Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: Many have come.

But few have conquered.

Yes!

Ninja Warrior is the toughest obstacle course

the world has ever seen.

Oh, no!

Over four qualifying heats,

Australia's best athletes

have fought for their place in the semifinal.

Oh, yeah!

Tonight, it's the last chance to qualify.

Another brand-new course.

The Pole Rider.

Cones To Cargo Net.

And the daunting Swing Cycle.

50 new athletes compete for the last 18 places.

Among them, Gold Coast Tarzan Daniel Weston,

who throws himself into everything.

To win this is proof that gym is not life.

Zoe Featonby could have been crippled.

Instead, she's tougher than titanium.

I'm called the 'Titanium Woman'

because when I was 16, they inserted a titanium rod in my spine.

And 'Bachelor' Tim Robards

hopes to sweep the title of Australian Ninja Warrior

off its feet.

It's great for me to have a goal, and just have something to aim for.

As the search continues for Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Hi. I'm Ben Fordham.

I'm Freddie Flintoff.

And I'm Rebecca Maddern.

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where we continue the hunt for the first ever Australian Ninja Warrior.

Our competitors - they've been pushed to the limit.

Some have experienced bitter disappointment.

Others have managed to scale that Warped Wall and taste victory.

But if you think we're going to make it any easier tonight,

you've got another thing coming.

This obstacle course doesn't believe in charity

or giving anyone an easy break.

It is tough, it is cruel, it's diabolical at times.

Always wild.

However, it can be tamed,

and that's what our ninjas will be trying to do tonight.

Freddie, you'll have a front row seat.

What are you expecting? I'm expecting more of the same, Ben.

Plenty of thrills. Plenty of spills.

But mainly, a group of Aussies who refuse to quit.

Which begs the question -

why are they putting themselves through this?

And the only answer I can think of is they must be mad.

(LAUGHS) Probably.

We've changed up the course again tonight.

Let's take a look at the obstacles.

As always, we start with the Quintuple Steps.

Five angled platforms a metre and a half apart.

Next, the first of our new obstacles, the Pole Rider.

The key is momentum.

Competitors grip the pole

and need to hang on through two jolting drops to reach the platform.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Our old friend, the Bridge Of Blades, is next.

Light feet are the key as the blades spin beneath your weight.

The second new obstacle is the Cones To Cargo Net.

A bounce up to catch two cones,

and use them to swing onto the cargo net.

(CHEERING)

Then the third new obstacle, the Swing Cycle.

Core strength is key as competitors swing across three uneven hoops

that jolt back and forth in a bracket.

And finally, the most feared of them all, the 4.2m Warped Wall.

Climb up it, and you finish Stage One.

Tonight is the final heat of the competition,

so the battle is on to secure a place in the semifinals.

Let's bring out our first competitor.

All the way from France,

Aurelien Apport,

a former fireman and paramedic.

In other words, a true natural-born hero.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Check out this bloke, Freddie.

Oh, my word.

Look at the size of them abs!

How do you get abs like that?

How many crunches do you need to do?

Unbelievable!

You've got this, hon!

This is one impressive man.

Ninja Warrior. (SPEAKS FRENCH)

Bec, he's 185cm, or 6'1".

Nearly 100kg.

That's a lot of weight to carry through this course.

It is, it is.

Wife Caroline and stepsons Ryan and Billy on the sideline.

Let's go, babe!

Let's see how the big man goes. Quintuple Steps.

(STARTER CHIMES)

(CHEERING)

Nice and careful to start.

A lot of competitors underestimate this obstacle.

I'm surprised he's not breaking these steps as he lands on them.

Come on, Aurelien.

Come on, Lel.

Now on to our first new obstacle, the Pole Rider.

Come on, babe!

Come on. Stay here.

Hanging on is hard enough,

but you need a big push off at the top

to carry you through to the mat at the bottom.

Oh, no. He's hanging on for dear life.

Oh, does he have enough momentum? I'm not sure.

Oh, no!

Come on, babe!

Come on! Whoo!

(WHISTLES)

Bridge Of Blades next.

Look at those shoulders!

His weight is an issue here.

100 kegs pushing down on these blades.

As if he doesn't have everything going for him,

this bloke has been a lifeguard, a fireman, a paramedic.

He's saved countless lives during his service

and has been awarded for his acts of bravery.

You've got this, babe. You've got this.

Come on, mate.

Now our second new obstacle, Cones To Cargo Net.

You've got this, mate.

Nicely onto those cones.

Imagine catching a tennis ball in each hand

while you're flying through the air.

You're close! You're close! One more!

And he's got a great swing going.

(CHEERS)

He sort of smacked into the cargo net.

Thank goodness that wasn't a brick wall.

Go, Lel! Come on, mate. Hang on, there.

And this is where his size hurts.

It looks easy, but he is burning so much energy

carrying that big frame down to the mat.

Come on, Lel!

Now onto the last new obstacle, the Swing Cycle.

Grip and core strength matter here.

Come on, babe. Come on, cheer him, guys!

Come on!

Come on, Lel! It's all in your mind, mate!

REBECCA: Stepping up to the first ring now.

He is on.

Here's what makes this so tough.

You see how that ring slides back and forth in the frame?

It takes all of the energy out of the swing.

Whoo-hoo!

He's hurting a little bit, Ben, though.

You can look at his face, and he's really feeling this.

He's not doing it easily.

Here he comes. He's got one more ring.

He's got the legs on either side of it.

He needs the hands to grip it, though.

And this will be his attempt. Interesting technique.

He's there! And he hangs on!

Don't mess it up now, my friend!

We want you to finish this course!

Attaway! Yes!

Whoo-hoo!

This is our first competitor of the night,

and he's through to the Warped Wall.

Can he finish it?

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

You've got this, hon. You've got this.

He's got to haul that big frame 4.2m up the wall.

Come on, Aurelien.

(CHEERING)

First attempt!

What amazing strength to drag his own bodyweight up there.

Hands in the air!

You're the man, Aurelien!

You are the man!

That was phenomenal.

Is this bloke the perfect specimen or what?

Big guys can often struggle

to carry their own weight through this course,

but Aurelien has all the athleticism in the world.

By the Swing Cycle, he was feeling the pain.

But nothing was going to stop him

getting to the top of the Warped Wall.

Wow!

First question.

How do you get abs like that?

(LAUGHTER)

You look like you've been Photoshopped.

Cheese and wine. That's what we do in France.

Cheese and wine? I tried that - didn't work.

Amazing. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, Ben, where there's smoke, there's fire.

So from one fireman to another,

our next competitor is Lachlan Dansie.

(CHEERING)

Many years ago, I was a tax consultant.

I couldn't sit in an office anymore. I needed more.

So that's why I became a firefighter.

I need that adrenaline.

I need that extra little bit of physical challenge.

And that's going to serve me well in Ninja Warrior.

As a firefighter, we're climbing stairs,

we're doing obstacles all day long.

The pressure of the clock, the crowd -

that's nothing compared to the pressure

of running into a burning building.

I think I should be able to be able to handle it.

FAMILY MEMBERS (CHANT): Lachie! Lachie! Lachie!

Proud parents and girlfriend, Naomi, are sideline tonight.

(STARTER CHIMES)

OK, Quintuple Steps first up.

And like Aurelien, he's stepping really carefully across each gap.

Not rushing it.

And surely those trousers aren't ideal for this kind of competition?

Lachie, well done! Well done, Lach! Whoo-hoo!

Now the Pole Rider.

You need a really good push off from the start.

Ooh!

Now, if I'm going to back anyone... Ohhh!

I was going to say, if I'm going to back anyone on a pole,

it would be a firefighter.

WOMAN: Oh, no.

Lachlan's problems really began at the start.

You can see he jumped up instead of out.

He rode out the bumps,

but the slow start meant he didn't have enough momentum

at the bottom to carry him to safety.

What do I say, Freddie? Got me.

Come here, mate. Got me, man.

It did get you, didn't it? The ninja killer.

The ninja killer.

On the start there, the firefighting outfit,

the girls going mad in the crowd...

And just ended up in the pool.

Mate, next year, we'll get back into the training,

and we'll get it next time.

Perfect. Good on you, mate. Thanks, Freddie.

Good effort. Thanks very much. Thanks, guys.

Whoo! Well done, Lach.

Sadly, Lachie's dream of going through to the semis

has been extinguished.

But next, she might have won a best biceps competition,

but can bodybuilder Jassy Chia defeat the Ninja Warrior course?

I like conquering things that I've never done before.

Even if it scares me a little bit,

I have learnt just to say yes and grab it.

REBECCA: Our very own jungle boy,

Daniel Weston, may spend all day swinging in trees...

I'm pretty adventurous, I reckon.

..but can he climb to the top of the Warped Wall?

I'm Gold Coast Tarzan,

and I'm going to win Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

And later, no longer a bachelor,

Tim Robards has his eyes on a new prize.

It's definitely a lot of pressure.

But I think I'm going to try and embrace that

and turn it into something positive.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where this country's fittest and fastest

are pitting themselves against the world's biggest obstacle course.

REBECCA: That's right, Ben.

And tonight is our competitors' last shot at a place in the semifinals,

and already one looks to be through.

French firie Aurelien Apport

made it straight up the Warped Wall, setting the bar high early on.

Amazing strength to drag his own bodyweight up there!

That was phenomenal!

While tonight's first new obstacle,

the Pole Rider, took out fellow firie Lachie Dansie.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Got me, man. It did get you, didn't it?

Oh, the ninja killer.

Next up, a woman who once won a best biceps competition.

She's promised to bring a little 'jassiness' to the show tonight -

Jassy Chia!

(CHEERING)

I've been bodybuilding for just over three years now,

and the preparation for that is long,

and it requires a lot of determination and self-discipline.

And why shouldn't women be strong?

Pole fitness was something I decided to do just to be social,

and regain my fitness as a new mum.

And very soon, I was competing in pole comps.

I'm doing Ninja Warrior

because I like conquering things that I've never done before.

Whenever something new kind of comes to me,

even if it scares me a little bit,

I have learnt just to say yes and grab it,

because usually that's led to something amazing.

(CHEERING)

OK, in contrast to our beefy firemen,

Jassy's just 50kg and 5'2".

(STARTER CHIMES)

The Quintuple Steps, her first obstacle.

She's very strong from the bodybuilding,

so that will help her leaping platform to platform.

She's a mother of two.

Denzel and Lily are watching at home in Bunbury.

She's a hard worker as well. Three jobs, she has.

A health food shop, a supplements store,

and she's a personal trainer/ health coach.

She is off to a very good start.

Now on to the Pole Rider.

Remember, we've just seen Lachlan come off here.

It is all about body position and momentum.

She needs to get a good push off.

She's grabbed the pole that low?

Oooh! Oh, but it worked!

It did! And look at the celebration!

(CHEERING)

Light stepping across the Bridge Of Blades.

That is perfect!

AUDIENCE MEMBERS (CHANT): Jassy! Jassy! Jassy!

Now another one of tonight's new obstacles, Cones To Cargo Net.

Jassy's only 157cm.

She needs good height off the trampoline,

and use her peripheral vision to see both cones.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS (CHANT): Jassy! Jassy! Jassy!

Come on, Jassy.

Oh! No!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Just not high enough.

You'll see here why grabbing two separate cones mid-air

is so challenging.

Jassy almost gets enough height.

Problem is, she's focused on her left hand,

and actually touches that cone,

but completely missed the one on her right.

What a gutsy effort it was, Freddie.

Jassy, are you alright? That was a pretty special faceplant.

Oh, I think I need to grow a little bit.

Is that what it was?

It was going so well until you got to the trampoline.

I felt good. Um, I just felt short.

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Jassy!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, remember, tonight is the last chance

for a place in the semifinals.

Can our next competitor rise to the challenge?

He's a baker from Perth.

Zayne Wealthall!

(CHEERING)

To be a baker, it's not the average job.

I wouldn't say a hard job, but it's a demanding job.

I get up at 1:30 in the morning,

so you have to be committed to be a baker.

Definitely I'll be thinking of my older sister.

She's a mother of two, and she's always been a role model for me.

After a motorbike accident,

my sister was left with brain damage,

with 12 days in a coma.

And that was probably the hardest 12 days of my life,

just knowing that she might not make it.

The doctors gave her no chance of walking.

They said that she would be in hospital

for basically the rest of the year.

She was out there within four or five months.

And she proved all the doctors wrong.

She's walking, talking, and I truly believe she'll 100% heal.

She's a fighter. She's the strongest person I know.

I want her to be proud of me.

I reckon that definitely motivates me to do this,

and I can absolutely 100% kill it.

I'm ready. I'm eager.

(CHEERING)

What a great motivation.

Unfortunately, his sister couldn't be here tonight,

but of course she is watching from home.

Well, there's not a lot of him,

but every single bit of it looks to be in shape.

(STARTER CHIMES)

A nugget. He is.

And here he goes. I'm not being disrespectful here.

He calls himself "A bogan and a gym junkie".

His words, not mine.

We love a bogan. Here he goes on the pole.

Oh, yes!

Oh! He didn't even let that faze him.

And he's not going to let this faze him either.

Doesn't matter! The bogan's on fire!

He is just skirting through this course.

Testing out the trampoline! Look at him!

I don't know. What's going on here?

I'll tell you what's going on.

He's going through the Cone To Cargo nicely.

(CHEERING)

What's he on?

Settle down, old mate.

He's going for a world record! The cameras can't keep up.

Freddie Flintoff can't keep up.

He doesn't want to hang about! He's got cakes in the oven!

Oh! Oh, yes!

Oh, my heart was in my mouth.

Settle it, Zayne. We want to see you do this.

Here he goes. Just composes himself again.

Oh, yes. Nice one.

This bloke is unbelievable! He's not even stopping!

He doesn't want...

Oh, this will be the one challenge for him.

Does he have the height?

He's got the confidence, that's for sure.

He looks to the stars and makes his pitch!

But he's not quite there on the second one.

AUDIENCE (CHANTS) Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Listen to that crowd.

It's great to hear they're getting behind him tonight

with his family at home in Perth.

And no matter how this plays out, Ben,

I'm sure his sister will be so proud.

Running start.

Yes! Beautiful! Drags himself up!

I can't believe it! Come on!

You beauty! Yeah!

You little champion! Lucky! Very lucky!

That's not luck! That's pure class!

You little ripper!

What can you say about this guy?

He is a weapon.

70kg, 167cm, or 5'6",

and he just tore the course apart.

No fear.

Even after two falls on the Warped Wall,

Zayne Wealthall, you're looking good for the semifinals.

Wow!

Zayne, you're a baker from the country.

How do you do this? Oh, I'm not sure, hey?

Football background,

and definitely the crowd helped me out, so cheers for all the crowd.

If it wasn't for the crowd...

..wasn't for the crowd spurring me on,

there's no way I could have got that last one.

And just pure motivation, so thanks to the crowd again.

(CHEERING)

Congratulations, mate. Well done, pal.

With Zayne Wealthall, the second ninja up the wall,

pressure is building for the remaining places.

Coming up, one of the hottest contenders

of the entire competition.

COMMENTATOR: It's the Wizard of Oz, Fred 'Didgeridoo' Dorrington.

Fred Dorrington nearly went the whole way

in the UK version of Ninja Warrior.

Can he do the same here?

I just... You know, just had to give it a go.

Plus gymnast turned professional snowboarder Stephanie Magiros

chased her dream and made it all the way to the Olympics.

Now a new goal is set.

Adding an Australian Ninja Warrior to the list?

I'm definitely chasing that.

And warming up to run after the break,

a brotherly duo whose family

has had more than its fair share of hardships.

But they're ready to overcome them all.

MAN: It does make you step back a little bit

and just realise you just don't know how long you've got.

Don't go anywhere, Australia. We're back right after this!

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island.

While you were away, three more competitors

staked their claim for a semifinal place.

Olympic shooter Lauryn Mark took her shot

only to fall at the Pole Rider.

Oh, no.

I don't think there's a comeback from this.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

REBECCA: Oil rig engineer Michael Nass got through the Rider.

Oooh.

He's alright.

But he was all at sea on the Cones To Cargo Net.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

One slip and it's over.

But furniture maker Matthew Timms carved out a near-perfect run.

And this is where you need to defy gravity.

The Timber Ninja all but claiming his place in the semifinals.

(HORN BLARES)

Now he reveals the rig that's got him to the top of the Warped Wall.

So another semifinal spot seems gone.

Who will take the next one?

(CHEERING)

We love a brother act,

and next up we've got Jayden and Nathaniel Irving.

Taking the course first is Nathaniel.

When he was nine years old,

Nathaniel was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

He fought it and won.

(CHEERING)

And now 13 years in remission,

he takes on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Nathaniel Irving!

Go for it, it's all yours.

My brother, Nathaniel, was diagnosed when he was very young

with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,

the cancer which he's luckily recovered from now.

I was in hospital for probably about 4-5 months,

and then another month in and out of hospital.

Unfortunately, over the last, sort of, two years,

I've seen my mum battle through cancer as well.

She's managed to come out on the other side fairly well.

It was an experience.

Not a favourable one, but it does make you step back a little bit

and just realise you just don't know how long you've got.

So you just really have to make sure you're positive,

you're happy, and you're just enjoying life.

This is to represent my brother.

He's obviously got a 'Team Nathaniel' one,

and it's just to show my support for him.

He's showing his support for me.

To be honest, I think any experience shared is an experience won,

so hopefully we can show that the Irvings are in for the win.

Great to see mum Carol on the sideline.

She's on the right next to Nan Nola.

(STARTER CHIMES)

Just focus. Slow. Slow.

Here goes Nathaniel.

And he's undertaking the Quintuple Steps,

and doing it with ease.

Yes, come on!

Yes!

He's through. No problem.

(CHEERING)

Now a bigger challenge, the Pole Rider.

Push off! Push!

That is good advice,

because you've got to get that big push from the platform.

Not bad. Not bad.

Oh, he's there.

Yes, yes, yes, yes! Whoo!

Yes!

Plenty of support from his brother, Jayden, on the sidelines.

OK, here we go. The Blades.

And he rips through them. Slow down.

Grab the cones! Let's go! Come on!

Now on to Cones To Cargo Net.

I am not worthy!

I am not worthy! You've got this!

Come on, Nathaniel!

Bounce!

No! Oh, no!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

This one's a challenge, Freddie.

Oh, just didn't get the grip on the cones,

and he splashes into the water.

Dammit!

Nathaniel had the perfect jump,

and managed to grab the cone on the right, but unfortunately,

his left hand knocked the other one out of position.

No chance he was recovering from that one.

I just didn't get the grab on the other one.

It's just what threw me out.

Shattering, but I'll see how my brother goes.

I'm going to be right there on the sidelines.

Should be awesome.

We'll see brother Jayden's run a little later on,

but up next, Jaime Brown,

a landscaper who currently works on a farm chopping firewood.

Will she get the axe tonight? We hope not.

(CHEERING)

Landscaping is very physically demanding.

I don't think it's for every female out there,

but it keeps me fit - keeps me superfit.

It is a very blokey industry,

but the physical aspect of it

gives you a sense of achievement,

so I find that really rewarding.

MAN: Jaime's a good kid.

I've had a lot of people work for me,

but she digs right in and does a hell of a good job.

I'm sure she can win Ninja Warrior, because she's bloody determined.

(CHEERING)

(STARTER CHIMES)

Rightio. Here goes Jaime.

173cm.

52kg.

And no problems with the Quintuple Steps.

You can see how strong and coordinated she is.

She is through. On to the Pole Rider now.

No tricks, really, to it.

You've just gotta throw yourself into it.

Oh, come on, Jaime! No. I can't look!

She's hanging. Freddie, help us out.

Oh, no.

Heartbreak for Jaime Brown, as she's stuck on the Pole.

(CHEERING)

She's gonna jump. She's gonna...

Oh. Come on, Jaime, jump!

Oh! Face plant.

Jaime's problem was she didn't pull the pipe back,

so she just jumped up on it and give it a bit of a cuddle.

Once again, coming up short,

and there was only one way out.

And she's not happy either.

Gubbed it.

Pissed off.

Coming up, will Jayden go further

than his brother, Nathaniel,

and prove that the Irvings are here for the win?

JAYDEN: He's bigger than me.

I don't pick on him anymore,

but hopefully this is my chance to prove that I can still beat him.

And later, 'Titanium Woman' Zoe Featonby

is set to take on the Ninja Warrior course.

Any time anyone tells me I can't do anything,

I'll just try and prove them wrong.

And former 'Bachelor' Tim Robards is ready for his next starring role.

Prospect of Ninja Warrior came up,

and it was just, for me, I thought, "You know what?

"I'm going to set a goal to potentially get there."

But is this fitness guru biting off more than he can chew?

If you don't get through to the end, you're not allowed home.

I'm out. So this is it.

This is make-or-break for us, babe.

REBECCA: The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

all want to make it through the course in record time.

BEN: But it's the ninja who goes furthest and fastest

that will be given the title of Performance of the Night.

Thanks to Berocca.

(CHEERING)

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, our competitors are trying to smash this course

and beat that wall for a chance to make it into the semifinals.

Yeah, it's been a huge night so far.

We've seen three ninjas make it up the wall so far,

but the Pole Rider has just taken out three more competitors.

Vegan fitness model Crissi Carvalho.

Ohhh!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

RAAF technician Alex Bigg.

Going down.

Oh, no, no!

No, no!

And angelic bodybuilder Gaby Biltris.

Surely... She's an angel.

Surely she can just fly to the mat!

Oh.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

She takes a nasty plant.

But next up, a young bloke known to his mates as Tarzaniel.

He's an apprentice carpenter, keen surfer.

He says he's here to beat all of the gym junkies.

Daniel Weston, come on down!

(CHEERING)

I grew up on the Gold Coast in Worongary.

Living the dream.

I love surfing. I love climbing trees in the bush.

Just cruising around.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

I'm pretty adventurous, I reckon.

Yoo-hoo-hoo!

Whoo!

And I don't go to the gym.

I have a course in my backyard that me and my uncle built

for my mum for CrossFit, which I do, like, every day.

So to win this is proof that gym is not life.

Come on, Daniel.

He's 19. He's got absolutely no fear.

He says, "I'm here, and I'm just going to attack this course

"with everything that I've got."

His mum and brother, Jacob, standing on the sidelines.

I reckon they know he can do this.

Go, Daniel! Go, Dan!

Can he?

Well, we are about to find out.

(STARTER CHIMES)

He'll kick off on the Quintuple Steps.

Oh, look at this. One foot on each step.

We haven't seen that form tonight.

Very good form for the Quintuple Steps,

but how will he go against the ninja killer, Ben - the Pole Rider?

Go, Daniel!

Well, he's just answered that.

He's smashed it, Bec.

Go, Daniel! He can't stop smiling.

And straight through the Bridge Of Blades!

Big smiles! Go, Dan!

He now turns the corner onto the Cone To Cargo.

Oh, look at the swing.

How good's the momentum, Freddie?

FREDDIE: I'm starting to believe he really is Tarzan.

(IMITATES TARZAN CRY)

Whoo!

Tarzaniel. Look at him!

He's smiling all the way around.

Oh, he's one-handing!

Mind your feet, Daniel, mind your feet, son.

Get your feet up. Now, watch your dreadlocks.

Yes, he's through. He's onto the cargo net.

The crowd loving it!

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Tarzan! Tarzan! Tarzan! Tarzan!

On to the Swing Cycle.

For Tarzan, this should be right up his alley.

Come on, Daniel. Yes!

Switching over onto the second ring.

Not a care in the world on his face.

Oh, that strength is unbelievable. And he's off.

He's at the wall.

Now, would you believe it, he's still smiling?

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

And he's up on the top of the Warped Wall, Australia!

Tarzan!

Holy shit! Oh, awesome!

What a massive effort.

No nerves for one of our youngest competitors.

Tarzaniel smiled his way through the course.

He's clocked the fastest time of the night so far.

1 minute, 29 seconds.

He's got to be happy with that, Freddie.

Daniel, I must admit,

I shouldn't have favourites on this show, but you are mine so far.

You just smiled all the way through.

Just a walk in the park!

Yeah, it was pretty easy.

Um, sort of.

I was just puffed, like, by the time I got here,

but reckon it was sick, yeah.

"Pretty easy."

We've had contestants so far fall on every obstacle.

You've danced through.

Do you really think now you can win this competition?

I think so, if it's all like this.

Mate, I thought that was incredible.

Unbelievable. Crowd favourite instantly.

And I'm sure a contender in this competition.

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Tarzaniel!

Well done, mate. Amazing.

Looking at the leaderboard,

Tarzaniel has run his way

right to the top

ahead of other finishers

baker Zayne Wealthall,

timber ninja Matthew Timms,

and French firie Aurelien Apport.

Then it's down to who's gone

the furthest in the fastest time.

And Nathaniel Irving

is still in the hunt

for a semifinal spot.

Out in the warm-up area,

Nathaniel's brother, Jayden,

is getting ready for his run, which is coming up soon.

But next, a woman with her eyes firmly on the Warped Wall.

She's a special education teacher

and one of this country's top obstacle course racers.

Australia, Laura Newton!

(CHEERING)

Go, Laura!

So my role as a special education teacher,

it is very challenging.

I think that's one of the things I like about it.

Guys, have a look at where your hour hand is.

So as a teacher, I'm an advocate

for all the kids with learning needs.

Kids with autism, speech and language impairments,

hearing impairments, physical impairments.

It's really important to make mistakes,

because from mistakes, we learn, don't we?

OK?

WOMAN: Her motivation is the kids.

She loves the kids to see her succeed.

And that's what she tries to teach her students.

ALL: Love! Happy!

Yay!

I believe that all students need really good role models,

so I hope that when I'm on Ninja Warrior,

if I can inspire one student - you know, that's a win.

Go, Miss!

(ALL LAUGH)

(CHEERING)

Go, Laura!

Oh, yes. Ninja Newton.

Her best friend, her mum, her friend

and coach there, as well as Gary, her partner.

She wants it.

(STARTER CHIMES)

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Laura! Laura! Laura!

It's on, baby.

Quintuple Steps, here we come.

She's being very cautious here.

Laura's 163cm tall.

That jump across is 150cm.

One down, five to go.

Go, Laura, go! Go high!

Go high!

Go, baby. Go high.

Here she goes.

Ohh, one jolt. Two!

I tell you what...

(CHEERING)

There's a little bit of luck involved with all of this,

and I think she knows she was lucky on that one.

Ben, I do not want to scare the horses here,

but we are yet to see a woman up the Warped Wall.

Could it be Australia's top obstacle course racer?

Bridge Of Blades.

She smashes it.

(CHEERING)

Cones To Cargo Net now.

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Laura! Laura! Laura!

This run's got a good feeling about it, Bec.

This mid-air catch catches a lot of people out.

Yes!

Big swing, big swing!

But she got them.

Now she needs the big swing to the cargo net.

Oh, no!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Good effort, babe.

She went too soon.

Laura had this in the bag after catching the cones.

She'd built up a great swing.

But she just rushed her jump.

One more swing, and she would have made it easily.

The Ninja Warrior course can really mess with your head.

I know you're one of the leading obstacle course racers in Australia.

How are you feeling

after challenging the Ninja Warrior course?

I think I need to learn how to fly and grab.

Obviously.

But, yeah, like, amazing.

Just a really cool course, and challenged me, which is amazing.

So I just hope that, you know,

I can inspire these kids to get out there and just do something.

And have fun!

Miss, I don't think you've just inspired the kids,

you've inspired all of us.

Congratulations. Great effort.

(CHEERING)

(LAUGHTER, CHEERING)

Laura is still in the hunt for the semis.

Thanks to the Pole Rider, she's gone further than many tonight.

But coming up - he's part man, part weapon.

A mixed martial arts champion

who's battle-hard and ready to rumble.

To be crowned the first Australian Ninja Warrior

would mean the world to me.

It's what I'm aiming for.

And 6'4" music producer Ben Polson

thinks he's got what it takes to reach number one

on the Ninja Warrior chart.

Ben puts in 100% to everything he does.

He does. He commits.

And next, Jayden Irving sets out to go where his brother couldn't -

the top of the Warped Wall.

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island.

We're halfway through our last qualifying heat.

Four ninjas looked to have booked their semifinal tickets

by reaching the top of the Warped Wall.

But who of our remaining competitors

will join them in the top 18?

OK, beware - our next ninja is seriously hard-core.

Ex-military man born in East Germany.

Two-time German mixed martial arts champion.

This guy is an absolute weapon -

Sebastian Kliesch.

I started martial arts when I was about 14 years old.

Turned pro MMA fighter a couple of years later.

Made two times German national champion,

but retired in 2010 from my professional career.

To be crowned the first Australian Ninja Warrior

would mean the world to me.

At the moment, I'm in it to win it.

I put all my focus on there, all my energy.

It's what I'm aiming for.

Knowing you've only got one chance at the course

is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.

The good thing is you have to focus your energy on only this one moment.

The bad thing is if you mess it up, you mess it up.

(CHEERING)

Go, Sebastian! Whoo!

Well, he might be a mixed martial arts champion,

but is he a ninja?

We're about to find out.

Go, Seb!

(STARTER CHIMES)

(CHEERING)

He's quick through here, but he's low on the platforms.

He's obviously got great balance.

Come on, Sebastian! Give them a show!

He seems pretty happy with himself.

His girlfriend... Hold on tight!

..is very impressed.

Breathe, breathe!

OK, the Pole Rider.

Hanging on. Letting go and...

Oh, no! Oh, no!

I did not expect this to happen. Swing! Hold on!

Has he got enough grunt to get himself onto that mat?

I don't think he can get back up.

He's in deep trouble, Freddie.

He needs to get the momentum going now.

Come on, Sebastian!

Was at the top brushing his shoulder as if to say "too easy".

But that's the problem with this course.

Think you've mastered it, and it will find you out.

Come on. Watch this. The pressure's on.

Watch this. He's going to try.

Swing! Swing! Jump!

It's his only option at this point.

(HORN SOUNDS)

He's got 10 seconds to get himself off the pole.

Come on, Sebastian!

You might as well just take the jump.

Have a go! Go, go!

Have a go! Come on, Sebastian!

Ohhh.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Just goes to show you,

he had all the attributes that we love to see

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Gives you a chance to make it all the way through,

but one slip and it's over.

Sebastian made the same mistake as plenty of others tonight.

He just didn't commit to the push off at the top,

so he came up short at the bottom.

And after that, the MMA champ put up a good fight,

but there was only one way he was going to go in the end -

and that was down.

Just couldn't... Just didn't have any swing.

Yeah. It's OK.

Let's go. Come on. Let's go.

Now, here's a man we've been waiting for - Jayden Irving.

Earlier tonight, we saw his brother, Nathaniel,

go out on the Cones To Cargo Net.

The Irvings have faced cancer not once but twice.

You would not find a closer family.

Here comes Jayden.

(CHEERING)

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Let's go, Jayden, let's go!

Oh, he's got some spring. Hasn't he got some spring?

Bouncing up and down.

(STARTER CHIMES)

We're going to need all that spring on the Quintuple Steps

as he kicks off.

(CHEERING)

He's through. On to the Pole Rider.

Whoo!

Something you won't know about Jayden,

he's actually the mascot for the Richmond Football Club in Melbourne.

Oh, ohhh. Oh, no!

Has he got the momentum to get on? Yes.

(CHEERING)

Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Bridge Of Blades time.

Come on!

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Jayden! Jayden! Jayden!

Perfect!

Yes, yes, yes!

Now Cones To Cargo Net.

This brought Nathaniel undone.

You've got this!

Come on, Jayden!

Can he get that catch?

He's got it!

Yes! You've got this!

One more swing, Jayden.

Good swing!

And Jayden is on the net.

Jayden, look at him go.

He has almost the perfect build for this course, Ben.

Yeah, 183cm, or six feet tall.

Quite lean at 72kg.

And that means, I suppose,

he doesn't have to carry too much body weight through the obstacles.

Now, the Swing Cycle.

(CHEERING)

OK, let's watch this.

How's the upper body strength going to play out?

How's the grip strength going to play out?

So far, so good.

The momentum, forward and back. And then look for that next ring.

One hand on. Oh, look at that!

Oh, my Lord! Oh, my God! Yes, yes, yes!

What's doing? Oh, he's up there.

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Here comes Jayden Irving.

Come on, Jayden!

Up, up, up,

and home and hosed!

You betcha!

(CHEERING)

What a sensational run!

Arghhh!

Jayden seemed to get better the further he went on in the course.

He stumbled on the dismount from the Pole Rider,

but from there, he was in his element.

Absolutely flying through the Swing Cycle.

He's through to the semifinals.

You must be so pleased with that.

You had a smile on your face from start to finish.

How good was it? Oh, it was amazing.

Best day of my life, guys, am I right?

Yeah!

(CHEERING)

Wow.

I've seen you on the sidelines. Mixed emotions.

When he fell off, you had your head in your hands.

But now you're smiling!

Yes, because it was so scary.

(LAUGHTER)

It really was.

We'll see you on the course next year?

No. Oh, come on, come on.

No, thank you. No, thank you.

Jayden, you're through to the semifinals.

Congratulations. Great effort.

Crowd loved it. We all loved it. See you there, mate.

Thank you. Can I get a cuddle?

Yeah.

Coming up, can the first 'Bachelor'

become the first Australian Ninja Warrior?

It's great for me just to have something to aim for.

After almost conquering the English course,

Fred Dorrington is perhaps

the best qualified of all the ninjas.

I feel I've got a bit of an edge,

having competed with the sort of pressure

and the nature of the whole course.

Can he do even better here?

I'd just be beside myself.

And Olympic snowboarder Stephanie Magiros

has achieved the near impossible in the past.

I went from a beginner snowboarder to Olympics in just six years.

Can she do it tonight up the Warped Wall?

You missed it!

Whee!

Give me one right now! Good luck!

(ALL LAUGH)

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island.

During the break, we saw three more athletes attack the course.

It was serious business for former circus clown Glen West.

FREDDIE: He's not clowning around tonight.

He's not messing about tonight.

He made it all the way to the Swing Cycle.

Ohhh!

REBECCA: Freddie, he was so close. Good effort, though.

Actress Samantha Clarke gave the performance of her life.

There's nowhere to hide on the Pole Rider.

You've either got it or you don't.

But was upstaged by the Pole Rider.

Ahh!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

And champion pole vaulter Joel Pocklington

reached new heights on the Bridge Of Blades.

That's lightning-fast.

That's Usain Bolt stuff.

And made the leap up the Warped Wall and into the semis.

(HORN BLARES)

That's a professional, and that's a future Australian Ninja Warrior.

Yes!

Our next runner is Stephanie Magiros.

She represented Australia in snowboarding

at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

And here she is on Ninja Island.

(CHEERING)

Go, Steph!

I'm Stephanie Magiros, and I'm a Winter Olympian.

I grew up as a gymnast,

but I learnt how to snowboard when I was 17,

and that is what led me to pursuing my new Olympic dream.

I went from a beginner snowboarder to Olympics in just six years.

I learnt a lot from my Olympic training,

and the resilience needed, the dedication,

the commitment to be the best that I can be

and achieve any obstacle.

I'm here because I'm already an Australian Olympian,

so adding an Australian Ninja Warrior to the list -

I'm definitely chasing that.

She's got plenty of support here tonight,

including mum, Helen, and dad, Harry.

Come on, Steph!

(STARTER CHIMES)

It's Quintuple Steps time.

She calls herself the 'ultimate munchkin ninja'.

How tall is she?

She's only 4'11". Not even 5 feet.

So she is a little pocket rocket.

She is the ultimate munchkin ninja.

And she made short work of that.

Here we go.

Time for the Pole Rider.

Hang on to that pole. Don't let go.

In fact, let me correct myself -

let go, but at the precise time.

Because otherwise you bounce back over the water,

and then it's very hard to get off.

Come on, Stephanie.

Bang, bang! Oooh...

Yeah! Yes!

Everyone willing her on.

Here we go. Don't you mess around.

Yes, yes, yes, you good thing!

Whoa. Whoa-ho-ho.

Come on, Stephanie.

Now, this is where her height may come into play.

She's only 4'11".

Yes!

Come on!

You know what? Her swing is good.

It is good. You look at the swing.

She's gonna make that net, Bec, I'm telling ya!

Forget about the height.

She's got the swing!

She's got the landing!

She's got the net!

Come on, Stephanie.

She has made it further than any other woman on tonight's course.

What about the reaction?

They love her.

She can't believe she's made it here.

I'm nervous.

I'm nervous. I can hardly look.

Stephanie, you've made us so nervous up here!

And she's on.

Really concentrating on that first ring.

It's giving her a chance... Yes! Yes!

..to get the energy back.

And she's doing it again now. Come on, Stephanie.

Don't drop off now.

We want you to do this.

I've got everything I possibly can have crossed, Ben.

Nooo!

No, no, no, please!

No, no!

Oh, that was unbelievable to watch.

Let's put our hands together for Stephanie Magiros.

Absolutely phenomenal.

Stephanie's gymnastics training

really helped her glide through the first four obstacles tonight.

But it was her grip strength

getting her onto that third ring that really let down.

What a massive effort, Freddie.

Stephanie, that was unbelievable.

And ever so close!

Oh, my gosh.

I did not think I was going to make it up to that middle ring.

And on that last ring, I was just like,

"Oh, my gosh, I can actually get there."

And then I just slipped off that third one.

But this is my Ninja Olympics, and this is so awesome.

Congratulations, Stephanie. Thank you.

The crowd is amazing. I love you guys!

(CHEERING)

Looking at the leaderboard,

more than halfway through the heat,

only six competitors have been able

to finish this difficult course.

That's good news for Stephanie.

At this stage,

by making the Swing Cycle,

she's gone far enough, fast enough,

to possibly claim

one of the last semifinal spots.

But she could be pushed down the list

depending on how

the remaining competitors go.

(CHEERING)

OK, our next competitor, Fred Dorrington,

is the real deal.

Fred recently made the finals of Ninja Warrior UK.

Can he do the same thing on home turf?

Fred Dorrington.

(CHEERING)

The UK series of Ninja Warrior

just sort of culminated everything

that I'm kind of interested in,

so the fitness, the fun, the adventure, the competition.

And I just, you know, had to give it a go.

COMMENTATOR: Fred 'The Wizard of Oz' Dorrington has completed Stage One

with a comfortable 46 seconds left on the clock.

I got through to the second finals stage.

Come on, now, Fred. 20 seconds to go.

He's got to go now. He's got to go.

Ohhh! Absolutely heartbreaking.

I was pretty gutted my left foot dipped down into the water,

which sadly was enough to see me out of the course.

And if it happened again in the Australian series,

I'd just be beside myself.

WOMAN: Fred is definitely not a quitter.

If he has a challenge put in front of him,

he will take it by the horns,

and he will give it the best shot he possibly can.

My goal is definitely to do better than I did in the UK.

I feel I've got a bit of an edge,

having competed with the sort of pressure

and the nature of the whole course.

It'd just be amazing to see what he can do

and see how far he can get.

(CHEERING)

You can do it!

BEN: This man means business.

He made the finals of 'UK Ninja Warrior' series three.

Is that going to help him, Freddie?

FREDDIE: I have seen this show. This is not an advantage.

That show is smaller.

This course is bigger.

This course is tougher!

What you learnt in the UK -

well, you might as well forget it.

(STARTER CHIMES)

Go, Fred! Only time will tell.

As he starts off on the Quintuple Steps.

And he's really concentrating through here.

But still making pretty good time.

How will Fred handle the Pole Rider?

Well, he hasn't failed yet.

Ooh.

Has not put a foot wrong yet.

He's got sisters Daniella and Georgina supporting him.

Oh, that hit him right in the middle of the body.

Yeah, that's gotta hurt.

But he powers on.

Come on, Fred!

Good on you, Freddie. Here we go.

Up onto the cones.

Has a look at the net.

One swing.

Is this the one?

No.

He's taking his time. He's got good strength.

Might be this one. Might be this one.

Yes. Good man.

Freddie's the sort of competitor

that if you were taking bets at home,

when he rocked up there on the podium

and was facing the Quintuple Steps,

you might say to your loved one beside you,

"Nuh, I'm not gonna back this guy."

Because physically he's not as built as some of the other competitors.

But that doesn't matter.

It takes all types to get up the Warped Wall.

(CHEERING)

But look what happens before our eyes.

He's already on the second-last obstacle.

How did this happen?

Ooh. Hangs on.

He's looking good, Ben.

I've got a good feeling right now.

This is the Swing Cycle,

and he's on the second ring at the moment.

Look at him just having a good look at where he needs to be!

He's there!

Swing the legs. You need a good dismount.

The heel was just over the back of it.

He gives us some nervous moments.

He wastes no time,

and, ladies and gentlemen,

right around Australia,

put your hands together,

because the man who made the finals of Ninja Warrior UK

is into the semifinals of Ninja Warrior Australia.

After suffering a nasty blow on the Bridge Of Blades,

it was pretty much smooth sailing for Fred.

Making it up the Warped Wall with ease,

and taking a spot in the semifinal.

Freddie.

Oh, Fred.

Wow.

That was an amazing time.

I know you've competed in the UK Ninja Warrior.

Tell me - which one's tougher?

This one by miles.

Oh, come on. Come on.

No, it stepped it up, really. Seriously.

The whole field here is so athletic.

Amazing cast. So good. So much good fun.

So what are you saying about the English?

We're not athletic? We're not fit?

I'm English halfway, but, you know, just not as good as the Aussies.

You know that.

And you...

Right, Fred's off now.

Thanks very much. Cheers, Fred.

Good luck in the semifinal.

(CHEERING)

While Fred walks off, we're going to take a quick break.

Please come back.

There's some more Australian Ninja Warrior,

which is harder than the UK one.

Don't go away. Come back. Cheers.

Next, music producer Ben Polson

used to be known as the 'ginger ninja'.

But will a new hairdo help him on the Ninja Warrior course tonight?

Since dying my hair,

I'm here to prove that blondes really do have more fun.

And 'Titanium Woman' Zoe Featonby

has made a remarkable recovery from back surgery.

Will she be the first woman to scale the Warped Wall?

Regardless of what happens, nine years ago -

never thought I'd be here.

And love is still in the air

for former 'Bachelor' Tim Robards as he takes on Ninja Island.

WOMAN: I'm certainly going to be that cheerleader

cheering on the sidelines,

so definitely his number one supporter.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Out in the warm-up area,

Australia's most famous chiropractor, Tim Robards,

is looking good.

But here's something you didn't know.

Former 'Bachelor' Tim tore his bicep off the bone

a few months back, so just being here is quite an achievement.

He'll be putting an arm to the test very shortly.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Our next ninja is a music producer who loves rock climbing,

ninja training, basketball, and snowboarding -

Ben Polson!

I think we've got a pretty interesting cat on our hands.

My name is Ben Polson. I'm 24.

I'm from Perth, WA,

and I'm a music producer.

Music's been a part of my life for quite some time now.

It's me being able to let out my creative side.

It's total freedom.

I feel like I've always kind of stuck out a little bit,

whether it's the ginger hair, or the white hair,

or being 6'4".

I definitely find, like, I'm a bit of a different person

from the rest of the bunch, and I kind of like that about myself.

Ben puts in 100% to everything he does.

He does. He commits.

My gut feeling is he'll do us proud.

I don't have any expectations that I'll take the title,

but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, he's long and lean, isn't he?

Not much body fat, and looks like he's got plenty of speed as well.

(STARTER CHIMES)

BEN: Here we go. Come on, Ben Polson.

Let's bring it home.

And he races his way through the Quintuple Steps.

Pole Rider time now.

Big launch out.

That's confidence, and that is just perfect.

Yeah, for a tall man, he's not that heavy,

as he makes his way through the Bridge Of Blades.

Just 85kg.

You could argue the perfect ninja body type.

This bloke looks in his element up there.

No panicking.

Just taking his time.

Oh, and he's onto the cargo net.

We are looking at a real contender here.

Sit back on your couch

and enjoy what's happening on your screens.

Ben Polson is showing other competitors in this competition

just how to nail this course.

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Polson! Polson! Polson!

And as I have a look at the clock,

he's touched that first ring nine seconds faster

than anyone else tonight.

The wingspan is incredible.

That is strong, Ben! Have a look at this!

That takes ultimate strength.

Just walked up to the Warped Wall. Sizing it up.

He's pretty tall. What the?

He didn't even need a run-up. Holy what?

He didn't even run up to it.

(HORN BLARES)

Piece of cake!

Take a bow and enjoy it. Congratulations.

Can't wait to see that man in the semifinals.

He's going to be a red-hot contender.

Ben is built for Ninja Warrior.

Low body weight, long reach.

Without even raising a sweat,

Ben Polson's through the course in 1 minute and 19 seconds.

Our fastest time of the night.

Ben. How are you?

I'm good, mate. That was just showing off.

You know, I just tried my best, I suppose,

and obviously if it looked like showing off, I apologise.

Just having a bit of fun. Mate, don't apologise.

I thought it was beautiful.

It was the quickest time of the night too.

You're going through to the semifinal,

and I reckon a chance at the whole competition.

Congratulations. Excellent.

That's great to hear, mate. I appreciate it.

Cheers, Ben. Good on you, mate.

We've just seen something pretty special,

but the night's not over yet.

Our next competitor is as tough as anyone you've seen this series.

She's 'Titanium Woman' - Zoe Featonby.

Go, Zoe!

WOMAN: Come on!

(CHEERING)

Well, I'm called the 'Titanium Woman'

because when I was 16, I was playing netball,

had a fall.

I was assessed by a physio at the time.

Got told I had scoliosis,

and I was told that I'd have to undergo surgery.

Essentially they did anterior fusion,

which means they cut me right down my side.

They removed one of my ribs.

They deflated my lung,

and then they inserted a titanium rod

and five screws in my spine as well.

After that, a lot of rehabilitation,

a lot of work to get back to where I was.

I think any time anyone tells me I can't do anything,

I'll just try and prove them wrong.

I never thought I would be lining up

for Australian Ninja Warrior after being on a hospital bed

for weeks on end.

And I'm ready to tackle it.

But regardless of what happens,

nine years ago, never thought I'd be here.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

You'd have to think having five vertebrae fused in her back

would cause her problems with mobility.

(STARTER CHIMES)

But she does not look worried.

As she kicks off on the Quintuple Steps.

Come on! Good girl. Let's go.

Now, Ben, I'm just looking at the leaderboard.

If Zoe can just get as far as the Swing Cycle,

she'll be through to the semis.

(CHEERING)

Come on! Come on, Zoe.

This is the Pole Rider.

That's a strong launch.

Oh, how confident was that?

(CHEERING)

She's pumped.

We've got a great contender here.

Bridge Of Blades now.

AUDIENCE (CHANTS): Zoe! Zoe! Zoe!

Wow!

That's despite the surgery.

This is yours, Zoe. This is yours.

You've worked hard, baby!

Come on, Zoe.

All you need to do is get through the Cone To Cargo Net,

and you're into the semifinals.

Taking a good look around.

Test the trampoline. Up she goes.

Ohhh.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

No! That was awesome, awesome.

Zoe had no trouble reaching the cones,

but like so many others tonight, she only focused on one.

She caught the right cone, no problem.

Couldn't grab the left one with her other hand.

Zoe, it was an incredible start.

You were so pleased to get through the Pole Rider.

Yeah.

I've seen so many people go out,

so I was just stoked to get through that one, to be honest.

Thank you.

Then you came unstuck on the trampoline

trying to reach for the rods.

Grabbed my right hand. Left hand was a bit weak, so...

It was a great effort, and the crowd are going wild for it.

Your family and friends wearing Team Zoe T-shirts.

Go and join them. Go and say hello. Great effort. Unlucky.

(CHEERING)

Onya, Zoe!

Zoe's run has her sitting right on the edge of a semifinal position.

Ben Polson is on top of the table,

ahead of Tarzaniel, Daniel Weston,

and tonight's other finishers,

including Fred Dorrington

and Aurelien Apport.

It gets interesting

down near the cut-off,

where Steph Magiros,

Nathaniel Irving

and Zoe Featonby

are just holding on

to their semifinal places.

But with four competitors

still to run,

any or all of them

could be knocked out.

After the break, the last semifinal positions of the series

will be decided.

Can Tim Robards claim a place in Ninja Warrior history?

Don't go anywhere, Australia.

We're back right after this.

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island...

..where three more competitors have just taken their shots

at winning a place in the semifinals.

OK, here he goes.

Personal trainer Nikolai Babkoff

became yet another victim of the Pole Rider.

Ohhh! No!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Robotics student Rob Patterson almost short-circuited.

This is quite brilliant.

But recovered to complete the course

and win his place in the semifinals.

(HORN BLARES)

You're on top of the world tonight!

Well done!

While supermum Nicci Barnes stumbled at the Bridge Of Blades.

Oh, please. Oh, no, not the Bridge Of Blades!

That's not going to look good. No, no, no, no!

The only way was down, there, sadly, for Nicci.

Now our final competitor of the night.

He'll be familiar to viewers with a romantic bent.

He's the original Australian 'Bachelor'.

Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Robards!

(CHEERING)

Yeah, boy!

Go, baby! Whoo!

You can do it! You're looking hot out there!

I'm Tim Robards.

I'm 34, and I'm a sports chiropractor

and an exercise scientist.

Just over six months ago, I was training -

I was pushing it, and my bicep decided to tear off the bone.

You can see the stump of the tendon there, where it's pulled off.

I can't let my arm bend much past 90 degrees.

The prospect of Ninja Warrior came up,

and it was just, for me, I thought, you know what,

"I'm going to set a goal to potentially get there."

So post-surgery, it was great for me to have a goal,

and just to have something to aim for.

ANNA: For most people, an injury like this

could take up to 6 to 8 months to recover,

but for Tim, I think it was around three months.

He's an extremely fine athlete.

He's worked hard on his rehabilitation.

I expect him to do well in the competition

and become Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

There's definitely a lot of pressure

coming into this after an injury,

but I think I'm going to try and embrace that

and turn it into something positive.

Now, the equation is simple, Bec.

Finish the course, or at least make the Swing Cycle,

and Tim is through to the semis.

Come on, Tim. Come on. Come on, you can do it!

(STARTER CHIMES)

First, the Quintuple Steps.

You've got this, babe!

Come on, babe! You can do it!

Tim is a really big guy.

186cm, 6'1", 92kg.

Yay! Yay, yay, yay! Come on!

Now the Pole Rider.

We've seen what this can do to some of our competitors tonight.

Go, go, go! You've got it, babe!

He's tucked himself right in on the pole, and that's perfect.

And he's off!

Yes!

Yes! Come on! You've got it! Come on!

Big support for Tim here, Ben.

Getting through the next two obstacles,

and they'll be seeing him in the semis.

Bridge Of Blades time.

Tim bolts through it.

A bit of a stumble, but he's OK, Freddie.

FREDDIE: Now this has become very real for the chiropractor.

The Bachelor!

Babe, babe, you can do this! You've got this one!

You're so strong! Come on!

If he completes this obstacle, he's into the semis.

It's as simple as that.

Mind you, if anything is going to test that dodgy bicep,

it'll be swinging from these cones.

Yes! Oh, my God.

I'm willing to make an early call here.

This man's going to not only complete the next two obstacles,

he'll make his way up the wall.

But at the moment, he's got his hands on a couple of cones.

And he needs to get to the cargo net.

Easier said than done, sometimes.

Come on! You can do it!

Swing harder!

He's doing the swing well.

We've seen other competitors struggle.

Go, Tim! Go, Tim!

Keep swinging!

He's got to get off those cones.

Ohhh!

He's smoked!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

No!

Tim Robards, the 'Bachelor' - broken everyone's heart here tonight.

Well, he looks good wet, what can you say?

But what a performance.

Tim gave himself every chance.

He got a great swing onto the net.

But you can see as he tried to catch his body weight,

his right hand gave way.

Perhaps his grip strength hasn't fully recovered from that operation.

How is he, Freddie?

Tim, how are you, mate?

You looked like you was enjoying it up until the cargo net.

Mate, it was so good, and then just wasn't getting the swing right.

And then just...

I was a bit hot. Felt like a dip. You know.

You and me both.

But it was going so well.

It looks like you got all the credentials to fill the course,

but just a little bit wanting in the end.

Yeah, mate. All show, no go.

Oh, mate.

Well, I'm sure Anna's waiting to give you a cuddle,

so I'll let you get on.

Thanks. Great effort, mate.

She said I'm not coming home if I don't get through.

Oh, bad luck, mate.

(CHEERING)

ANNA: I don't know if I want to get wet.

No joy for Tim Robards.

The last of the semifinalists have been decided.

Never any doubt

for music producer Ben Polson,

Daniel Weston,

or baker Zayne Wealthall.

French firie Aurelien Apport

qualified slowest

of 12 finishers tonight.

And just scraping into the 18,

snowboarder Steph Magiros,

and Nathanael Irving.

Bad news, sadly,

for titanium-tough Zoe Featonby,

who came in at 19.

But without doubt, the Performance of the Night

goes to music producer Ben Polson.

The one-time ginger ninja flew through the course

more than 10 seconds faster than his nearest rival,

and sent a big warning heading into the semifinals.

Wow.

It's been another night of guts and glory,

but a night also of heartbreak.

But it's not over for the ninjas who have made it through this course.

The semifinals are just around the corner.

Yeah, the heats are just a taste - a stepping stone of what's to come.

Because starting tomorrow night, they'll face a new course...

..that's bigger and tougher than anything they've faced before.

(HORN BLARES)

Freddie, you've been doing a fantastic job, mate.

What's it been like for you down there?

It's been another epic night down here, Ben.

It has been literally raining ninjas.

So many not making it through the course.

At times, it's been brutal to watch.

But for some, they've made it, and been truly remarkable.

I've got to admit, I am having an absolute ball.

We are too.

It's looking great from up here on the tower.

We can't wait for Australian Ninja Warrior to continue.

See you soon, Australia.

Goodnight!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

It's been five breathtaking qualifying heats.

Oh, no!

250 of Australia's best athletes gave their all.

This guy has got what it takes

to be Australian Ninja Warrior, I can feel it.

Twins who can do the impossible.

When I hit the buzzer,

and as soon I looked at my time, that's when I just went crazy.

He has broken a minute!

Women smashing expectations.

Yes!

Go, Mum! "Mum, you have to do this!"

Go, you good thing!

A man on a mission.

This run is unbelievable.

I'm here to prove to all Indigenous boys and girls

that anything is possible.

Only the elite made it through.

I've never seen anyone do that better.

And now, in the semifinals,

Australian Ninja Warrior just gets tougher.

The course - 50% longer.

This is a brand-new course now.

The obstacles twice as hard.

Oh, no!

Even the strongest competitors can fall in the pool.

That's next time...

Sensational!

..on Australian Ninja Warrior.