Original subtitles

Last night...

Whoa! How good's that?

..under the watchful eye of Nick Kyrgios...

REBECCA: Straight up the Warped Wall!

What did I just witness?

..Mount Midoriyama's fury exploded.

ALL: Oh!

The mountain might be angry,

but that didn't worry Flashlin Ashlin Herbert.

He blitzed the course.

Right up that Warped Wall! Whoa!

Then won the battle on the Power Tower.

Books his place straight into the grand final.

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you.

It's a night of ninja royalty

with an incredible seven previous grand finalists...

I don't care how angry Mount Midoriyama is,

this year, I'm getting up that thing.

..as the battle of man versus mountain heats up.

And it's couples night.

There's Travis Edwards and his partner the Koori Ninja,

Jessica Russell.

And I'm hitting the buzzer this year.

Could nanny Judith Carol and her paramedic boyfriend Mat Hitchins-Read

become our next ninja power couple?

I'd love it if Mat and I could make the Power Tower together.

That would be a pretty awesome showdown, I think.

And we've got an Olympian in the house -

Ky Hurst.

I've never been so nervous.

Maybe he'll end up on the Power Tower for a shot at a fast pass

to the grand finals.

One thing's for certain,

Mount Midoriyama won't be making it easy.

(SLAM)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(GRAND MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Welcome to Australian Ninja Warrior.

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

Here at Sydney's Olympic Park,

some of the greatest athletes in the world have made history.

Tonight, it's our Ninja's turn to do the same

as they tackle the toughest obstacle course ever devised.

It's gonna be huge, Bec.

Competing on the course tonight a host of incredible ninjas

who've been training all year for this moment.

There are plenty of first timers,

and many with some serious ninja pedigree -

Jordan Papandrea and Ryan Solomon

are among seven returning grand finalists,

including last year's runners-up.

Yes, two of the biggest guns are back -

2019's furthest fastest Charlie Robbins and Zak Stolz.

They both conquered Mount Midoriyama last season,

but narrowly missed grabbing the title.

We know Mount Midoriyama wants revenge,

but so do these guys.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Tonight, our ninjas begin their quest

for the Ninja Warrior crown.

Here are the obstacles they'll have to face.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

The five Shrinking Steps

are the hardest starting obstacle we've ever had.

Ten ninjas over the last two weeks know that pinpoint accuracy

is required.

Obstacle two is:

Strength and timing are vital

to get to the rope which is attached to a bungee.

Grab it too low and ninjas could hit the water.

(BUZZER)

The Cyclone Spinner is a brand-new obstacle this season.

So far it's taken out 14 ninjas.

Complete four full rotations and the ninja should be safe.

Anything less and there are no guarantees.

If they make it past the Cyclone Spinner,

the ninjas must pick their path to the Walked Wall.

Path A is slower with two obstacles that are known, but difficult.

The first:

Each shelf 2.1m apart with just a narrow ledge to grab.

The other body punishment continues with the:

The longer they spend on this obstacle

the tougher it becomes.

If the ninjas choose the faster path B,

they'll step into the unknown.

Their strength, speed, and reactions will be tested on the Ring Chaser.

Olivia Vivian came unstuck on this obstacle in heat one.

Clockwork is next and hand eye coordination is vital,

because all the cogs are connected and the ninja's target is moving.

Complete either path and the new and bigger Warped Wall awaits.

This season, it's 10cm higher,

which means getting to the buzzer is harder than ever.

Now as we know, speed is the key here on Ninja Warrior.

You want to go as fast as you can,

because this season, the Power Tower's back, Ben.

That's right.

The two fastest ninjas over the course tonight

will face each other on the Power Tower.

Up for grabs an incredible advantage -

it's an express pass straight into the grand final...

Wow.

..bypassing the semi-finals altogether.

That means 19 ninjas will move forward after tonight's heat.

One straight to the grand final,

the other 18 will have to summon the courage

and take on the punishment of a semi-final course

that's harder than ever.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

This season, the ninja who goes furthest farthest overall

will walk away with $100,000.

Conquer Mount Midoriyama,

and that prizemoney doubles, Bec, to $200,000

and with that comes the title of Australian Ninja Warrior 2021.

(CHEERS)

OK, it's time for the ninjas to do their thing.

Here we go!

Given how brutal this course has been over the last two nights,

we're sending out some heavy hitters early.

The first ninja tonight ready to rise to the challenge

is a man with more course experience than most.

He is a three-time grand finalist

and one of 12 ninjas to have competed in every season.

It is Ryan Solomon.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Ninja Warrior's been a huge part of my life for the last three years.

Basically, season one I had Amy supporting me there

as my girlfriend.

Arms bent! Bend your arms!

Yes! Come on, baby!

In season two, I dropped the knee and we got engaged.

Between season two and three we ended up getting married

and not long after that we found out that we were pregnant.

And at 18 weeks in we found out sadly that our little girl Lola

wasn't going to make it.

Took its toll mentally, physically on both of us.

But yes, we pushed through, we were stronger as a couple,

and we've been so blessed to have a healthy, happy little boy

here with us now.

Give Daddy a kiss.

Mwah.

This year I've got the ultimate motivation to take it all the way

and prove to my son River that his dad is a Ninja champion.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

And that's Amy and River on the sideline.

And great news - River is about to become a big brother!

Congratulations, guys.

Will he take the top - of course he will,

it's Ryan Solomon - that's what he does.

That's his trademark.

(WOMEN SCREAM) Wow.

He wasn't going to let his fan club down.

And something else to have a look at is his record.

Three out of the four times he's competed

he's made the grand finals.

Is this the year he goes all the way?

Wife Amy and young River will certainly be hoping so, Ben.

(BUZZER)

OK, there it goes, that's the buzzer.

Ryan Solomon - the first ninja of heat three for 2021

and he is powerfully over the Shrinking Steps.

They've troubled plenty of ninjas, but not so for Ryan.

He's onto the second obstacle.

He came off this in a grand final way back in season one.

The Big Dipper to Rope - you've got to nail the launch.

You don't want to launch at the end - it flips your legs up,

you do the back whacker.

He's one of our heavier ninjas - there he goes.

Yes!

It scares me every time. Oh!

Oh, the Cyclone Spinner.

I feel dizzy already.

Don't worry, Crawf.

Although, 14 ninjas have failed on this in the last two nights.

I love this obstacle - it's all about technique here.

Ryan, he needs to wedge his feet in and get his body close to that disc.

Feet in looks good, standing quite high though.

One. Two.

Oh, he's off!

Ryan Solomon!

He's hit the water.

Ryan Solomon's gone!

We can not lose Ryan Solomon.

Surely not.

What went wrong?

Well, you better have a look at the replay.

And you said it, Bec, it's about technique,

and look where Ryan's shoulders are.

They should be below his hands.

His legs are straight, he goes upside-down,

and there's no applying any pressure.

It just didn't give him the help he needed.

That's not the start that any of us were expecting.

Oh, this is a massive blow.

What's going through your head?

Oh, mate, that thing's unreal.

It's, um... Yeah, It's unlike anything you can ever train for.

It's a weird feeling up and down trying to lock it in

and I felt my feet going after the first time around

and I just tried to hold it.

But it's not forgiving at all

and I wish the next ninjas the best of luck with it.

It's a tricky one.

Good on you, mate. Well done.

Go see the family.

Thanks a lot, Shane.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

REBECCA: Well, Mount Midoriyama towers over this course.

It is standing there saying,

"If you want a shot at this title,

"you are going to have to prove yourself worthy."

A three-time grand finalist might not make the cut! Wow!

Alright, what can our next ninja bring to the battle?

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

From a tiny town in country NSW,

this hard-working farmer ready to have a real crack at the course.

Please welcome Jim MacArthur.

Woo!

Hello, Jim.

It's like someone drew a picture of a farmer and made it come to life.

G'day, I'm Jimmy MacArthur, a farmer from Tambar Springs NSW.

(COUNTRY MUSIC)

Ah, I'm running the ninja course 'cause I wasn't smart enough

to get on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'

Yeah, Nugget, Nugget, Nugget!

You can do it. Nugget!

Nugget!

We've got a mixed farm.

We've got sheep, cattle, and cropping.

Um, yeah, we're fairly busy most of the year round.

We don't have a lot of downtime.

But better than sitting in an office -

I don't really have the attention span for that.

Yeah.

(WHISTLES) Here, go back!

With farm work there is a lot of physical stuff going on

like moving cattle and lifting machinery and heavy stuff.

Yeah, keeps you on your toes all the time.

Might have a good bit of grip strength

for all the physical stuff I do.

Might be a bit nimble on my feet chasing a few things around.

But yeah, we'll just see how we go.

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Hello, Harry, that's Jim's sister here to support her

not so little brother.

He's got new wheels.

Oh, brand spanking new.

Never been worn by the look of it.

Crawf, can you get a look at the new shoes for us?

He's definitely got farmer's sneakers.

Those shoes have holes in 'em!

But they might be lucky country shoes.

Go, Jim!

(BUZZER)

OK, the buzzer has gone.

Come on, Jim.

Five Shrinking Steps to get through.

Oh, Jim MacArthur is gone! Oh! He's out!

No!

You know what? They'll all be cheering him on.

He'll have a story to tell when he gets home to Tambar Springs.

Short story, but a story all the same.

Let's have a look at the story now.

I hate to say it, it might've been the shoes.

His accuracy was good on the first two steps,

not bad on the third.

He overshoots the fourth and slips off.

Farmer Jim gets a drenching.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Jim, oh, my goodness, look at that farmer.

What a body for a farmer.

Hey, I got your hat. Congratulations.

Well done for being a part of the show.

Yeah, no, that's alright.

What happened?

Oh, you know, just lost me feet, yeah.

Bit uncoordinated.

Happens to the best of us.

Yes, of course.

Now how long have you been training?

'Cause you train on the farm, is that right?

Yeah, yeah, not long enough, obviously.

(LAUGHTER)

Maybe it was your shoes.

'Cause I noticed before you started they've got a few holes in them.

I was meant to buy a new pair today but I kind of ran out of time.

So, yeah.

Thank for coming.

Put your hands together for our country boy!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

It's a tough course tonight, Bec,

not just for our new ninjas,

but also for those with plenty of experience.

It's time to bring out another of our heavy hitters.

When we talk about elite ninjas,

this guy is always in the conversation.

In his three previous seasons

he's made the grand final three times!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Last year in the semis

he went head-to-head with Zak Stolz on the Power Tower.

He's a gymnast and Ninja Warrior superstar.

(BUZZER)

It's Jordan Papandrea!

She loves him.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

There are many reasons I'd like to win back to ninja.

A lot of it's sort of redemption

and proving that I can get past these obstacles.

The goal and the objective stays the exact same for me

regardless of how difficult it is.

From day one, Mount Midoriyama was the thing

that I just wanted to have a go at.

I know what I'm capable of and I know what I need to do

and I'm determined to nail this course.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Get comfortable, Australia, Jordan Papandrea is in the house

and he is good.

Sit back and enjoy this.

REBECCA: Ah-ha. That is Jordan's girlfriend, Tilly,

and father Lee on the sideline.

They'll be providing plenty of support.

This guy's a real contender.

If anyone can crush this course it's this man right here.

Could this be the year that Jordan Papandrea does it?

(BUZZER)

OK, here he goes.

Step one, two, three, four, five and through.

That's it.

Yo! Superb footwork from Jordan.

Now obstacle two - the Big Dipper to Rope.

Come on, Jordy!

If you want to know how to nail this obstacle,

just watch how Jordan does it.

This will be flawless.

Here he goes. Oh, that beautiful technique.

Launches himself beautifully, grabs the rope up high

and he's safe.

This is the Cyclone Spinner - a disk with handles and toe clips.

A 7m long track and a dismount pad at the end.

It just took out Ryan Solomon.

Jordan Papandrea wants to smash it.

It's all about technique this.

You've got to get your body flat to that disc and off he goes.

Four full rotations to get to the end.

Hang in there, mate.

That is two - looking good, looking strong.

He's got it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Oh, has he? NO!

(BUZZER)

He made it!

Just at the last minute, that is shattering.

He will be absolutely devastated.

What is going on tonight?

We need to look at the replay.

I think everyone is shocked - he was looking good.

Maybe a touch high on the Cyclone Spinner.

His legs straightening out a little bit when he was upside down

and maybe he could feel himself going.

But you can see here he spots the landing,

he releases early, and it just isn't far enough

to get onto the crash pad.

Such high hopes and well, who knows?

Ryan and now maybe Jordon - will they make the semis?

Jordon, there's your towel.

How are you feeling?

Mate, I've seen better days.

You know, um... Ah!

God, that sucks, man.

That really does suck.

I honestly, I had such good hopes this year

and been training hard and the course is angry

and I'm pretty angry back at it.

And hopefully I can still get a chance for the semis.

I got here kind of a decent time, but I'll see how it goes.

Good on you, well done.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Well, he's right about the course being angry.

It's a different kind of beast this year.

It's been testing the ninjas.

OK, heat three.

It started off with some shocks. Are there more on the way?

(SLAM)

Coming up,

can Zak Stolz and Charlie Robbins repeat last season's performance

by making it all the way to the mountain?

Revenge will be served, but by who?

And next, riot squad police officer Jeffrey Mercado,

he can handle an angry mob,

can he handle the anger of the mountain?

Mount Midoriyama - you have the right to remain silent.

Plus, we have a new ninja power couple.

Jessica Russell - the Koori Ninja, and Travis Edwards.

And nanny Judith Carol and paramedic partner Mat Hitchins-Read -

they're both up for the challenge, too.

REBECCA: From Western Australia to the Sunshine Coast,

professional race car drivers to professional ironmen,

and iron grandpas.

Which ninjas have got what it takes

to conquer the toughest course the heats have ever seen

and secure a fast pass to the grand final on the Power Tower?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(SLAM)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior

from Sydney's Olympic Park -

a place where hopes and dreams are realised

and shattered in equal measure.

I'll tell you what, that Cyclone Spinner

has been the bane of many competitors.

Ryan Solomon, a three-time grand finalist came unstuck on it.

And in another shot, Jordan Papandrea,

who got all the way to grand final two last year,

and he hit the water, too, in a slower fashion.

Both of them feeling the full force of Mount Midoriyama's anger,

both now at risk of not making the semis because of the Cyclone Spinner.

Well, let's see now our next ninja tackles it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Bush fires, floods, lockdown protests,

this Sydney police officer has certainly had a busy 12 months.

And now here he is on Ninja Warrior, The Enforcer ninja,

Jeffrey Mercado.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(CHANTING)

And have a look at The Enforcer's contingent -

they're all fired up.

My name is Jeffrey Mercado,

I am a returning ninja from season two.

Up, up, up!

Yeah, home!

And I am in the riot squad.

(DARK MUSIC)

2020 has been a crazy year for frontline workers.

I spent a lot of time helping out evacuation during the bush fires.

Then the flood follows.

And soon after that, we were hit with the COVID.

Unfortunately, as a front-line worker,

this is the sort of thing that we have to be ready for

and the sacrifices that we have to make.

We have to be performing the best during someone else's worst time.

We're risking our lives for other people.

The reward that I get as a frontline worker

is the little things that I do, that we do, it counts,

because we do the jobs that most people don't want to do.

I'm back for season five

because this year I really want to represent the frontline workers.

I want to recognise them for their hard work and effort and sacrifice

they put during these crazy times, and this is for you.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

REBECCA: Aw. There she is, baby Aurora,

and Jeffrey's partner, April.

Baby Aurora not so keen on Australian Ninja Warrior. (LAUGHS)

But Daddy is,

and at this present moment, that's all that matters.

OK, he's pumped and he's ready to go.

His first challenge is the Shrinking Steps.

(BUZZER)

It's by far the toughest first obstacle we've had

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Nicely done, in full control!

Can he do well, Crawf? He's a big bloke, too - 185cm

and 95kg.

Now Big Dipper to Rope.

He'll be hanging on to almost double his body weight

at the bottom of this dip.

It's a curved track and then you've got to hit the rope high.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

He's done it.

The crowd's going off.

What a show of strength.

The strong arm of the law there.

Now he faces an even greater challenge.

And he's about to have his world turned upside down

on the Cyclone Spinner.

Crawf, what's Jeffrey got to do to stay on?

Keep your bum flat - that's the key.

Push your bum in as close to the spinner as possible.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Oh, no. Oh, he's wrestling it!

Oh, no, he's gone.

He's gone.

And look at the agony in the crowd.

Ben, I'm getting worried.

Not one single ninja has got past obstacles three.

Not many people can do what you do!

Oh, and it hasn't changed the mood of little Aurora, either.

Well, at 95kg, it was always going to be a tough challenge

for The Enforcer.

He showed great power on the Big Dipper to Rope

and it saved him there.

But you can't muscle your way through the Cyclone Spinner -

it's about technique.

And have a look at Jeffrey's feet.

It's really only his toes that are sticking in.

Once he's upside down, there was no way of hanging on.

Here we go, Jeff, well done.

Whoa.

Thank you so much.

It is a brutal course, isn't it?

You know what? Like, that's really, really hard.

Like, 'cause of my size 12 feet, I couldn't lock it in there.

I thought I had it, I thought I was gonna stop

and you know, reassess again, but that didn't quite work.

Hey, and what about your support crew - incredible.

Oh, they're awesome. Guys, thank you so much!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

I wish I'd done better, but you know,

and I just want to say to all the frontline workers

that dedicated their time during this craziness,

thank you all so much

and you guys don't get enough credit for what you do.

So I ask the public that you know if you see one of us

frontline workers -

your firies, your doctors, your nurses, your cops,

give us a thumbs up, not the other finger...

(LAUGHTER)

..and Australia, I hope I'll be back next season.

And that mountain - that's it.

The mountain's got your name on it.

Well done. Go see the family, you're a legend.

Good on you.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

REBECCA: Ah, couldn't agree more, Crawf,

it has been a year full of craziness.

And we extend our thanks to all those frontline workers

who have been working tirelessly through what has been

a very challenging year.

100% we say thank you to them.

Righto, time to bring out our next ninja.

After a shock exit last year in the heats,

the nanny from Sydney is back with a vengeance.

Let's make some noise for Judith Carol.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Judith! Woo! Woo!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS) Woo!

Go, Judith!

When I was 11 or 12 I was at the Australian Institute of Sport

and Olivia Vivian and the rest of the Austrian 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.

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

Do you want something to eat?

Since running the course last year

I've been spending a lot of my time nannying.

I look after two girls that are five and nine.

I do like to try and be a role model for not necessarily just Ninja,

but being active and giving everything a good go.

(LAUGHS) Yeah.

What do you think I'll be good at?

If there's anything with laches.

Some of the other ninjas might just think

that I'm a nanny who isn't going to do that well,

but I'm definitely going to show them that I can make it to the end.

I think you are going to be epic.

(LAUGHS) Epic? I hope so!

Come on, Judith!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Look at the concentration of Judith Carol.

Last year, got really nervous at the start.

She said that really affected her performance.

Been practising a lot of meditation

just to get her head in the right headspace.

Can she be a real challenger to Olivia Vivian?

Plenty of support on the sidelines tonight.

That's the family Judith nannies for.

Her best friend Laura's there, boyfriend Mat Hitchins-Read

who we'll see on the course later.

And word is he is a bit of a weapon.

Well she is looking really focussed now and she needs to be.

(BUZZER)

This is a daunting course.

Her first job - the Shrinking Steps.

And she's made it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Now she's onto obstacle two, the Big Dipper to Rope.

She means business, I'll tell you what.

It wasn't a nervous start, it was a perfect start.

Judith looking a little hesitant.

Now she needs to grab the rope high.

Yes, she has got it high! Yes.

Eat your heart out, Mary Poppins, this nanny can fly!

But now, oh, the obstacle no ninja has made it past tonight.

This tests the strength of the lower body.

Judith will have to hang on with all she's made of.

Being flat here is the key in using all four points of contact

to apply pressure would help her stay on.

She has to be low and close.

Oh, not that close enough to me, this could be bad.

She's looking a little loose.

Oh!

She's in trouble!

Oh! Somehow though, Judith has become the first ninja tonight

to complete the Cyclone Spinner!

How did she do that?

Now she's got a decision to make.

She's gone A - no hesitation at all.

What can this northern beaches nanny do next?

She's halfway through the course, but she's got a long way to go.

I think this is an interesting choice.

The best females from heats one and two chose path A.

Is it possible Judith Carol can go further?

She's 172cm tall, the distance between the shelves is 2.1m.

The gap is wider than she is tall.

She did that brilliantly. She's got control.

Yeah, and look how she winds up for the lache.

Drives high with her hips and legs.

Yes. Oh!

One more jump to go.

She's taking some big breaths now.

Let's just see if she's got enough gas to hold...

She does.

This is incredible.

Now a 3m wide gap.

If she makes this, she's onto obstacle five.

Come on, Judith.

Yes! She's done it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Have a look at her mates on the sideline absolutely losing it

because Judith Carol is one obstacle away from the Warped Wall.

Standing in her way, the Floating Monkey.

Judith will have to dig deep here.

Yeah, it's a complex obstacle.

Has the ninja nanny got enough in the tank

for obstacle five?

She's onto the fixed bar and the next one now.

These two bars move.

You've got to take them with you.

She locks it in - good work, Judith!

Oh, she's just missed that one. Whoa!

Now she recovers.

That's OK, every ninja needs a bit of luck.

If Judith completes this obstacle,

she will have earned a spot at the Warped Wall.

Come on, Judith!

And now she's got a chance to do it. Yes! Look at that!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

She's the first female to the Warped Wall this season.

Can she hit the buzzer?

Now ninjas get three attempts to remind you to get up the wall.

It is 10cm higher than last year,

and this could be the difference between hitting a buzzer or not.

ALL CHANT: Beat that wall!

In our history of Ninja,

only eight females have made it up the Warped Wall.

Can Judith make it nine?

The Sydney crowd has got a chance to cheer on the 24 year old

from their own home town.

The family she nannies watching closely on the sideline.

Three shots at the Warped Wall. Hopefully she won't need it.

4.35m in height.

Sucking in the oxygen. Here she goes.

Running, pumping the arms. Here we go!

Go!

Oh, surely the ninja gods won't be this cruel.

Judith was so good through the course.

She has to get up this wall.

Well, she's had a look at it.

She is now being smart, taking some time.

She's got one goal and that is to

prove to herself she can hit that buzzer.

Oh, look at her reset those shoulders. This is it.

CROWD (CHANTING): Beat the wall!

I'm not sure if it's me or the family

who are more nervous at this point.

This is attempt number two.

OK, here she goes.

Oh!

10cm could be the difference. Look how close that was.

Last season I reckon that would have been good enough to get there.

Oh!

Look at Judith's supporters. They are feeling it.

This will be her third and final attempt.

You've got it.

She doesn't look to me like someone

lacking confidence about what she's about to do.

OK, Judith, that's right, get angry. Let's go up this wall.

Go!

Oh, she's done it! (CHEERING)

She's done it! (BUZZER HOOTS)

Oh, my goodness me!

It's unbelievable. Done it Judith!

Oh, my goodness.

Look at the family.

Oh, wow!

How good was that! She made it!

Judith Carroll, you're superhuman tonight.

That was extraordinary.

Thank you.

Judith, when you were looking at the family down there you were

smiling at them, you just had this feeling of confidence about you.

When you turned around and faced the Wall,

it just looked like you were gonna make it up there.

Did you feel it before it happened? (CHEERING)

Yeah, I think on the last go

I was getting a lot of support and I just had to make it.

Well, you did that and more, Judith.

You should be super proud because

this course has knocked some of our best ninjas out and you are here.

Congratulations. Go down and see your family and friends. Well done.

Lets give it up for Judith Carroll.

And what a superb performance.

Right from the start of the run she

looked like she knew exactly what she was doing.

Perfect technique on the Big Dipper.

She chanced her arm on the Cyclone Spinner

but had the spatial awareness to get away with it.

Almost flawless through the last two obstacles.

And while she made us wait anxiously,

Judith Carroll got the game face on

and there was no way this nanny was going to disappoint the kids.

She came here to do what she had to do, she whacked that buzzer.

(BUZZER HOOTS)

(CHEERING)

What a performance from Judith Carroll.

Take that, Mount Midoriyama.

There are ninjas here who can

handle whatever you want to throw at them.

Alright, stick with us, ninja fans,

the cage has just been rattled by a new breed of ninja.

How will the old guard respond?

Coming up, two-time grand finalist

Nathan Ryles is back and he's a man on a mission.

Mount Midoriyama, all you other ninjas, I'm coming for you.

He is touted as the one to watch

and he is just seen his girlfriend hit a buzzer.

Paramedic Mat Hutchins-Read takes to the course.

But they're not the only couple in town.

You've got the Koori ninja, Jessica Russell,

and her boyfriend Travis Edwards.

They'll also run.

And later Zak Stolz. He finished third last year.

Charlie Robbins was second.

They'll start their journey

as they attempt to make back-to-back climbs of Mount Midoriyama.

(THEME MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior

where nanny Judith Carroll just

smashed the toughest Ninja Warrior course we've ever had and became

the first female ninja this season to scale the Warped Wall.

REBECCA: Oh, my goodness me!

But not everyone has been so fortunate.

Peter Day, a 29-year-old lifesaver

from Sydney, was hoping his water skills wouldn't be needed.

But it was a shaky, shaky start.

He did it but I have no idea how.

It's a steep learning curve for new ninjas

as Peter found out on the Big Dipper to Rope.

Oh, missed the rope entirely.

Luckily Crawf was on hand to help him out.

A lifesaver. There we go.

Queensland's Harry Jones,

professional racing car driver, is used to hitting the course fast.

Here we go.

But a heavy foot on the fourth step

and an early look at the rope

and his race was over before it even began.

Crash.

From the tiny town of Dongara in WA,

the youngest ninja of the heat trained hard in his backyard

and travelled 4,000km to compete.

One, two, three, four...

Oh!

Experience, sadly, is all part of the ninja journey.

Well Bec, our next ninja has had quite the journey himself.

Nathan Ryles battled cancer when he was younger

and the Starlight Foundation granted him a wish.

Now he's paying it forward

to a massive fan of Ninja Warrior from South Australia

who just wanted to meet a ninja.

At the age of 19 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

When I was going through chemotherapy,

that was probably the toughest time of my life.

The Starlight foundation offered me this opportunity to

make a wish and my wish involved going to the Gold Coast.

Now it's my turn to be able to give back to Starlight Foundation...

BOY: Hello, Nathan. Hey, guys. How you going?

Good. Good.

..and give another kid the opportunity

to make his wish come true.

Who do you think is the best on Ninja Warrior?

I think it's Charlie Robbins. Oh, Charlie Robbins!

Cooper is a young boy that I've met through the Starlight Foundation.

And who is your second favourite?

Ben Polson. (LAUGHTER)

Unfortunately Cooper was born with too much fluid on his brain.

It is a serious condition but, you know, he's such a great kid.

His memory is unreal.

In Season One of Australian Ninja Warrior State of Origin,

on Round 2 your team fell off on the second obstacle.

I know. Who was that? Do you remember?

That was Darren Sutton.

What is your favourite obstacle?

My favourite obstacle would have to be the Salmon Ladder.

Because you fell on it in the semi-finals in 2018.

That is a very good memory.

And what about when you fell off from on Spinning Log.

Yeah, that hurt quite a bit actually.

Yes.

I fell hard on my face.

Are you ready to hit some obstacles? Yeah.

Let's do it.

Nathan Ryles bounces off the tramp,

flies onto the second bar,

onto the third one.

Do you reckon I'll get this one, Coop?

Pretty confident.

I like it! Whoo!

Whoo!

Honestly, this is the most pressure I've ever felt on Ninja.

I just don't want Cooper to tell me another time

that I've fallen in the water.

(LAUGHS)

(CHEERING)

Well, we've organised a little bit of extra support for Nathan tonight.

In the screen now is Cooper.

Hello, Cooper! Hello.

Hi.

And that's Cooper's mum Charlotte and brother Mason just beside him.

What do you want to say to Nathan?

Smash it, Nathan. (LAUGHS)

On that note we've got nothing else to add. Smash it, Nathan.

I think everyone here outside the Olympic Stadium

wants to see Nathan Ryles make it to the Warped Wall.

No doubt about it, Ben, he's got the credentials.

A two-time grand finalist last season,

just missed the semis by one place.

He is going to attack this course...

(BELL RINGS) ..with a vengeance.

Here he goes. Nathan Ryles, Season 5 Australian Ninja Warrior.

Done and dusted the Shrinking Steps.

Cooper is loving that,

watching on all the way from South Australia

and now he gets ready for the Big Dipper to Rope.

If you don't have the right technique here...

You need lots of strength. We know Nathan Ryles has got plenty of that.

If his legs touch the water it's game over.

So he's got to hit that rope high. Here he goes.

He's going for it.

Nathan Ryles, he grabs the rope, makes it to the landing.

How good is that, Cooper?

I'm loving the confidence. Yeah.

The calmness. I like it.

Well, now it's the Cyclone Spinner.

We've seen three ninjas come off here already tonight.

It's strength, it's technique. Both are vital.

Hips and shoulders need to be low, legs bent,

then stay as close to the Spinner as you can and hang on till it stops.

Watch Nathan's body.

If his body is hard up against that disc he'll make it.

If it comes away, we lose him.

Hard up against the disc, Nathan.

Oh my goodness, he's almost there!

Yes, Nathan Ryles.

He has done it.

They're now at the crossroads.

He's got to choose his own path, Crawf.

Now he's got a massive decision to make. You get a choice.

Do you go with A or B?

A can be slower but safer.

Or do you go with B?

He is now asking the crowd. Help me through this. I'm three down.

Made his decision.

He has chosen path A which means

they are the obstacles that our ninjas are familiar with.

They are tough and Nathan knows that well.

He came off the Flying Shelf Grab in Season 3 semi-finals,

if you remember, so this is a bold choice.

Is he thinking better the devil you know? Is that the thinking?

Is it the right decision?

Obstacle four needs fingertip strength

and that's hard when you're 90kg, one of our heavier ninjas.

First of all two parallel bars onto the shelf.

And the second lache is to a higher shelf.

He's got to nail it.

Oh!

You can see the disappointment.

Nathan Ryles has once again

come off second best on the Flying Shelf Grab.

Excruciating.

For a big man he did extremely well, Nathan Ryles,

on the Cyclone Spinner.

He stayed so close to the disc.

But his undoing was the second lache on the Flying Shelf Grab.

It just wasn't high enough.

He was flying at the shelf rather than coming down on it.

His straight arms didn't help.

The fingertips couldn't hold up 90kg of Nathan Ryles.

Nathan, awesome effort. Thank you.

I honestly thought I was gonna get through that obstacle.

I didn't feel gassed at all.

I'm devastated that I couldn't make it all the way for Cooper but

I just gave him another fall that he can tell all his mates about.

No, that is inspiring stuff.

What would you like to say to Cooper?

Oh, Cooper, mate, you're an inspiration.

You inspire me to keep on with this fitness journey.

I hope you've had heaps of fun

because I know I had heaps of fun meeting you, mate.

Good on you. Well done. (CHEERING)

Great stuff. Lovely bloke.

And Bec, this is shaping up to be a tough night.

Four experienced ninjas have hit the water.

And we would have expected them to hit the buzzer.

Mount Midoriyama sending a very tough, strong message.

Yep.

I'm sure warning bells will be ringing

for our former grand finalist Zak Stolz

and 2019's furthest fastest, Charlie Robbins,

who will run later in this heat.

Up next on Australian Ninja Warrior,

paramedic Mat Hutchins Read is ready to do some damage

and the word is he's a weapon.

And later, can double Olympian and seven time Ironman champ

Ky Hurst rise to the challenge of an angry Mount Midoriyama?

(THEME MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

REBECCA: You're watching Australian Ninja Warrior

where this year the ninjas get to pick their path

through the course P path A or B.

Yes and on course now is Luke Filippi

from the Sunshine Coast, one of the surfing Twinjas.

He's got plenty of Ninja experience but as we've seen tonight,

that doesn't mean much on obstacle three, the Cyclone Spinner.

Jordan Papandrea and Ryan Solomon came off on this obstacle earlier.

Well, his position looks good.

His kids Opi and Ruby watching on via the big screen.

Now can he hang on for the four full rotations?

Hips look good, body looks good, he's going to make it...

Yes. Oh, he's done it!

He let go early, Crawf but he seemed to be in total control.

Not over though. It's decision time P A or B.

He sends some love to the kids.

Breathe bro, breathe.

Brother Matt saying breathe. Luke has chosen B.

The first ninja to do that.

He's prepared to take a risk to get to the buzzer.

Now, if he nails the next two obstacles,

this is a quicker way to the Warped Wall.

Obstacle four for Luke is the Ring Chaser.

It starts with a mini tramp

and as soon as Luke hits the first bar, a ring will roll down

the side of the bars and Luke has to get to the end in time to catch it.

He'll have to move fast though.

Go, Dad!

Here he goes.

OK. The ring's moving. Watch the ring!

Yes! What a catch! That's an awesome catch.

Yes, well done, Luke.

He's got a long way to go.

Now he has to lache from skyhook to skyhook and the hooks aren't long.

Oh, that is living on the edge.

Oh, that was close to going off.

He's got to figure out a way to get

enough momentum for the two metre lache.

Get it, Dad!

Yeah, I think you're right, kids. He can do this.

He is using the monkey bar for leverage.

Yes!

He has been hanging on for about 30 seconds

and his body seems to be a bit twisted.

Yeah, he is on a really funny angle.

Oh, no. Oh!

Luke Filippi... Bad luck, bro.

..is in the water.

You've just got to wonder if he chose path A, the obstacles

that he has been on before, would it have been a different outcome?

Should have, would have, could have. Let's see what really happened.

He was superb across the bars and the catch he made was impressive.

But this course is so tough

and ninjas are working out how to do it while they're on the course.

Luke probably should have swapped his hands over here

so his body wasn't twisted.

The result was his body swung away from the hook,

he just couldn't connect with it.

(CHEERING)

Well, it's got to be said, the old guard really struggling tonight.

They're leaving that door wide open for new ninjas to make their mark.

Next on course is a man who fits that bill.

He is considered by many to be a weapon

and he just happens to be Judith Caroll's boyfriend.

Welcome Mat Hutchins-Read. (CHEERING)

Yeah!

My name is Mat Hutchins-Read. I am a paramedic and I live in Sydney.

(SIREN BLARES)

Being a paramedic, there is a lot of pressure.

You just always fall back on your training.

I think that does give me an edge.

It's the same as my rock climbing.

The situations are high-intensity and there's a lot at stake.

So, Judith and I are very similar in terms of competition

and climb together.

We do ninja together.

We have a standing wager of a hot chocolate,

the loser has to buy the winner.

I've bought more hot chocolates.

(LAUGHS)

(CHEERING)

SHANE: Talk about pressure.

This is Judith Carroll's boyfriend.

Whoo! You've got it!

She has made it up the Warped Wall, hit the buzzer tonight.

On this course, that is going to be tough to beat.

Hundred percent, Crawf.

On a challenging night, Judith shocked everyone.

So Mat will be hoping that some of that magic rubs off on him.

(STARTER BELL RINGS)

It's his turn right now. Mat Hutchins-Read. He takes off.

And that is a very confident start,

possibly the best we've seen so far on the first obstacle.

Now the Big Dipper to Rope.

We'll soon see pretty quickly if he is a threat.

He doesn't look nervous for a new ninja, it's got to be said.

Lands nicely onto the rope, onto the mat.

Well done.

Now obstacle three, the Cyclone Spinner.

Hey, these two may just be the smokies of our new Season 5.

Well, so far so good but there's a lot riding on this one.

Mat's 69kg and 175cm tall.

The paramedic will have to be clinical with his approach.

So far his position looks good.

Look at those back muscles!

He goes upside down, two rotations to go and he's looking good.

Oh, yes. Solid right to the end.

What a brilliant start for Mat Hutchins-Read.

What's he gonna do here? Judith chose path A.

What's Mat gonna do? He's gone path A too.

He's probably thinking, if Judith can, I can.

Well, Mat is a rock climber so he is backing his grip strength here.

You've got it.

Words of encouragement from Judith.

She doesn't look nervous either.

There's an air of calmness and a measured approach about these two.

It's a tough course and they're making it look easier than it is.

Alright, Mat has got three laches ahead of him.

Let's see how we handles it

Beautifully done.

He's pretty to watch. Where has he come from?

His technique is perfect.

Here he comes again.

Hits it perfectly.

And the trick is he's not overdoing it. He's being incredibly efficient.

This is a 2.1 metre gap.

No problem whatsoever.

A brilliant run from one of our new ninjas. Superb control.

Absolutely spot on precision.

Now Mat Hutchins-Read is on to obstacle five.

If he clears this, he has a shot at the Warped Wall

and may just knock his girlfriend off the top of the leaderboard.

Now this is a brand-new ninja Floating Monkey.

So far he is crushing the course.

Get a good swing on the rope.

Good advice from Judith, get a good swing.

Experienced ninjas will take a big step back...

You've got it. ..and then swing up.

As opposed to what Mat's just done.

He's just climbed straight up there. Ignoring the advice.

Typical boyfriend. (CHUCKLES)

Look how confident he is. There is no hesitation.

This really is poetry in motion.

He takes the bars with him and places them in the cradles.

First time ninja Mat Hutchins-Read, a paramedic, he is destroying

the toughest course Australia has ever seen.

What a weapon.

We are witnessing the birth of a ninja superstar here.

You got it.

Mat Hutchins-Read is almost at the Warped Wall.

Just the fixed bar to go.

(CHEERING) Yes!

First time on Australian Ninja Warrior

and he is tackling this like a master.

Take note, ninjas,

the new guard have brought their A game and it is very good.

Rebecca Madden, I want you to call Mat Hutchins-Read up

the top of this Warped Wall because if that happens, we're then looking

at a boyfriend versus girlfriend showdown on the Power Tower.

You've got it, Mat. Oh, my goodness.

Season 5 is throwing up all sorts of things here.

Mat, get yourself up. Yes!

He grips it, he throws the leg over, he's gonna put a hand on the buzzer.

And he has done it! Yes, yes, yes!

We have a new power couple here on

Australian Ninja Warrior Season 5.

Mat, you did it.

Mate, that was fantastic. How did that feel for you?

That was OK. (LAUGHS)

It looked better than OK.

You must have been inspired by your girlfriend.

Oh, she set a high bar.

It got me a bit nervous when she hit the buzzer.

Give him a big round of applause.

At this stage we've got

a boyfriend/girlfriend showdown on the Power Tower.

Only two people completing the Warped Wall so far tonight.

There are not many ninjas that can pull off a run like that.

From start to finish it was flawless.

It was smooth and his brilliancy is through, his efficiency and control.

He made it look easy.

And there are plenty of experienced ninjas here tonight

that will tell you it's most certainly not.

(BUZZER HOOTS)

OK. Stick around, ninja fans,

because the bar has just been raised.

The big question is, can the big guns raise it even higher?

Last year, these two missed taking the crown P multiple

grand finalist Charlie Robbins and Zak Stolz P they are still to run.

And we know they hit the course harder than most.

But next, she's faster and fitter than last season.

Jessica Russell, the Koori ninja is back.

I'm hitting the buzzer this year.

Along with her partner Travis Edwards.

I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could do it. I'm ready.

Bring it on.

And can dual Olympian and seven time Ironman champion Ky Hurst

dominate this course like he has dominated the ocean?

Tonight's top two furthest fastest ninjas will face off on the

all-new Power Tower for a fast pass straight through to the grand final.

All thanks to Energizer.

(THEME MUSIC)

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior from Sydney's Olympic Park.

Newbie Ninja Simon Duff was the best of three Duff Brothers

competing tonight.

He well and truly earned the bragging rights.

Choosing path A, he fell off shy of obstacle five.

Oh, he's in the water.

Good job. Heads up. Good work.

The course tonight has been brutal.

Nine people have fallen on the Shrinking Steps.

Ooh!

Eight on the Big Dipper to Rope.

Oh, no!

One was Pa Rambo, 67 years young.

Oh, his off!

So far five have felt the full force of the Cyclone Spinner.

Birthday boy Martin Jones, he got no special treatment.

Oh, no, he's gone.

Former grand finalist Ryan Solomon...

No, no, no!

..and Jordan Papandreou also among the casualties.

Oh, no! No!

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

Now our next ninja has been in the water most of his life.

Can he turn the tide?

He has seven Ironman titles to his name and has represented

Australia in open water marathon swimming at two Olympic Games.

He is the Gold Coast's Ky Hurst.

I'm Ky Hurst and I'm 39.

I am a water athlete, I come from Ironman, swimming,

and I've got to represent Australia at two Olympic Games

in swimming in 2008 and 2012.

It's a massive career. I've been around for quite a long time.

I've been in the ocean since I was two years old.

And then I became a professional Ironman from 15.

I always like to be able to test myself in new arenas

and it's one of those things where I want to be able to push my body,

I want new things.

I've never been so nervous, to tell you the truth,

facing this Ninja Warrior challenge.

I get drive from that.

Mate, how good is this? Ky Hurst. He lives in the water.

Go, Dad! He's a water baby.

Did you bring my goggles?

In this competition stay out of the water.

A household name right around Australia, Ky Hurst.

A two-time Olympian in open water marathon swimming.

And has seven Australian Ironman titles.

Oh, just seven? Only seven.

Right, OK. But you know what it doesn't have?

Mm-hm, a crown.

An Australian Ninja Warrior crown.

That could change right now in front of Katie and son Koa.

He hasn't aged a bit. (STARTER BELL RINGS)

(LAUGHS) He looks good.

OK, here we go.

These are the Shrinking Steps. Ky Hurst.

One, two, three, four, five.

Oh, no! Yes, just.

Goodness me he gave us a shock.

Go, Dad!

Now he's on to the Big Dipper to rope.

He dries the hands, grits the teeth.

At 96 kg he's got some weight to carry through this dip

but he has held a paddle in his hands

most of his life so he's used to holding on.

It's like a wave in the ocean.

He'll just ride this and launch himself

like he does on his surfboard.

Here we go.

Oh no! No, no, no! The Big Dipper! Gee.

That's a big disappointment for Ky Hurst.

I've seen that look before,

a bit like when Ky has been dumped by a wave

and he kind of looks back at the sea as if to say,

"Why did you do that to me?"

This obstacle is deceptively difficult.

His big mistake here is launching feet first.

That means all of his weight is heading straight down

as he hits the bottom of the dip.

Ky Hurst, mate, you are a superstar.

We love that you have a crack at all different sports

and it's great to see you a part of the show.

Thank you.

Was that like riding a wave?

Mate, I was so far out of my depth here.

It was epic. Loved every bit of it.

My son's here, so,

that's the whole reason why I did it.

It's good for me to get out of my comfort zone

and try new things and this is one of them.

How good is that?

Ky Hurst, part of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Go see your boy, give him a big hug. He'll be very proud of his dad.

Legend. Cheers, mate. Thanks, guys.

Legend.

Wow, Ky Hurst is a fine athlete

and it just goes to show how tough this course really is.

(CHEERING)

No doubt about it. OK. Time for one half

of the Travis Edwards, Jessica Russell couple.

She did extremely well last year. A first-time ninja.

But now she's back, fitter, faster, stronger.

It's the Koori Ninja, Jessica Russell.

Ninja last year, I was actually disappointed.

I couldn't even do one pull up before I started my Ninja journey.

I really should have been proud

that I even got up there and gave it a go.

But then when I went home and look back at it I was like,

that's amazing that I even got up there and did it.

I slowly started to realise

that I should be proud of how far I got.

Aww!

Koori Ninja is back

and I'm hitting the buzzer this year.

Come on, Jessica Russell.

She's a proud Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman.

On the sideline boyfriend Travis Edwards.

Travis will run the course a little later

but right now it's all about the Koori Ninja.

Come on, Jess.

(STARTER BELL RINGS)

TRAVIS: Come on, babe!

Jessica Russell.

Well, there's nothing to lose now.

You are here on Season 5.

Navigates the first obstacle well. Yes!

This part's easy, this part's easy.

This part's easy, he reckons.

Well, we'll see about that.

We've had a few females fail on the obstacle course tonight.

She's 59kg, Jessica Russell, so not a lot of weight to carry.

Here she goes.

Too low, oh, but she's done it.

Because she's so light, the bungee didn't have too much spring into it.

She used that to her advantage - well done.

Yeah, great technique to kick off.

This is the Cyclone Spinner, obstacle three.

It spins faster as it goes.

We've seen a few loose exits.

Can Jess hold on?

Well, her physique means she should

be able to stay close, and she does, to the board.

Come on, Jess. Well done.

Absolutely perfect.

Wow! Full...

Four full rotations.

Sweet to watch. Nice.

This is all you. This is all you.

Come on.

She's at the Crossroads. Which way is she gonna go?

She's decided A, "I want to stick with what I know."

The two ninjas that have made it to the buzzer tonight both chose path A.

That was another couple, Judith Carroll and Mat Hutchins-Read.

Will we see double tonight?

Put it in hard so you can catch.

Travis giving her plenty of advice, but now it is

the moment she has to trust her training, and put it all together.

OK, 2.1 metres between each set of shelves.

Here we go, the first big leap.

Can she stick it?

Yes. Yes, she can.

One down, two to go on obstacle four.

Come on, Jess.

This is gonna be the big one.

If she can land this, Jessica Russell may go all the way through.

Oh!

Oh! Class act until just then.

She touched it!

She grabbed it, but she just couldn't hold it.

Let's have a look at the replay.

If you don't have the upper-body strength,

you compromise and swing with straight arms.

That's what Jess is doing there.

The downside is you lose the explosive power on the lache.

That was a solid performance, though, on a very tough course.

Round of applause for Jessica Russell.

Stay with us, Ninja fans.

There's some experienced ninjas ready to rise to the challenge,

but, on a tough course like this, can they knock off

Judith Carroll and Mat Hutchins-Read from the top of the table

and grab that fast pass to the Grand Final on the Power Tower?

Coming up...

Blake, do you want to come and grab this one, as well?

The Koori Ninja's boyfriend,

a gymnastics coach turned special-needs teacher,

Travis Edwards.

It's a really rewarding job.

I've got some really great clients.

There'll be some coming down tonight to have a watch.

But now he's ready to take on the mighty mountain.

I had it in my head that the course this year is going to be hard.

I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could do it.

And last season they couldn't lift the crown but Grand Finalists

Zak Stolz and Charlie Robbins made it to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

Mount Midoriyama's angry that three people conquered it last year.

This year, I'm getting a hole in one.

On a tougher and trickier course, can they do it again?

Yes.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior

at Sydney Olympic Park, and, Bec, this course is slaying our ninjas.

Yes, it's been really hard, hasn't it,

but, when the going gets tough, we know the tough get going.

And with just a few ninjas left to run, the race for the Power Tower

and that all-important fast pass to the Grand Final

is about to change gear.

Yeah, boyfriend and girlfriend Mat Hutchins-Read and Judith Carroll,

they are currently in the Power Tower positions.

New ninja Simon Duff, he's third.

The new guard, really,

are making their presence felt on the course tonight.

But now we're about to put the Zak amongst the pigeons.

He came third last season

after debuting in 2019 as one of Ashlin Herbert's buddies.

But now, with two Grand Finals under his own belt, and the fact he climbed

Mount Midoriyama last year, he's a superstar ninja in his own right.

Give it up for the Zak Attack, it's Zak Stolz.

Let's go, buddy!

Go, Zak! Whoo-hoo!

Climbing Mount Midoriyama last year...

Three seconds left!

Is he gonna make it? Yes!

..I was, yeah, stoked with that, obviously,

but it has put a little bit of a spotlight on me

and, obviously, the other two climbed it, as well,

and I do think there's a couple of ninjas who look at that

and go, "I want to do that this year, I gotta try and beat them."

And so it puts a little bit of a target on your back

but, realistically, it is us versus the course.

On my sideline tonight,

I'll have my mum, my nan and my beautiful girlfriend.

Having the three of you on my sideline is awesome.

It acts as that anchor for me

to actually look here and go, "I'm here."

Bring me back to reality.

It's, like, awesome.

Hey, go, Zak!

Look, without Mum and Nan, I'd probably be nowhere.

They are the reason I'm in Ninja Warrior.

Like, I was climbing trees at Nan's house as early as I can remember.

Knowing that they have that encouraging support there,

it's, yeah, it's really reassuring.

We've always been on the sidelines

watching you do some amazing leap off the monkey bar at school, and to

see you as an elite athlete in that theatre, I personally feel so proud.

They're the kindest words I've ever heard.

Oh, you!

Mount Midoriyama, I know you're angry and want revenge,

but I'm Zak Attack and I'm back.

This is the toughest course we've seen in a long, long time.

It's taking out all the ninjas.

It won't take out Zak.

Sit back and enjoy this.

He is good, Crawf, and I love your confidence and, not only

will he be going for a clean run, he wants a shot at the Power Tower.

A time faster than 3:31 will put him in pole position for the Power Tower.

Buckle up, everybody, because, every time Zak Stolz hits this course,

we know it is going to be fast and furious.

He is about to fly through the Shrinking Steps, the first obstacle.

He's off to a flyer.

I...

I don't want to jinx him, though, but, Zak, he was one of

the best ninjas last season, he stormed every course he ran on.

Zak Stolz is one out of the box, and look at him fly through this heat.

He'll have to slow down just a little bit now.

This is obstacle three, so let's see how he handles this.

It's all about getting the feet positioned properly,

getting the hand grip just right and then getting the middle of the body

as close to the Cyclone Spinner as you can.

He's wedging his feet in as hard...

Oh, no, one's out. Oh, I'm really worried now.

He got it back in. Did it?

Yeah, he's back, he's alright.

His strength and technique's solid.

It doesn't look like it's bothered him. He's in total control.

Whoo! Yay!

Great recovery.

Bang, he's gone path A, not risking the unknown.

He wants that Power Tower spot.

You can do it!

Wow, we almost lost him on the Cyclone Spinner,

and that is one of our very best ninjas we've got.

Yeah, you're right to be nervous, but he's fast,

20 seconds ahead of Mat Hutchins-Read to this point.

This is the Flying Shelf Grab.

He's been on this exact obstacle in the Semi-Finals on previous seasons.

Watch this guy in motion.

There he goes, lands it.

That last gap, three metres wide.

He's working hard but he does it.

Let's go, come on, Zak!

Onto the Floating Monkey Bars now.

Now, watch how Zak gets up here.

It's the little things that this guy does that makes a huge difference.

So, he steps back.

Up the rope he goes, uses the swing of the rope to get onto the bar.

He reckons he's dropped 5kg,

so, lighter and stronger than last year, Zak Stolz.

Ooh, he's missed that one.

They're having to dig deep on this course,

the hardest one we've had by a million miles.

You've got it!

Come on, Zak Stolz.

We want you to get to that buzzer tonight.

Oh, yeah, here he is!

The Power Tower's calling his name.

He's well inside Mat's time,

and here he goes, Zak Stolz, heading up the wall.

Ooh!

Ooh, gee whiz, he was a fair way off the top of that, too.

It's a rare misstep from Zak.

He just seemed to misjudge the take-off.

Come on, darling, you can do it.

He's been fast, and the worst thing he can do now is panic.

He's got time to claim pole position.

This is the second shot for Zak Stolz.

Beat that wall! You get three, remember?

Here's the acceleration. He won't need it.

He won't need it. Hits it, thinks he's got it.

Yes, Zak Stolz, he's up,

he's close to putting his hand on the buzzer and he does it again.

You're the man, Zak Stolz, well done.

And with a time of 2:41, you're on top of the leaderboard, mate.

That's unreal.

How tough's that course?

That course is very, very tough.

There's a lot of, uh, pretty crazy obstacles up there

that we're not really used to.

And, yeah, look, it's challenging.

Zak Stolz, ladies and gentlemen.

Believe it or not, not a textbook run from Zak Stolz.

He lost his footing on the Cyclone Spinner.

He managed to recover and hold on.

Then the laches, as explosive as ever.

And, even though he took two attempts on the Warped Wall,

he still posted the fastest time of the night so far.

Mount Midoriyama throws down the gauntlet,

but Zak Stolz takes it all in his stride.

He wants back-to-back climbs, I think.

Zak and Mat are on the Power Tower at this stage,

but, with two ninjas left to run,

who will battle it out for the fast pass to the Grand Final?

Next, the race to the top continues.

Travis Edwards has the mountain firmly in his sights.

And Charlie Robbins...

This is why he's the champ.

..is one of the best ninjas in the world.

The explosive Charlie Robbins is next on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

On the course now, special needs teacher

and Jessica Russell's boyfriend, Travis Edwards.

And it's so great to see the support crew from Barnardos

here in force, as well as girlfriend Jess, who's gone for the red wig.

Well, that support's working because Travis is flying.

He's on track for a Power Tower spot, just behind Zak's first-place time.

Great technique so far.

Now he explodes onto the next shelf.

Power and precision.

He's on the hunt.

Oh, and he sticks it nicely, just gotta get off now.

Now, remember, Zak took two attempts to get up the wall before,

so, if Travis does it in one, Ben, it is well and truly game on.

It is right now.

Obstacle five, straight up that rope.

And we talked about the efficiency of Zak Stolz,

how he used the rope to swing onto the obstacle.

But now he seems to be struggling just a little bit, Travis Edwards.

He's up very high.

It makes it harder to generate swing, but now he's on the way.

It's really important that you lock on in the first go,

otherwise it takes so much out of your body.

Ooh, you're right, Crawf.

He looks like he's in a little bit of trouble.

Oh, no!

No, no, no, no, no.

Oh, Trav!

Travis Edwards, he's celebrating and so he should,

a great effort, but he had a shot at the Power Tower.

Good job, babe! Now he's in the water.

He just couldn't stick it in the bar holder.

That is a tough break for Travis.

He was looking so strong on the Flying Shelf Grab.

Great upper body control,

but he struggled on the Floating Monkey Bars,

and these two obstacles back to back are a strength-sapping combo.

In the end, Travis just couldn't hold on.

You had fun? Yeah, good.

Aw!

Well, Bec, what a night of shocks.

We've had so many big ninjas who crashed out.

We've had some surprise packets who've really impressed.

And there's one more big ninja to come.

Can he book his place on the Power Tower

with a shot of going straight to the Grand Final?

Well, he is a bona-fide Ninja superstar,

this unassuming scratch golfer,

Season 3's champion and, last year, almost went back to back.

Here is Charlie Robbins.

Come on, Charlie!

Ah, here he comes, the elusive Charlie Robbins.

What a superstar he is.

And I'm a bit closer because

I'm wanting that signature golf hat to look after for the run.

There we go.

Thank you very much, pal, and good luck.

Standing at the bottom of Mount Midoriyama,

the main thing going through my head was, "Don't get stuck halfway."

Also, you look up and you start going,

and the roof doesn't seem to get any closer,

and you're just like, "Oh, it's still miles away."

He's halfway up the rope.

And you're like, "Oh, god. What's going on?"

He's starting to really find it tough.

Out of any Ninja obstacle,

that's probably the hardest I've had to push.

Hits it!

Standing up the top, you're so knackered that you almost can't

appreciate it enough 'cause you're just trying to get your breath back,

so, yeah, I don't think I could've done any better than I did.

Tess is on my sideline this year.

She's my girlfriend.

She wasn't last time, but she is this time.

Last year, I was in the audience

watching Charlie 'cause we've been friends since high school.

Let's go, Charlie!

We work together, we train together, we sorta just do everything together

so I was just there supporting as a friend.

Charlie actually never got the courage

to ask me to be his girlfriend.

Excuse me?

It's true.

So, yeah, it's nice having her there,

and it's nice to look down and see someone you like.

Not that I don't like my family, either, but...

He's a good kid, Charlie Robbins.

There's the family on the sidelines, Taffy.

One shot at a time, mate!

His good mate, Zak, is in position one for the Power Tower.

They'll go head to head

if Charlie is faster than 3:31,

and what a contest that would be.

Here he goes.

He's about to tee off and drive it down the fairway.

Mount Midoriyama is so very angry,

and that man is one of the three reasons why.

He climbed it last year.

Can he get there again?

As he flies across the Shrinking Steps.

One thing we know about Charlie, he never takes his foot off the gas.

He doesn't stop to think.

He just goes, grabs the rope.

Charlie Robbins is on fire.

Lock that body in, mate! Taffy is vocal on the sideline.

He's just incredible, this athlete.

So many fans all around Australia.

Inspired so many young kids, wannabe ninjas.

Now, the foot placement, is it OK?

His feet should be flat against the board.

He's just got his toes digging in.

Hang in there, Charlie!

Around, around.

He's managed to do it, and tosses himself to safety.

Ugly but effective.

And now he is at Crossroads.

He's chosen A.

He doesn't want to take a risk on the unknown.

Charlie about six seconds ahead of Zak Stolz at this point.

Charlie Robbins very familiar with the Flying Shelf Grab.

He's done it in the Semi-Finals here on Australian Ninja Warrior,

so all he needs to do is repeat that performance.

OK, across that first shelf.

And look how strong he is in the arms.

The height he generates is enormous.

The power's incredible.

He's destroying this course.

He's almost at the end now, just needs to dismount safe.

Good roll.

Come on, man, come on!

(AUDIENCE ROARS)

This is the fastest time tonight.

He's still ahead of Zak.

Every time he steps on the course, he lights it up.

The way Charlie moves through this...

Oh, whoa, he just missed that one.

It is a little bit higher up than it looks.

Once again, we're seeing the best of the ninjas tonight.

They're digging deep, grinding it out on the course.

And it's so much tougher than what we've seen before,

and that's because of you, Charlie, you're to blame.

You got up Mount Midoriyama last year,

so it was always gonna be harder this year.

And here we are at the Warped Wall.

He is well inside Zak's time by almost 30 seconds.

What a showdown we are going to have.

Here goes Charlie. Here he goes, Charlie.

10cm higher and he nails it.

Charlie Robbins, here he is!

(AUDIENCE CHEERS)

Whoo!

Charlie Robbins making a habit of this.

Once again, the fastest ninja over the course,

so it's Charlie and Zak in position one and two.

They're both on the Power Tower.

Nice to have you back, Charlie.

How did you feel on the course tonight?

Ah, it's nice to be back.

It's been a tough and long year, so it's nice to be back in action.

Crowd was pumpin'.

Especially after last year, at home and solace,

and to have these guys cheering...

That was a pretty tough one, it's pretty interesting

making some different decisions out there, so, yeah, it was really fun.

I thought you would've been tempted to try some of those new obstacles.

It crossed my mind, but I figured

there's probably gonna be heaps of really fun obstacles in the Semis,

so I thought, "If I just make sure I get through,

"then I'll have a chance at maybe some fun stuff later."

The golfing legend's back, ladies and gentlemen.

Give him a round of applause, Charlie Robbins.

Well done, Charlie, you look better than ever.

What a spectacular performance from Charlie Robbins.

He absolutely brought it tonight.

His exit on the Cyclone Spinner, here it comes here,

unconventional but, you know what, that's Charlie Robbins to a T.

The Floating Monkey Bars, that made him work hard but, again,

his strength his saving grace, and another buzzer for Charlie.

(BUZZER BLARES) Yes.

Yes!

Well done, buddy.

Good to see you again, mate.

Oh, there we go, hugs all round.

I'll give you a hug, too, Charlie.

You are an absolute superstar.

How good was he? He was unbelievable.

The smile on your face, that is just beautiful to watch.

You loved it more than ever.

Oh, I was a bit nervous at the start of the day,

so it was great to see him, and nice to have his young lady friend, Tess,

here with us, and so good on you, Charlie.

So proud of you, mate. Oh, hello, hang on.

So, has Charlie got a girlfriend, have you?

Charlie's stepped up his game a little bit.

Tess is a massive Hawthorn fan, so I think she...

Of course, Tess, you legend.

How good are you!

I knew she was a superstar.

No, it's so amazing to watch you dominate the course.

You can have your hat back, reluctantly.

Charlie Robbins, he's heading to the Power Tower.

(SHANE LAUGHS)

No doubt about it.

The crowd loved every bit of it.

It has been an incredible heat, and, for the last time tonight,

let's look at that crucial leaderboard.

At number one, it's Charlie Robbins, followed closely by Zak Stolz.

The old guard finally prevailing.

But what a performance from Mat and Judith,

Judith the only female so far this season to get up the Warped Wall.

The Koori Ninja, Jessica Russell,

is the second woman through to the Semis.

She's in tenth tonight, and she's outperformed some of our veterans.

Ryan Solomon had a tough day at the office.

He finished 14th.

Jordan Papandrea, similar problems

but, in 17th, he's through to the Semi-Finals.

Charlie and Zak both climbed Mount Midoriyama last year.

They are two of our most feared ninjas,

and now they'll face off on the Power Tower.

It's Ninja royalty versus Ninja royalty.

This will be a contest like we've never seen before,

the winner earning more than bragging rights.

That is right.

The first ninja to hit the buzzer on the Power Tower

will nab a crucial advantage.

They will bypass the Semi-Finals and land straight into our Grand Final.

It's a great shortcut.

There's so much to play for,

and we'll see how the Power Tower battle goes right after this.

Get ready, Australia.

It's ninja versus ninja.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

This is the showdown in tonight's heat.

Charlie Robbins up against Zak Stolz.

Ninja versus ninja.

Here comes the Power Tower.

And the stakes are high because, remember,

the first person to hit that buzzer tonight gets a fast pass.

That's right, no Semi-Finals for them.

They go straight through to the Grand Final.

What an advantage that is.

Huge, Bec, but, before we get started,

let's see what the Power Tower holds for these two tonight.

The race begins with a sprint,

and it's on to five steps, each 1.3 metres high.

At the top, each ninja will leap onto an unstable vertical firepole,

and it's a rapid 5.5-metre descent to the floating steps below.

These steps are on a tricky angle so ninjas must watch their footwork.

But that's not all.

Then a punishing 5.5-metre dead climb up the pole

to the deceptive dropping shelves.

There are four of them, and it's made even harder

because each one drops when weight is applied.

Survive the shelves and there's a 1.5-metre lache to the platform,

and a race to the buzzer for a fast pass to the Grand Finals.

These two ninjas conquered Mount Midoriyama last year

but, unfortunately, just missed that main prize.

Tonight, they are ready to tackle

the all-new supercharged Power Tower.

I'm talking about Zak Stolz and Charlie Robbins.

Get ready, Australia.

This is gonna be fast.

Yeah, Crawf, consistently two of the fastest ninjas,

they both have explosive power.

Zak's wingspan 10cm longer but Charlie Robbins is superb in the air.

Never count him out.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Our ninjas are set and ready to go.

Here we go!

(BUZZER TONE)

And off they go.

They are out of the blocks, racing neck and neck.

Up to the steps, five steps, all the way to the top.

Charlie opening up a little bit of a lead,

but there's not much in it as they get to the top.

And onto the pole and down the pole they go.

Now, this transfer to the floating steps,

make a mistake here and it could be costly.

Charlie's away and Zak's got a bit of catching up to do.

Charlie's well in front now. What can Zak do?

Oh, he launches at the pole.

The Zak Attack fighting back.

Can he close the gap?

Charlie looks a little slower.

He hits the first dropping shelf.

Zak finds another gear.

Here he goes, over, Zak's catching him.

He's got that big wingspan.

Can he get there? It's neck and neck.

Oh, Zak Stolz, Charlie Robbins!

Charlie does it! Charlie Robbins wins by a whisker!

Oh, how close was that!

Zak Stolz made a late charge,

but the dropping shelves took away some momentum.

Charlie under so much pressure but takes the prize.

Congratulations, Charlie Robbins.

What a contest.

Well, that was so good let's take another look.

Zak seemed cautious getting onto the floating steps, but turned it around

as he attacked the pole in a bid to make up time, and make it up he did.

Zak used his reach well, but this is where Charlie won it,

by supporting his weight between the two shelves.

Zak just flew himself at the shelf as it dropped.

Charlie swung to safety.

But there was less than a second in it.

Charlie Robbins straight through to the Grand Final.

And, just like Mount Midoriyama last season,

Charlie finishes ahead of Zak and retains bragging rights.

Talk about close finish.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much, Shane.

Yeah, Zak made me work for that one.

It was really fun going up against him.

And how was it, the supercharged Power Tower?

That was a bit of fun.

I was lucky enough to try the other two from last year,

and that one was really fun,

so that was probably... yeah, probably my new favourite one, so...

Charlie Robbins, you are through

to the Grand Final on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much, and I'll give a quick shout out to Nanna.

Hopefully by the time she sees this, she's doing really well.

Good on you, Nanna.

How good, a great finale.

Two amazing athletes and you can see,

even though there's mutual respect there, there's strong competition.

Yeah, amazing stuff, wasn't it?

That's all we have time for tonight, but make sure you join us next week

for more fantastic action from Sydney Olympic Park.

It's Australian Ninja Warrior.

Goodnight. Goodnight, everyone.

Monday night...

You could expect a lot of entertainment,

and a lot of happiness.

In the final heat, we'll witness the rise of the new breed.

Mount Midoriyama may have been conquered last year

but, this year, it's gonna be me standing at the top.

Including Jungle Jimmy Burrow,

who's brought a few friends along for support.

I'm so glad we are up here.

Physicist Dylan James.

For him, this course is rocket science.

I'm hoping to use my analytical mind to really break down obstacles

before I tackle them and then execute the best way to do it.

And Olympic gold medallist and world champion Steve Hooker

is ready for a shot at the Ninja title.

I'm pretty driven.

You'll definitely see that when I'm out on this Ninja course.

Can these newcomers outclass a cavalcade of returning favourites?

I feel really confident. I'm so pumped.

Ninja royalty Jack Wilson returns from a life-changing injury.

Everyone, Jack your boy's back.

Let's get deadly.

Chris White is back and rumour has it

he's brought his old mate Kelly Slater along for the ride.

And there are plenty more familiar faces, as well.

Big reputations are on the line.

Will it be boom or bust in the last heat?

Then it's the Semi-Finals...

It is a very long road to get to that mountain this year.

The courses are just unbelievable.

..where we welcome back tennis superstar Nick Kyrgios.

He's killin' it.

And if you thought the heats were tough...

Oh! (BUZZER TONE)

It keeps getting harder and harder every year.

..wait till you see these new obstacles.

The obstacles are bigger and harder.

It's a mean course.

They're nothing short of terrifying.

You're not dealing with six obstacles anymore.

There's now nine, and the course itself is ridiculous this year.

The Power Tower has been revised and revamped,

and it's not for the faint of heart.

But, with a second chance in the Grand Final on offer,

the competition has never been more fierce...

Second chance from the Power Tower, that's where it's at.

That's the prize that everyone wants.

..as they take one step closer to Grand Final glory

and becoming Australia's next Ninja Warrior.

It is definitely game on.