.

Here we go. Congratulations. Thanks for being a part of it.

You're an absolute legend. Ho-ho! (CHEERING)

(LAUGHS) Well, who would have thought

a cattle-truck driver from Townsville

would get all the way to the fifth obstacle in the semi-finals?

Our ninjas are really stepping it up tonight.

The race is on to make the grand final.

What an experience.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Tonight, the next step on the road to Mt Midoriyama.

You won't believe the all-new Power Tower.

With an unbelievable, game-changing advantage on offer,

who will step up to the mark?

Will it be three-time grand finalist Alex Matthews?

ALEX MATTHEWS: I've hit the buzzer in every semi.

The pressure's on.

The Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall?

SAM GOODALL: I'm hoping that my time advantage

will give me the edge I need over the other ninjas.

Sarah Blackmore and Ashlin 'Flashlin' Herbert?

I proved through heats that I'm not just Ash's girlfriend.

Now it's time for Ash to prove that he's not just Sarah's boyfriend.

Or the Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason?

DANIEL MASON: Ashlin, you may have beaten me on the Power Tower

in the heats, but, come the semi-finals,

I'm gonna show you who's boss.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to Melbourne, and 'Australian Ninja Warrior'.

We are at the semi-final stage,

with only 12 of tonight's ninjas moving on to the grand final.

And remembering that tonight's top two ninjas will battle it out

on the all-new Power Tower at tonight's end.

They're going for a grand final advantage.

The competition's fierce. We've been talking to the ninjas backstage.

We've never seen 'em focus like this before.

They are all determined.

(CHEERING)

Well, gymnastics set our next runner on the path to 'Ninja',

and, along the way, she's trained some of the all-time greats,

including partner Ashlin Herbert.

From Melbourne, it is Sarah Blackmore.

It's really exciting to be one of the eight females

to make it through to semi-finals.

Here comes Sarah.

The girls can give the boys a bit of a run for their money.

FREDDIE: Does that easily!

I found the Tick Tock pretty easy.

Trampolines have been in my life forever,

from my gymnastics background.

That's a confident 'Ninja' debut.

I proved that I'm not just Ash's girlfriend through heats.

Now it's time for Ash to prove he's not just Sarah's boyfriend.

(CHUCKLES)

Yes! (LAUGHS)

(CHEERING)

Well, there's Ashlin Herbert. He's on the sidelines, still to run.

But all eyes on his partner, Sarah.

And if she's nervous,

she's not really showing it. Crawf?

CRAWF: Sarah Blackmore, one of eight women

into the semi-finals. Let's hope Sarah can get all the way.

Sarah is a newbie ninja, but she's been in the very safe hands

of her boyfriend,

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert,

teaching her all the tips and tricks about how to conquer this course.

Whatever it was, it paid off. She was 15th in the heats.

She made it through. But this is the semi-final course.

(BUZZER DINGS)

Off we go on the Snake Run,

which we know is not to be underestimated. She is through.

(CHEERING)

One down, eight more obstacles to go,

and here is the Rolling Log.

Duck your head in.

This is extremely tough - at least ten rotations.

You gotta hold on. You lose your bearings.

You don't know where you are.

You don't know if you made it to the other side.

She's swinging. She's holding tight.

Oh! Oh no!

Wow! Lucky, lucky, lucky!

She's got it! Yes!

(CHEERING)

Tough start for Sarah.

She was thrown around

and now needs to compose herself for the Diving Boards.

One, two, three. Straight through.

(CHEERING) Well done.

Sarah's looking good through the first three obstacles,

but this is the Ring Toss - an upper-body test.

Next ring.

She's the lightest ninja in the semi-final -

only 56 kilos.

That might give some advantage.

So far, so good.

She's feeling better now.

She's feeling a lot more confident on the Ring Toss.

She's practised this in the 'Ninja' gyms.

She's probably practised this every day of the last 12 months.

Keep going singles if you have to.

Well done! Look at her go. She's doing great guns.

She does not have the kind of muscles that other ninjas have

to be able to survive the burn on the arms here, but you know what?

Credit it where it's due - Sarah Blackmore, you are a star.

She is doing really well to recover from that early scare,

and she's nearly at the end of this obstacle.

Just needs to get off,

and then she's got the unwelcome surprise of the Slingshot.

(CHEERING)

Big jump.

Sarah Blackmore, the gymnastics coach from Victoria,

on to obstacle number five, the Slingshot.

Come on!

Here's the big transition.

It's a huge leap.

Up she goes. HOSTS: Yes!

Oh, this is incredible.

This is a huge effort.

This is an incredible run.

Go... Oh!

Wow!

Come on, Sarah Blackmore!

This is a big drop down here.

She's got a metre to deal with.

Oh! (BUZZER BLARES)

Well done!

That was phenomenal. Sarah Blackmore, take a bow.

It was indeed. Sarah was looking strong.

But fatigue caught up with her, and that 1m drop proved to be too much

as her momentum pulled the bar clean out of her hands.

And a star is born. How impressive is Sarah Blackmore?

She was impressive on the course. We love her.

Fingers crossed, she makes it.

Well done, Sarah.

Oh, so close! (LAUGHS)

So close, alright. We'll have to wait and see

if she's done enough to make her first ever grand final.

Well, our next ninja has been there

and done it all, and tonight

is hoping to make his fourth grand final.

He's got plenty of dash and plenty of moustache.

Here is Alex Matthews!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(BOTH CHEER)

ALEX MATTHEWS: Mum and Dad have always been there for me.

(PARENTS CHEER)

I guess you could say they're my biggest supporters.

Yeah!

Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming. Mwah.

Mum, especially, is probably, like, my number-one mega-fan.

Unfortunately, Mum and Dad won't be able to make it this year.

They've both, sort of, been in the wars a little bit.

Mum's had a bit of foot surgery.

Dad's gone through prostate cancer -

going through hormone treatments and getting the prostate taken out.

He's on the other side of that now and doing well.

Yeah, it was kind of... a bit sucky not having Mum and Dad there

on the sideline this season to cheer me on.

You know, I know that they'll still be proud of me, and...

..I know they'll both be supporting me from home.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Even though Alex Matthews

is one of our 'Ninja' veterans, he did not complete his heat.

He came off on obstacle number five - the Flying Shelf Grab.

And he's never fallen off in a heat before,

so there is a question mark over his form, as much as we love him.

Now, Bec, Alex's mum and dad, they're part of the 'Ninja' family -

always here, watching Alex.

They're not well at the moment,

but we've organised a surprise for Alex.

Joining us from the big screen,

say g'day to Carlene and Jeff.

Hi, Mum! Hi, Dad! (CHUCKLES)

Hey! Go, Alex!

Go, Alex! We love you.

Jeff and Carlene, wishing they were here,

but still able to support him via the big screen.

(BUZZER DINGS)

REBECCA: Snake Run time - first obstacle.

Do not take it lightly.

Well done, Alex.

(CHEERING)

Now, it's time for the Log Roll. This is ugly.

Wrap that moustache right around. It's the Rolling Log.

The Rolling Log - will it unsettle him too much

and put him in the water? I don't think so.

Alex Matthews, he will just hold on to the very end.

Thump! (CHEERING)

The Diving Boards are next.

Go, the Mo! Go, the Mo!

All you need to do is run in a straight line.

However, after our friend the Rolling Log,

it makes that really difficult.

But Alex Matthews did well.

And now he's on the Rings. Now, this is an area where he excels.

Anything to do with the upper body,

based on what we've seen of Alex Matthews in the past,

he tends to nail.

He's just adjusting those hands around. Swings the body around.

He's got beautiful technique.

And, just as you say that,

he misses a peg, Crawf.

He gets it on the next swing.

But, perhaps, another sign that he's not at his best.

MOTHER: Swing well, Alex.

And he can be a bit of a messy runner from time to time.

He can. He's not the cleanest, but that doesn't matter tonight.

He just needs to get to the end.

And he is through the Ring Toss, and that's four down for Alex.

This next one is nasty.

We've not seen anyone make it through tonight - the Slingshot.

It will test even the seasoned 'Australian Ninja Warrior' athlete.

You've gotta lift that bar and land it on the bungee ropes.

And he does the high one,

but only just! Ooh.

Alex is struggling here.

It's a drop down now.

Ooh! He just hit the cradle.

BOTH: Oh!

What a landing!

Ooh.

He's looking tired, but...

..lands the next one!

Getting so fatigued. You've just gotta keep powering on.

You really need to call on your mental and physical strength.

Two more to go.

Moments away from completing the Slingshot.

It's almost over. HOSTS: Oh!

It's a lucky hold!

And now Alex Matthews just needs to get clear.

He does it! (CHEERING)

For the first time tonight, we have a ninja through the Slingshot!

Next is the Warped Wall. He didn't get to make it here in his heat.

(CROWD CHANTS) Straight up he goes.

There you go - up the Warped Wall,

Alex Matthews, for the first time this season.

He's looking really good now - over the Warped Wall.

And this is where the serious business begins.

We've got three more obstacles.

And, again, Alex Matthews, grinding his way with a battling run.

This is our first look at the all-new Barrel Roll.

Gotta jump up and grab that bar.

Makes that enormous leap.

Gotta get the right swing up here to make this lache,

and it's a big one.

2.9m!

Here we go.

Yes! Yes! What a catch!

And now he's gotta get across to the other side of the barrel.

And when you grab this other handle,

the barrel swings down, and, hopefully,

you flip yourself over the wall, on to the mat. Sound easy?

Yeah, really easy. Has to be spot on here,

because it's a long drop down, and you need to get it right,

'cause you need to get over the wall at the end.

Ooh!

Didn't make it on the first swing.

Second one... He's over!

What a run from Alex! (CHEERING)

He's got two more to go, Jeff and Carlene.

OK, the Spider Jump now.

We've seen it in the semi-finals on past seasons.

Ooh, and a little false start there from Alex.

He's feeling the pressure. Here he goes.

Lands it. Yes! Lands it,

and now it's all hands and feet through 8m of the Spider Wall.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Got those legs planted right on the side. He's evenly balanced.

And now it's time to bring it all home.

Sure is. This is incredible.

Alex Matthews has battled his way to the final obstacle,

the Invisible Ladder. This is an absolute burner, this obstacle.

He's gotta pump those rings and climb 8m. Can he get there?

Alex Matthews is a third of the way up. Pushing those arms.

It's hurting him already, Bec. 5m.

Six, seven, eight, and then he is home. Is he gonna do it?

And look at him pump right now!

Every muscle in that body,

every breath inside his lungs...

The buzzer's just a metre away,

and Alex Matthews hits it! (BUZZER BLARES)

He nails it, and the fireworks explode into the sky.

Mum and Dad, your boy is at the top!

Alex, awesome job!

Alex Matthews, take a bow.

The first ninja to complete this incredibly difficult course,

and that was something special.

Unbelievable. Well done.

What a run from the Mighty Mo.

It may not have been the prettiest,

but Alex showed unbelievable focus and determination.

He would not be denied hitting that buzzer tonight,

and he becomes the first ninja to complete the semi-finals.

Well done, Alex.

CRAWF: Alex, that was amazing.

It felt alright. I was probably...

Felt like I was going pretty slow, but...

..I got to the top, so that's all that matters for now.

Now, tonight, Mum and Dad were tuning in.

I know Dad's had a bit of a tough time, so that was pretty special?

Didn't know they were gonna be on the TV, which is pretty cool.

And could you hear Mum? Mum was really getting into it.

I think I made out a few screams, and...

She gets... Yeah, she gets a bit worked up by the whole thing.

I'm surprised they're even up, actually, so good on 'em.

(LAUGHTER) No, they love you,

and they're very, very proud of you,

and you should be very proud of yourself. Well done.

Thanks, mate. Cheers. Appreciate it.

Alex Matthews, a breathtaking effort.

It just goes to show, our ninjas are more determined than ever before.

They want Mt Midoriyama.

They certainly do, Ben. Join us after the break,

because that is when Sam Goodall takes to the course

with his time advantage.

Quick is about to get even quicker. See you soon.

The Peninjas, from the Mornington Peninsula,

plot their course to the grand final -

season three grand finalist Zak Stolz...

Just missed out on the Power Tower in the heats.

Tonight, in the semis, it's my time to shine.

The all-new Dirt, Troy Cullen...

I've lightened the load. All bets are off.

I'm ready to get into the grannie.

..and 'Ninja' legend 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert.

Feels awesome to be back in the semis.

I'm, yeah, very keen to give the course a crack.

But, next, farmer Danielle Smith...

The reason that I wanted to come on the show was to inspire the farmers

to keep going and do their best. It means a lot, what you do.

..and the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

I'm no gymnast. I'm no Olympian.

I've just stepped off a building site.

You're about to see me go to work.

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to the first semi-final

of 'Australian Ninja Warrior',

where the top 12 ninjas will qualify for the grand final

and move a step closer

to Mt Midoriyama.

REBECCA: And the two fastest will battle it out

on the Power Tower,

where one ninja will win a decisive advantage

for the grand final.

High stakes tonight,

and warming up right now, Sam Goodall.

He conquered the Power Tower in his heat

and tonight is competing with a valuable time advantage.

The Tradie Ninja will be on the course soon.

But next up, a ninja who blew everyone away in her heat,

finishing fifth.

She's one half of the Farming Twins

from Gnowangerup, WA,

Danielle Smith.

I ranked fifth in the heat,

so I beat a fair few well-known ninjas.

I was pretty stoked. Sadly, my twin's out.

It's a bit sad that she's not here with me to do the next stage.

A bit devastating, but...

..if she's cheering me on from the sidelines, that'd be good.

It means a lot to me to get through to the semis.

I've hardly had any training.

I just come from a small community in Gnowangerup.

I do sheep and crop.

WOMAN: Boots off, Dani!

Oh, don't get stuck!

Get it out, Dani.

When you do the sheep work, you've gotta move the sheep

and lift the sheep and put the sheep on the ute or whatever.

Can be quite hard work.

She's been pushing me really hard to keep training

and practise on my grip strength for the semis.

A lot of the country towns are doing it tough at the moment.

The reason that I wanted to come on to the show was to inspire

the farmers to keep going and do their best.

It means a lot, what you do.

Come on, Dani! Come on, Dani!

REBECCA: And on the right of the screen there,

there's the other half of the Ninja Twins, Chantelle.

She didn't qualify tonight, but she's here

to show support for her sister anyway.

SHANE: All the way from Gnowangerup in Western Australia,

A population of about 1,200,

give or take a few.

Not sure Gnowangerup

have a Snake Run like this one to start off 'Ninja Warrior'.

She was the surprise package in the heats, Crawf,

and representing all the farmers.

(CHEERING AND BUZZER DINGS)

Here we go. Danielle Smith's semi-final underway.

Light-footed and pretty quick through obstacle number one.

You gotta have speed, and she's got it.

And I know it's only the first obstacle,

but she's really impressive out of the starters blocks.

Now she needs to grab a hold of that rolling log.

Like a sheep stuck in the mud.

Look how fast it's getting.

It's trying to throw her off.

Oh no! SUPPORTERS: Oh no!

(BUZZER BLARES)

The foot in the water - disaster for Danielle Smith.

Chantelle's reaction says it all.

So unlucky.

The replay will show the foot touched the water.

Here's the replay now, and there it is.

Her foot touches the water. Sadly,

that means Danielle Smith's night is over,

and she'll be heading back home to Gnowangerup.

Got really dizzy, so I got a bit tired and I just fell in,

so, yeah, next time - better hold on tighter, eh?

(CHEERING)

Not to be for Danielle,

but a semi-final spot

in her very first season shows she's a ninja with a big future.

(CHEERING)

Our next ninja has had his battles in the past

but tonight holds a powerful time advantage,

courtesy of his triumph

on the Power Tower in the heats.

One of tonight's favourites,

it is the mighty Sam Goodall.

Come on, Sam.

(CHEERING)

(ROCK MUSIC)

On my heat run, I knew I wanted the Power Tower, so I thought,

"Alright, I'm going hard."

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

FREDDIE: Oh, this is a masterclass from the Tradie Ninja.

This is one of the fastest runs of the night.

(CHEERING)

Sam Goodall on his way.

The Power Tower!

To have a go at the Power Tower is really amazing.

Hitting that buzzer

was a beautiful feeling.

Ten seconds is a huge advantage.

It may not sound like much,

but sometimes you just need that one second per obstacle

just to zone in, take a extra bit of focus.

Yeah, I'm hoping that my time advantage will give me the edge

I need over the other ninjas.

(CHEERING)

How good's Sam Goodall?

Season two,

he passed out with Ross River Fever.

Last year, missed out on the grand final by a second.

This year, took a tumble in the heats.

You can't take your eyes off him.

One of the most determined ninjas we've ever seen.

(CHUCKLES) And there is wife Rachel and daughter Abbey on the sidelines

with brother-in-law Zed Colback.

Zed will be on course later.

Hey! Oh, looks good, mate.

Mate, you like that? I'm on board. Yeah.

And just a reminder - by winning the Power Tower in the heats,

Sam gets to take ten seconds off

his semi-final time, and that could be huge

for tonight's Power Tower.

And, Ben, with that second chance advantage that's on offer,

it means he has a better chance of qualifying for the grand final

and reaching Mt Midoriyama. Let's see how he goes.

(BUZZER DINGS AND CHEERING)

Here we go. This is the Snake Run.

One, two, three, four, five.

The Tradie Ninja off to a perfect start.

OK, on to the Rolling Log now.

Come on, you got this.

8m of rolling, rolling, rolling,

rolling...

You've just gotta hold on tight,

and he holds on just long enough to complete it.

He sneaks out from underneath that log.

And now it's time for the Diving Boards.

There are three diving boards,

and you don't know how shaky they're gonna be

until you hit them.

(CHEERING)

Oh! He's just got through that. Oh!

Yes, Sammy! Well done! Well done!

You know what? He was uncharacteristically fast

during his heat.

In this semi, he has slowed right now.

Now, maybe that's just strategy.

Maybe he's thinking to himself,

"I just need to make sure that I get through."

And again!

Keep in mind, Sam Goodall has a ten-second advantage.

And with it, he's currently eight seconds faster

than Alex Matthews to this point.

Hold it! Hold it! Hold it!

Oh! Hang on a minute. What are you doing, Sam?

He just did a 360,

and now he's stuck in limbo.

Just hanging there.

This is trouble.

Bring it in, Sam. Sam,

bring your ring in, mate.

Come on, Sam. Oh, god! I don't like it.

I don't like it. He's going back. He doesn't like it either.

No, that's alright.

He's shortened the gap between these two rings,

and he's come up with a way out. Phew, Sam.

But he has been up there a long time, Bec.

Well, he has got that ten-second time advantage,

and he might just need it.

Phew. Shakes out the hands.

But next is the biggest challenge on the course tonight,

the Slingshot.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Yeah, all yours!

He's up on the bar, on the bungee ropes.

He moves across. Ooh!

Laches to the second.

The third one's right in front of him now.

Yes! Needs the power to come from

the hips, and he's doing great. Ooh!

He is doing great! He's moving through

this obstacle faster than anyone we've seen.

Really confident about where he's leading and where he's going.

We've seen some struggle at the end here, though, Bec.

Yeah. It's all about the dismount now for Sam.

Can he be the second ninja through the Slingshot?

Yeah, he's done it!

Fantastic.

He's not one of our tallest ninjas, but he knows this Warped Wall.

And, bang, he nails it.

Go, Daddy! Wife Rachel spurring him on.

But it's tightened right up here.

Even with the ten seconds on his side,

Sam's only a second faster than Alex.

Three obstacles remaining. This is the Barrel Roll.

Here we go. Now he's gotta get all the momentum in the world...

Come on, Sam. ..to swing up

and grab the second bar... Fly!

..on the second barrel.

Here he goes.

Yes! Ooh, it's a catch!

He caught it with one arm!

Here he goes up to the third handle now.

Gotta find the top one, and then it's that transfer over.

Big, deep breaths here, mate. Big, deep breaths.

Oh, he's using up precious seconds here.

He's just testing out the handle,

'cause this one falls down, and you've gotta hold on.

Whoa!

(LAUGHS) What a landing!

(CHEERING)

Back up on his feet.

In front of Alex Matthews by six seconds.

Here he goes on the Spi...

Oh, no, a false start on the Spider Jump.

Resets.

Deep breath.

He can do this. He knows he can do it.

He's just a bit fatigued, a bit tired.

And here's the second one. He's had another false start.

Big, deep breath!

Well, Sam really needs to get control of his nerves here

and make this jump on to the mini tramp.

Sticks it! Yes.

It's now an 8m dash through the tunnel,

all arms, all legs

all four.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The seconds ticking away now for Sam,

but he has almost finished the Spider Wall.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on! We wanna see you up that Invisible Ladder.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And this is gonna take everything you have to get to the top.

All the way. Lots of big...

Only two seconds between Sam and Alex Matthews.

He's pushing those arms hard, Bec. Oh!

He's halfway up. He's hurting.

He's not giving up, Bec.

Come on, Sam Goodall!

You're almost at the top. 6m.

(CHEERING)

7m. He's almost on the top.

And then the buzzer awaits. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here he comes!

Sam Goodall, the Tradie Ninja... (BUZZER BLARES)

..hits the buzzer! (CHEERING)

Bam!

(CHEERING)

Sam Goodall is looking better than ever before!

Awesome! Good work!

Whoo-hoo!

He gives a little wink to his wife down below,

and his brother-in-law Zed Colback.

And he is spent.

It was a vintage Sam Goodall run.

Action-packed throughout.

He lost control on the Ring Toss,

hung in there on the Slingshot

and had a crisis of confidence on the Spider Jump,

but he showed his legendary grit

and pushed through to become the second ninja of the night

to hit the buzzer.

But did he do enough to beat Alex Matthews?

Let's take a look at the leaderboard.

Sam finished a second behind Alex Matthews.

But with his ten-second time advantage from the heats,

they trade places, and Sam is the new leader.

And he's in the driver's seat for another Power Tower appearance.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Take a bow, Sam Goodall.

With all the heart and determination on display,

could this be the man who's crowned our first ninja warrior?

Fingers crossed. We'll be back after the break.

Still to come on 'Australian Ninja Warrior',

gymnast Jordan Papandrea.

I've been training in gymnastics since I was about five years old.

Pretty much been training for this moment my whole life,

so I reckon I've got this.

The Hipster Ninja, Eddie Burrill.

I'm currently the Hipster Ninja, but after tonight,

you'll be calling me Eddie 'Buzzer' Burrill.

And the Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason.

In the semi-finals, you're against all of the best athletes.

My plan for the semis is to go out and be smooth and efficient,

and I think that'll make me quick.

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to the first semi-final

of 'Australian Ninja Warrior'.

That's the ultimate goal of our ninjas - Mt Midoriyama -

and, tonight, 12 ninjas will move a big step closer

towards qualifying for the grand final.

REBECCA: While the two fastest ninjas will go head to head

on the new semi-final Power Tower

to battle it out for an incredible second-chance advantage,

which means, if a ninja makes a mistake in the grand final,

they'll get to run the course again.

An amazing advantage at stake. And while you were away,

three more ninjas gave everything to try to get it.

Just like 37-year-old stay-at-home mum Monika Siemonek...

Don't let go of that log.

..gripping on for dear life.

Oh no!

She hit the water on obstacle two.

Ninja Nerd Nathan Burley looked really good early on...

Nathan Burley is off to a flying start.

..but came back down to earth on the Slingshot.

Oh, he's down! Now he's gone!

Oh no. He's down. He's down.

While 51-year-old grandad Clem Vertigan might hold the record

for the oldest person to hit a buzzer...

And he's moving very quickly but safely.

..his night came to an end on the Rolling Log.

Oh no. He's out.

(CHEERING)

It's time now for one of the favourites

for this year's competition.

A runner-up last season,

he's determined to go even faster this time.

Will it be enough tonight?

We're about to find out. Here's the Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason.

(CHEERING)

Last season was Dan's breakout year,

runner-up behind Charlie Robbins,

and this year he's back,

and he's faster than ever.

Go, Dan!

Wife Maddi on the sideline,

and there's little Fletcher.

And hasn't little Fletcher grown up?

And Dan just lost out to Ashlin on the Power Tower in the heats.

He'll be desperate to have a crack at

that second-chance advantage tonight.

Currently, Sam Goodall and Alex Matthews

are in those two Power Tower spots.

Dan will need to beat Alex's time of six minutes to book his place.

(BUZZER DINGS) Off he goes, Daniel Mason.

He has his eye on one thing this year,

and that is Mt Midoriyama.

Came so close last year.

He's been dreaming about it for 12 months.

Now on the Rolling Log.

Stay on!

Maddi cannot take her eye off the action.

Can he go all the way tonight?

Through the Diving Boards. He is focused,

and he is looking good -

letting nothing stand in his way this evening.

He's at the Ring Toss, over 20 seconds faster than Alex Matthews.

Perfect start.

He is a man in a hurry.

Look at him go.

Making short work of the ring toss.

He got caught there for a moment.

Frees himself. On to the next swing.

Only a small man, but he's got such a big reach, and look at him swing!

(CHEERING)

Not worrying about those last few pegs.

When you've got the experience of Daniel Mason,

you can take a few shortcuts.

On to the Slingshot in under a minute - incredible.

So strong in the upper body.

Fantastic grip control.

And in a moment, he'll get ready for the big drop.

Lands it! (CHEERING)

Nice, Dan.

Oh, this obstacle's been a nightmare for our ninjas,

but Daniel Mason, he is destroying it.

This is the best technique we've seen tonight.

Is he gonna go for an early dismount?

Can he make the mat? Can he?

Yeah, done it!

Dan Mason, at the Warped Wall at about a minute, 30.

Straight up.

Well done. That's the first six obstacles done,

about a minute, 20 quicker than Alex Matthews.

He's charging to the Power Tower.

But this Barrel Roll is a body-killer.

Not taking any time. Getting straight to work

on the back half of this semi-final course.

Look at him fly. Nice, Dan.

Climbs up the second barrel.

Wow. He is looking good, Ben.

He is looking good.

And then you've got to swing down

and get yourself to safety.

Nearly landed on the mini-tramp, he flew through the air so far.

This is the Spider Jump now. Up he...

BOTH: Oh no! (BUZZER BLARES)

(GROANING)

He's off! He's in the water! He's gone!

No!

Unbelievable turn of events here.

Daniel Mason has not been able to complete the course,

and everybody is in shock.

We'll have to wait to see what that means

for his top-12 qualification chances,

but he expected to go all the way tonight.

He expected to confirm his place in the grand final.

He's down there with Crawf.

What's going through your mind? Where did it go wrong?

Oh, man. Pretty disappointed.

Something that I thought I should get through pretty comfortably,

but... We're gonna have a look at

the replay. Just slipped with that leg.

Should have taken off the tramp a bit better.

Going for a bit of speed, and...

Might have been what cooked me, in the end.

So, you've probably done that a thousand times.

How many times have you slipped off the wall

when you've been practising?

Oh, not many. I was doing a lot of 'em two nights ago.

So, I know you're very disappointed,

but I'm sure you'll bounce back, 'cause you're an absolute superstar.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Can you believe it?

The Barefoot Ninja crashing out on the penultimate obstacle

just when he was looking unbeatable.

REBECCA: I'm stunned.

And his grand final chances are now in serious danger.

That's gonna ramp up the pressure and the nerves

for the rest of the field still to come.

Who's up next, Bec?

This ninja copped a close shave

when he couldn't beat his mates Ashlin and Zak in the heats.

Here is Troy Cullen!

With a nice new haircut.

I didn't even recognise this guy.

Are you sure he's made it into the semi-finals?

He wasn't in the heats. Yeah, this is Dirt.

So I haven't washed my hair since last season of Ninja Warrior.

If either of them two beat me... I'm cutting his hair off.

FREDDIE: He does not want to lose them dreadlocks.

BEN: Oh! He's off!

(BUZZER)

Person punching online...

"Oh, there goes the hair."

Taking it off. (LAUGHS)

I might do your brows.

Now I think the next thing, pretty close after that,

was hope I've done enough to get into the semis.

So without the hair, it actually feels quite light.

And it smelt bad.

So my girlfriend didn't like the long hair with dreads

and it being all dirty,

but she also doesn't like the short hair.

So I guess you just can't win.

That feels disgusting!

I'm more determined than ever to step out of my mates' shadows,

hit a buzzer and make it to the grand final.

(APPLAUSE) MAN: Come on, Dirt!

Or shall we call him 'Clean'?

Like, he looks very clean now.

He's had a new haircut, he got rid of the dreadlocks,

which he hadn't washed for years.

BEN: And I know that when Freddie Flintoff got the clippers out

to remove them,

he said it was quite alarming what was inside there. (CHUCKLES)

And there's the fellow ninjas, Ashlin and Zak.

Alright, come on.

Alongside Dirt's girlfriend, Ange.

(CHEERING) You've got it. You've got it.

BEN: He surprised a lot of people in the heats, qualifying ninth.

Hasn't yet managed to hit a buzzer on the Ninja Warrior course.

Maybe tonight's the night for Troy. (BUZZER)

REBECCA: Buzzer time.

Onto the Snake Run now.

He is the new aerodynamic Troy Cullen.

SHANE: Onto the Rolling Log. Wrap those legs around.

Hold on tight. Don't let go.

Now he's only a little fella, so he's gotta hold on tight here.

Away he goes. That's four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Oh, he's made it!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: OK, time for the Diving Boards.

One, two, three.

He's OK. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: Now onto the Ring Toss.

He's been quick through the first three obstacles.

He's nearly ten seconds up on Alex Matthews.

He's got a really nice rhythm going.

Arms nice and high. Makes the transition to the middle panel there.

He's floating across. He's making very good time.

BEN: And right now, Crawfie, showing how much this means to him.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) He's through the Ring Toss.

20 seconds faster than Alex Matthews.

Is he headed for the Power Tower?

REBECCA: Well, he needs to get through the Slingshot first.

We know it is one of the hardest obstacles

the semi-finals has ever seen.

Going with one hand over, one hand under, mixed grip.

Yes! That will give him more control over that bar.

Ooh! That just landed on the edge but he's corrected it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's making my heart skip a beat.

Now the big drop.

Ooh! Ooh, yes!

Come on, Troy, let's go.

BEN: Now he's gotta go back up.

Kicks those hips.

Nails the landing.

That's it! Hips up and go!

This is a display from Troy Cullen.

Heart, grit, no shortage of skill.

SHANE: Hang in there, Troy.

You're almost there. This is unbelievable.

Dirt! REBECCA: Oh yes, he's done it!

He has beaten the Slingshot.

Oh, and he is happy about that.

He has never reached the Warped Wall before.

CROWD: Beat the wall! And he goes...

straight up. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The fairy tale run continues.

Troy Cullen showing everybody

that the Peninjas are more than just Zak and Ashlin.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) REBECCA: Oh, this is remarkable.

And that number on your screen there

is Alex Matthews' Power Tower time of six minutes.

Dirt's got just over three minutes for these last three obstacles.

CROWD CHANTS: Dirty Boy! Dirty Boy! BEN: "Dirty Boy!" they scream.

He can't afford to put a foot wrong.

Here's the Barrel Roll. Dirty Boy! Dirty Boy!

Yes!

SHANE: That's a great leap.

That's a very good swing.

He is in fine form. Hold on.

Yes, he does!

BEN: And now the climb.

Oh, hang on.

REBECCA: Oh, where's the handle gone?

No, it's alright. He's found a way of getting it.

He won't even have to go all the way up the top.

It's like he's playing the pokies there. What's going on?

(CHUCKLES) That's right. (LAUGHS)

And... Whoa...

..jackpot! Whoa!

That's an ugly landing.

Oh, I thought it was brilliant!

I wanna see that in slow mo.

He's lucky he didn't get an injury there.

Have a look at it in slow mo.

It was an ugly landing but he smiles like he meant to do it all along.

And now the Spider Jump.

This is where Daniel Mason came unstuck.

Ooh... Ooh, that's slippery.

There was a stumble but he's held together.

And he's going all the way!

Go, Dirt! Go!

REBECCA: He's never been on the Spider Jump before

but he is crushing this course like he's been here ten years running.

This is your game now, Troysa. Yep.

BEN: Look at the time.

Now all he's gotta do is get to the top.

REBECCA: Troy Cullen, he's got 8m to glory.

Gets inside the Invisible Ladder.

Grabs the handles there.

And up he goes to heaven!

He's gotta do some work if he's gonna get there.

Have a look at him pull those arms and kick those legs.

And he's doing the work indeed, and it is paying off.

You've gotta put in the hard work. You've gotta put in the training.

Come on, Dirt! And that is exactly what Troy Cullen has been doing

for the last 12 months. Come on, Dirt!

Yes! He's been dreaming about this moment! Yes!

And there he goes! His first ever buzzer!

Yeah!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

(REBECCA CHORTLES) BEN: Wow!

Troy Cullen.

Not only are you on the Power Tower,

you've set the fastest time of the night.

It was the hair holding him back. (LAUGHTER)

Talk about throwing down the gauntlet.

And now Zak Stolz is thinking to himself,

I thought I had to beat Ashlin.

I've gotta beat Dirt!

I'll tell you what -

Troy Cullen has just turned this competition on its head.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

Troy! Well done!

Ah, cheers.

First time to the top?

Oh, first time to a buzzer, to be honest. (CHUCKLES)

Pretty stoked with that, to be honest.

Now, we do know the secret to your performance -

the new hairstyle.

Oh, definitely, definitely, the new hair helped me.

(CHUCKLES) Continue on. Let's see how you go.

I will. Cheers. Thanks, mate.

(CHEERING)

BEN: And just when you think you've seen everything,

Troy 'Dirt' Cullen beats the odds

and shows all of Australia, and his mates,

that this year could be his year.

A serious contender in the grand final.

REBECCA: Still to come - some of the biggest names in Ninja,

including Zak Stolz.

No-one would ever call the semis a breeze.

Like, you've got such a competitive field.

He thought Ashlin was the one to beat

but now Troy Cullen has set the pace.

The pressure is on.

It's so easy just to make a silly mistake

and someone just goes, bang, and takes your spot straight away.

I'm gonna show everyone I have what it takes

to get all the way to Mount Midoriyama.

BEN: Tonight's top two furthest fastest ninjas

will face off on the all-new Power Tower

for a game-changing advantage - all thanks to Energizer.

(BUZZER)

(EPIC MUSIC) (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to

the exciting first semi-final of Australian Ninja Warrior,

where, right now, one of the breakout stars from the heats

is taking on the course.

REBECCA: Hipster Ninja Eddie Burrill, from Queensland,

came third in his heat.

So far tonight, it's been a bit of a struggle,

but he's grinding his way through the Slingshot.

And he's done it!

He is moving faster

than some of the ninja veterans we've seen run tonight.

Hands up. He's on top of the Warped Wall.

And I've gotta say, Bec,

after the first six obstacles, he looks shattered.

Well, there is a big difference

between the heats and the semi-finals, Ben.

The obstacles are bigger, harder, and there are more of them.

He still has three to go.

Has Eddie Burrill got enough in the tank?

That's it, Eddie. Nice work. Come on.

And that's fiancee Lisa on the side-lines.

She's an elite pole vaulter

who no doubt has some very valuable advice about managing fatigue.

BEN: Onto the Barrel Roll, obstacle seven.

Now he's gotta get the big swing on.

Will he land it?

Oh! He does.

SHANE: Up he goes.

Very quickly up to the top.

WOMAN: Oh, you've got this.

Shakes the arms. Come on!

BEN: His arms are on fire now.

REBECCA: Ooh!

Didn't go that time.

Will go this time. Needs to.

Well done, Eddie. Over the wall.

To the Spider Jump now.

Never seen this obstacle before. Some of our other ninjas have.

He lands it.

And now 8m in the tunnel.

Eddie Burrill digging deep, giving absolutely everything.

REBECCA: He is on the second last obstacle

and that is done and dusted.

One more to go and it is the Invisible Ladder.

(CHEERING)

All the way. Come on.

BEN: Now have a look at his face at the moment, Bec.

He looks exhausted.

OK, just grabbing the rings now.

About to begin the climb on the Invisible Ladder.

This is the nastiest obstacle on the course.

It's when you're at your lowest point after eight obstacles.

I want him to do it, Eddie Burrill.

He's already halfway.

He's up towards the 5m mark.

Don't let go!

Push! Come on, Eddie! I've got full confidence in you.

Keep pushing!

Keep pushing, Eddie Burrill!

He seems to be running out of gas, Bec.

But look at his face.

He's a man who's got determination up to his eyeballs

and he won't give up. Oh, he's gonna...

He is not giving up, Ben.

This is quite incredible.

I do not know where he is getting this strength from.

I have no idea.

But he is almost there.

Just when the reserves run out, he finds a bit more.

And right now,

Eddie Burrill hits the buzzer.

(BUZZER) Blows the whole competition right open.

Oh my goodness me!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC) Well, what an effort. What a fight.

Eddie Burrill battled his way through this course.

And when he was absolutely shattered,

he dug deep and found something extra,

hits his first ever buzzer

and posts the second fastest time of the night.

BEN: Now this guy's remarkable.

Not only is he heading to the grand final,

as things stand, he's on his way to the Power Tower.

Are we seeing a new ninja legend in the making?

REBECCA: We are seeing some outstanding performances tonight.

The bar has definitely been raised.

Can our next ninja make his mark?

He's a two-time grand finalist and competitive gymnast

who, before competing last year, broke his leg.

Unbelievably this year, it happened again.

But he managed to complete the heats and qualified in eighth spot.

From NSW, it is Jordan Papandrea.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

MAN: I've been training gymnastics since I was about five years old.

It's using my body, my body awareness and upper body strength.

I've pretty much been training for this moment my whole life.

REBECCA: Jordan Papandrea!

Very quickly becoming one of the absolute favourites.

Doesn't victory taste so sweet.

Since last season, I've pretty much had a repeat of the year before.

I trained for Ninja, trained for gymnastics,

and then I was in a competition.

I was competing high bar,

and when I dismounted...

(BOOM)

(OMINOUS BOOM)

I broke my leg for the second time in a row.

The minute I broke my leg,

I had the sudden urge of - I wanna get back in the gym

and I wanna train.

And it was only two days later

that I was back in the gym, training upper body,

and I just felt super motivated.

(CHEERING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

But this year, the time between breaking my leg

and running the course is definitely a lot shorter.

REBECCA: How's his right leg gonna hold up?

BEN: Ooh! Only just.

And with my legs lacking a lot of power,

my heat was one of my shakier runs.

The minute I heard that there was a Power Tower,

I was like, "Yep, I've gotta have a go."

You're always competing against yourself,

but to be against someone just makes it that much more thrilling.

But the quality of Ninjas this year is exceptional,

like Ashlin, Rob Patterson and Zak Stolz.

I am pretty worried about how my body's gonna hold up,

but I'll do everything I can to get a go on that.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: We spoke to him after his run in the heats

and he says it's actually pulled up worse than he imagined

and originally thought,

so he is coming into this semi-final tonight far from fit.

Go, Jordie! Go, Jordie!

BEN: Well, let's hope it doesn't impact his chances.

There's girlfriend Matilda and dad Len.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (BUZZER)

Here we go then. Jordan Papandrea.

Onto the Snake Run.

But already, he'll be thinking about the Power Tower.

To get there, he'll need to better Eddie Burrill's time of 5:38.

LEN: Go, mate!

He's on the Rolling Log.

REBECCA: Gee, that gets a lot of speed up.

It's 8m from go to woe there,

and you're really dizzy when you finish.

He's OK. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now you've gotta get up, reset yourself.

Go, Jordie!

And we've organised the worst possible obstacle to come up next.

But he's straight across the Diving Board.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) No problem with his leg.

And now the Ring Toss.

This will play to his strengths as a gymnast.

REBECCA: You'd expect him to be strong here.

He's got great power to weight ration.

73kg and 180cm tall.

And look at that - he's already onto the middle of the three boards.

Looking good, Ben.

BEN: And he's comfortable up there. Very comfortable actually.

Doing this just straight out of the textbook.

He's got a really nice rhythm going.

And he's at the end before we know it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) That's it. That's it.

All class so far from Jordan.

But this is a nightmare of an obstacle, the Slingshot.

He's up already.

He looks good on this Bec.

I mean, he looks good in general but he really looks good on this.

You can see how he's getting his momentum there.

The nice swing - yes! Grabs on.

Halfway there.

Yes! Hits that bungee rope.

And again! Gets it!

He's never done this before,

but he's virtually bouncing his way along the course.

BEN: This dismount will test the right leg.

Yeah! Lands comfortably.

REBECCA: Go on straight up the Warped Wall for Jordan Papandrea.

Yeah, mate! (CHEERING)

He's already up the Warped Wall! (CHEERING)

Here he goes, onto the last three obstacles of the semi-final course.

Time looking good.

Six obstacles done in under 2:20.

He needs to beat the time of 5:38 to get on the Power Tower.

LISA: Go, Jordie! Hey, buddy!

So it's all about the clock,

but right now, it's about the Barrel Roll.

And have a look at the amount of swing he gets going!

Jordan Papandrea!

Oh! These upper body obstacles are meat and three veg for this guy.

Yeah. It's like he's born to be on the Barrel Roll.

But the worry is here, the big jump over the wall.

We know his leg isn't 100%.

Jordan... LEN: Yes! Can he... LEN: Yes!

Yes! Alright!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) And the leg looks to be OK.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Lining up now for the Spider Jump.

Mini tramp. Sticks it.

Oh!

He did favour his left leg there.

So the right might just be stinging.

Right behind ya, buddy!

REBECCA: And Jordan Papandrea has destroyed Eddie Burrill's time

of 5:38. Come on, mate.

And with just the Invisible Ladder to go... Almost home, buddy.

..he's now chasing Dirt's fastest time of 5:12.

He can beat it if he moves quickly.

Oh my goodness. He's at the 4m mark.

Heading towards 5m mark.

Jordan Papandrea at the 6m mark.

He's got two to go, Bec.

He is looking extraordinary at this point, and so too is the clock.

He is gonna smash Dirt's time.

Ooh, having a little trouble as he gets through the hole there.

(BUZZER) He hits it! Bam!

On the buzzer, Jordan Papandrea with the fastest time of the night.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

That run was unbelievable.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

You said it, Bec.

And from this guy, who's not even 100% tonight...

he just grit his teeth, ignored the pain,

and it didn't slow him down at all.

He showcased his gymnastic skills beautifully...

and that is the best performance of this semi-final.

Jordan! How are you going?

How quick were you?

I was very happy. That was awesome. Like, so much fun.

And you got your dad here. Dad, how good was that?

Oh, so happy. I'm really happy for Jordan.

He's trained hard and, yeah. Very excited.

Well done. Enjoy and take in the crowd.

Oh, thanks, mate. Yeah, have a good one.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: If that's what this 24-year-old from NSW can do

carrying an injury,

look out in the grand final!

BEN: And here's confirmation of that dominant run from Jordan Papandrea.

He's in first place,

with Troy 'Dirt' Cullen still on the Power Tower in second.

And what you can't see here is the Barefoot Ninja Daniel Mason

is slowly being pushed down the leader board.

Can he make the grand final?

That's right, Ben.

And a reminder just the top 12 ninjas will go through to the grand final,

with the two fastest battling it out on the all new Power Tower.

Much more to come after the break.

Coming up - the race to the Power Tower intensifies...

as season three grand finalists take to the course.

Who will make the top two?

Will it be season two's furthest fastest Rob Patterson?

Two times grand finalist Mike Snow.

Power Tower winner Flashlin Ashlin Herbert.

Or rising star Zak Stolz.

Just missed out on the Power Tower in the heats.

Tonight, history won't be repeating itself.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

with the Power Tower showdown not too far away.

On the line for two ninjas is a crucial second chance advantage

in the grand final.

BEN: And while you were away,

ninjas have been dominating this semi-final course.

There was season two grand finalist Zed Colback.

This is textbook Ninja Warrior from Zed Colback right now.

Powering through and completing the course in 5:37.

(BUZZER) Yes! MAN: Whoo-hoo!

Queenslander Jack Martin...

On the Spider Wall, perfect timing. Good boy.

Completed in a respectable 6:12.

(BUZZER) Yes!

Jack Martin! What a phenomenal run!

And stuntman Mike Snow.

This is where the stuntman work really comes into play. So good!

After losing six kilos for this season,

he roasted the competition and finished in 4:57.

(BUZZER) (CHEERING)

REBECCA: Put your hands up in the air, Mike Snow!

BEN: Then there was season two furthest fastest Rob Patterson.

He blitzed his way through the early obstacles.

Forward roll and straight up the Warped Wall.

He had a bumpy dismount on the Barrel Roll.

And flings himself at... and over the wall.

(CHUCKLES) What a landing!

But kept the momentum up all the way to the final obstacle.

It's gonna come down to the Invisible Ladder.

Does he have what it takes to get there fast?

You gotta dig really deep if you want it.

How much do you want it, Rob Patterson? How much?

Rob, finally making it to the top

to finish in 4:07. (BUZZER)

What a run, Rob Patterson! Incredible.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: What a night it's been so far as our ninjas put it all on the line

to try to qualify for the grand final.

And with those performances, it's really shaken up the leader board.

Jordan Papandrea and Rob Patterson lead the way

in the top two Power Tower spots.

And stuntman Mike Snow holds third

with Zed Colback fifth.

But if you thought there was drama at the top, have a look at this.

Jack Martin's run puts him into 11,

which means the Barefoot Ninja Daniel Mason, a runner-up from last year,

is in real danger of missing out on the top 12 qualifying spots.

He's hanging on in 12th.

But with two of our fastest ninjas still to run,

he should be worried.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: Worrying times for Daniel,

especially when he sees the calibre of our next competitor.

We've got 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert coming up,

but right now, we've got a season three grand finalist

who is looking fitter, faster and better than ever.

One of the Peninja boys from Victoria.

Make some noise for Zak Stolz.

BEN: The youngest competitor in this semi-final,

and after making it into the grand final last year,

he's stepped up again.

This is gonna be quick, Ben.

That's Zak's mum, Joanna,

and the two other Peninja boys, Dirt and Ashlin,

and Ashlin's gonna be our final runner tonight.

Here we go. (BUZZER)

Zak Stolz knows we've got some really fast times.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) And all it takes is one mistake.

He's already on the Rolling Log.

REBECCA: It's serious right now.

It's serious when you're in the semi-finals

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING)

Go, Zakky!

Time for the Diving Boards now, and you've gotta straighten up.

Straight through, no problem.

Now, obstacle number four - the Ring Toss. Oh!

These guys are really superior in the upper body strength category.

They are so classy in the air.

They seem to spend a lot of time in their training

working on the upper body.

He's done this obstacle faster than anyone else tonight.

Five seconds ahead of Rob Patterson,

which puts him on track for the Power Tower.

Let's go, Zakky!

The Slingshot now.

Looking at those hand positions,

looking at the landing spots.

This is a very skilled athlete right now.

And you know what? He's moving super fast.

15 seconds faster than Rob Patterson to this point.

REBECCA: Oh!

BEN: He is putting the foot down in a major way.

OK, almost at the end now.

Flawless through the Slingshot.

Forget Rob Patterson's time.

Zak's gunning for the fastest time of the night.

Talk about business!

Zak means business tonight! Whoo!

3:43 is tonight's fastest time, set by Jordan Papandrea.

If he keeps going at this current rate, he's going to smash it.

That's it, Zak. Big jump.

Three more obstacles to go!

Onto the Barrel Roll.

You've gotta get enough momentum

to swing all the way to another bar on the other barrel.

He does it beautifully. Go, Zak!

He is undoubtedly one of the strongest ninjas tonight.

Now he comes on the swing down.

Perfect landing!

He's at the Spider Jump already.

If Zak completes this, Daniel Mason is out.

Look at him fly! This is incredible.

We are going for a record time.

And as he completes it,

sadly that's it for the Barefoot Ninja Daniel Mason.

He won't be in the grand final.

Zak Stolz is storming home.

He's getting ready for the final obstacle.

This time is unbelievable.

Here we go. This is your turn, Zak Stolz.

And he starts. He's about 2m up, Bec.

OK. And he's looking really strong here.

And they're big strides he's taking.

3m to go.

The arm is fully outstretched and he's getting so much real estate.

Good job, Zakky!

Zak Stolz is almost to the top. Unbelievable!

He's there, Bec. Unbelievable, Zak Stolz.

You have been phenomenal! (BUZZER)

Zak Stolz, you smashed that out of the park tonight.

That was a phenomenal run.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

40 seconds quicker than the fastest time set by Jordan Papandrea.

Incredible! (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

It certainly was.

This 21-year-old prodigy

just lit up the semi-final course like never before.

I'm not sure anyone can top that.

It will have to be something really special if they do.

Take a bow, champion.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Zak, that was pretty quick. Yeah.

I can tell you right now, that is the quickest time of the night.

Beauty. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

So you've thrown the challenge out to your good mate.

He'll smash it.

Do you reckon you can beat that? Yeah.

Yeah, I want a nap first though. (LAUGHTER)

He wants to have a nap first and then you wanna beat your good mate.

We might have a new favourite in the competition tonight.

Congratulations, Zak. Thank you very much.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

BEN: And as Zak Stolz leaves the arena,

you know what was interesting there, Bec?

Ashlin Herbert, his mate, had a bit of a shock look on his face

because he knows that was something very special.

He also knows he's expected to beat it,

especially with his ten second time advantage.

Can he do it? We'll find out after the break.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to the first semi-final

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

We're down to our final competitor of the night.

He's one of the favourites for this year's Ninja title.

Furthest fastest in his heat,

armed with a time advantage from the Power Tower.

Let's give it up for 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert!

(EPIC MUSIC)

Ashlin Herbert is gonna close this thing out and do it.

FREDDIE: Oh, unbelievable! Ashlin Herbert!

Ashlin Herbert, the first ninja to hit the buzzer on the Power Tower.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

MAN: My pick to be on Power Tower tonight...

I think Ashlin. It has to be Ashlin.

Ashlin, 'cause he's got his ten second advantage.

(EPIC MUSIC)

I don't think Ashlin needs a ten second advantage. (LAUGHS)

He's the guy who runs, on average, 20 seconds faster than most anyway.

(EPIC MUSIC)

Not only is he so quick, but he can do these amazing transitions.

(EPIC MUSIC)

The guy's a machine. He's in a league of his own.

The chances of Ashlin Power Tower again...

with his ten second lead is, I reckon he's up there.

Ah, strategy for tonight will be...

get through it as fast as I can, as normal.

So, yeah, I'll see how we go.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I've got my running boots on

because I've gotta try and keep up with this man

which is gonna be very hard to do.

REBECCA: This guy is quick.

He's undoubtedly one of the quickest in this competition,

and on top of that, he brings in a ten second time advantage

from winning the Power Tower.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) ALL CHANT: Flashlin!

There's Ashlin's partner, Sarah, alongside Dirt and Zak,

who, of course, will be on the Power Tower

after posting the fastest time tonight.

Flashlin! For Ashlin to join him,

he needs to beat Jordan Papandrea's second place time of 3:43.

BEN: And he does have that precious time advantage from the heats,

so take ten seconds off his finishing time.

How crucial will that turn out to be?

(BUZZER)

REBECCA: Off he goes, on the Snake Run.

He will do this in record time.

Do not look away from your TV sets

because Ashlin Herbert is ready to roll!

Very smart work from Ashlin - brings the headband down,

just in case it flings off into the water.

Taking no chances this evening.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The Diving Boards.

BEN: And Ashlin Herbert, Ninja Warrior superstar.

One, two, three.

Look at him absolutely fly.

SHANE: That is lightning quick!

Onto the Ring Toss.

Can Ashlin keep up this risk-free approach?

Not even going through every peg. Doesn't need to.

Yeah, he's only used 4 of the 12 pegs.

That's how good Ashlin Herbert is.

Not as fast as we've seen him before,

but still well inside Jordan Papandrea's time.

Ooh! But he almost had a mishap.

That was close. Zak, pick it up.

That was really close.

Steady down. Steady on. Oh!

He's had two close calls on the last two laches.

But now it's the metre drop!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) That's better.

That will settle the nerves down a little bit.

He's a bit ragged.

Oh no! Oh no! He's down.

(BUZZER)

REBECCA: Unbelievable. I cannot believe what I've just seen.

(POIGNANT MUSIC)

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert has hit the water... Oh...

..and just like his great rival Daniel Mason, Ashlin is out.

Can you believe it? He's not gonna be in this year's grand final?

Ashlin only just lands the right side of the bar on the bungees.

Now watch the left.

As he corrects himself, he goes too far.

And two of the bungees are released, trapping the bar.

Without correcting that, it was always gonna be game over.

Oh, Sarah offering her commiserations.

She's just as shocked as the rest of us.

This will be the first time in Australian Ninja Warrior history

that Ashlin Herbert will not be in the grand final.

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

Flashlin Ashlin and the Barefoot Ninja miss the cut

and don't make the top 12.

But Sam Goodall and Alex Matthews just qualify for the grand final.

(READS GRAPHIC)

New ninja Eddie Burrill is eighth

after one of the performances of the night.

While Dirt gets better and better - he's in fifth.

And at the top... (READS GRAPHIC)

After an unbelievable night of twists and turns,

Zak Stolz and Jordan Papandrea will battle it out

right here on the Power Tower.

It is coming up right after the break.

The stakes are raised with an all new semi-final Power Tower.

If you thought the Power Tower in the heats was daunting,

wait until you see this.

And it comes with an unbelievable game-changing advantage

for the winner.

If the winner makes a mistake in the grand final,

they'll get to run again.

(EPIC MUSIC)

Zak Stolz...

Jordan Papandrea...

fighting it out on the all new semi-final Power Tower.

That's coming right up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior semi-finals.

We've got a beauty of a battle tonight, Bec -

Zak Stolz and Jordan Papandrea head to head on the Power Tower.

It's a thrilling one-on-one race to the top to hit the buzzer.

REBECCA: But the stakes are raised,

as the winner of the Power Tower tonight

gets a second chance advantage in the grand final.

That means if you make a mistake in the grand final,

you get to run the course again.

An incredible advantage for the winner

in the quest to reach Mount Midoriyama.

But such a game-changing advantage

deserves an even more formidable Power Tower.

The new semi-finals Power Tower starts with five steps,

each 1.5m high.

At the top, ninjas slide down the ropes

and climb up five bar grips.

Then a real test of strength on the inverted cones.

Before they race across the unstable ladders...

and lache onto the platform to hit the buzzer.

It's without doubt a very difficult obstacle

for that very big reward -

a second chance advantage in the grand final.

You bet! This will be ninja versus ninja at its very best.

Let's get this underway.

There's absolutely nothing in this,

their height and weight closely matched.

But will Jordan's competitive gymnastics background

give him the edge?

Or will Zak's speed push him to the front?

It's just too close to call.

Hold on tight.

Jordan Papandrea and Zak Stolz head to head on the Power Tower.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (OMINOUS MUSIC)

The ninjas are ready. They mean business.

Zak taking on Jordan. This is gonna be incredible.

Are you ready? OK. Here we go.

(CHEERING)

(BUZZER) Zak Stolz and Jordan Papandrea.

Zak Stolz is off to a good start.

Jordan catching up on him now, though.

In fact, Jordan's just overtaken him, Bec.

Jordan pops over, down the rope first.

But Zak is going at him really hard.

Jordan's had a little falter there on the hook,

and that's given the opportunity for Zak at the moment.

They are neck and neck. There is nothing between them.

Zak's catching him,

although I think Jordan's just got him by an inch or two.

Jordan hits the ladder first.

Zak's only half a second behind! This is so close!

It's unbelievable. It's gonna come down to a whisker now.

Jordan making up time on the ladder,

but Zak I think is gonna get there! I don't know, I don't know!

The swing is wrong. He found it!

Zak Stolz hits the buzzer first.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

What a run from this 21-year-old.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Whoa oh! Jordan had the early lead,

hitting the inverted cones and ladders first.

But Zak came through right when it mattered

with a huge lache that saw him steal the win

and earn that second chance advantage in the grand final.

Zak! Well done.

Winner of the year, Power Tower competition, up against Jordan.

What a race! Oh, that was fun. It was wicked.

Um... (CHEERING)

..I was super excited to get up on it,

but, man, like, so close the whole way.

And you've got the advantage, so what does that mean?

Well, the advantage is a game changer.

I mean, I'd love to not have to use it.

Last year, I fell off... pretty late in stage two,

so that could've been a game changer having that last year,

so, yeah, you never know.

Might come in really handy.

Congratulations. Amazing race.

Can't wait to see you in a grand final. Well done.

Thank you very much.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (EPIC MUSIC)

What a finish. Well done to Zak Stolz.

Well done also to Jordan Papandrea.

And we can't wait to see both of you boys in the big grand final.

Can't wait. But that's all we have time for tonight.

But make sure you join us for our second semi-final

on Australian Ninja Warrior. Goodnight!

BEN: Tomorrow night...

semi-final two...

and some of the biggest names in Ninja Warrior history

are looking to go all the way.

The pressure is on and I need to do whatever I can to be in that top 12.

Including Charlie Robbins

and Ben Polson...

who both have a ten second time advantage up their sleeve

after winning the Power Tower.

I've been training all year for this.

I wanna get invited to that awesome party

which is the Ninja Warrior grand final.

Some are looking for redemption.

I've got over the anxious feeling and the nerves of the first time

and I've been training harder than ever.

And they all want a shot at the mother of all Power Towers.

It's new and improved for the semi-finals.

He's got it! REBECCA: Oh!

Zak Stolz hits the buzzer first.

(EPIC MUSIC) We've dialled up the intensity

for their last shot at the grand final

and the chance to climb that mountain.

This is just one more buzzer,

one more step to my ultimate goal.

(EPIC MUSIC)