Original subtitles

MAN: Australia has never seen anything like it.

(COMMENTATORS GROAN)

The world's toughest obstacle course has tamed all but the very best.

WOMAN: What an impressive run!

MAN: He is on top of the world!

And now in the semifinals, the course is longer and harder.

(COMMENTATORS GROAN)

WOMAN: Oh!

Tonight in the second of three semifinals,

30 competitors take their chance.

Among them - rock-climbing brothers Lee and Ben Cossey.

To be here is just such a privilege.

Lee's partner, Andrea Hah,

looks to become the first woman up the warped wall.

And ex-commando Scott Evennett,

for whom defeat is not an option.

Challenge accepted.

Only seven can qualify for the grand final

and a possible shot at Mount Midoriyama.

As the search continues...

for Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Hello. I'm Rebecca Maddern.

I'm Ben Fordham.

And I'm Freddie Flintoff.

And welcome to the semifinals of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Our ninjas think they know what's around the corner.

Well, ninjas, time for a rethink.

The heats are one thing,

but the semifinals are a completely different beast.

No doubt about that. The course is longer. It's tougher.

And it's designed to test every aspect of their physical ability,

so only the best of the best make it to the finals

and have the opportunity

of facing the biggest physical challenge of them all -

Mount Midoriyama.

Now, Freddie Flintoff, you take everyone through

who you're gonna be keeping a close eye on tonight.

Well, Ben, our Blue Mountain rock-climbers

brothers Ben and Lee Cossey,

and Lee's girlfriend, Andrea Hah.

Now, this course takes mental and physical tenacity,

and rock-climbers, they've got spades of that.

So I've got high hopes for them.

And don't forget about Georgia Bonora.

The spotlight is on her as well.

So let's take a look at the obstacles they will have to conquer.

It's the semifinals, so we've added two new killer obstacles

as the world's toughest course gets even tougher.

First, it's the always-tricky quintuple steps.

On the log grip, our ninjas will need to hold on tight.

The spinning log returns,

and just one foot wrong, and you're taking a bath.

On the jump hang,

it's a massive leap onto a cargo net

before they climb their way to the other side.

Touch the water and it's game over.

And in tonight's semifinal,

we up the ante with a brand-new obstacle - the punishing bungee road.

The ninjas will negotiate four sets of hanging rope

made out of authentic bungee cord material,

before they swing onto the pipe -

and by this point, their arms will be crying for mercy.

From there, it's down to the mat

where they'll be greeted by their old foe, the warped wall.

During the heats, this was the final obstacle.

But we are now in the semis,

which means our ninjas must brace themselves

for yet another brutal new obstacle - the flying shelf.

Putting their core strength to the ultimate test,

they'll leap between the two shelves,

and then it's all about timing for that final swing

as the landing platform is a mighty 3.5m away.

Next, it's the pole grasper...

before the final 7m chimney climb.

If you score one of the fastest seven times tonight,

you're on your way to the grand final.

Our first ninja to tackle the semifinals course tonight

is this man, Nathaniel Irving.

And his big brother Jayden is also in the semis tonight,

so for Team Irving, this competition is very much a family affair.

NATHANIEL: To make the semifinals is obviously a big thing for me.

Even more, the fact that my brother actually got through.

We have such a good bond and such a good brotherly love.

I'm still on your team.

Support's one of the biggest things you can have in life.

Mum, Dad's gonna be there.

And my nanna.

Will we see you on the course next year?

No. Oh, come on! Come on.

No, thank you.

I swear to god, she is mine and my brother's biggest fan.

Back the other way, back the other way.

You're so strong!

I've done a lot to be here.

When I was nine, I actually got diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

It's where you have... ah, I had a tumour in my neck.

I've beaten plenty of obstacles that have been in my way.

But to me, they're nothing.

I want to absolutely smash this competition.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN FORDHAM: Now, during his heat,

Nathaniel crashed out on the fourth obstacle,

so he'll be looking to make amends.

REBECCA MADDERN: And Ben, as you'd expect

with such a tight-knit family, there they are -

brother Jayden and all the Irvings are there on the side-line,

and, of course, the biggest fan - nanna!

She's in the audience tonight. (COUNTDOWN TIMER)

MAN: You've got this, brother.

So here he goes, Nathaniel Irving,

the first runner of semifinals two.

MAN: Yeah, boy!

Easily across the quintuple steps.

And he's done that before. Alright.

But he won't have come across the log grip.

That's it.

Bam, bam, thank you, ma'am. Off we go.

Spinning log now. Keep working!

Now, this was one of the newer features of the semifinals course,

and for Nathaniel, he really needs...

(COMMENTATORS GROAN)

Whoops. Oh, what heartbreak for Nathaniel.

Just goes to show you how intense these semis are.

This is the most unforgiving obstacle.

You need to stay dead centre,

but Nathaniel's second step slid off to the right,

starting the log spinning,

and he was never going to regain balance from there.

It's a tough lesson to learn.

No second chances.

Boy! Thank you.

You did good, buddy.

MAN: Any advice? The first step -

just make sure it's dead straight.

REBECCA MADDERN: And as Nathaniel gives some last-minute tips

to his brother, Jayden.

Next up -

he is one of the competition's most formidable contenders,

former commando Scott Evennett.

(FAST-PACED MUSIC)

My name's Scott Evennett,

and I'm a former Special Forces soldier.

Everyone had pretty high expectations of how I'd go through,

seeing what I do for training and what I would've done in the past.

So when I was on my third attempt for that warped wall...

(TENSE MUSIC)

Definitely I felt like the dream was slipping away.

BEN FORDHAM: Scott Evennett - this is the moment.

But being a Special Forces soldier,

there is no mission failure.

(CHEERING) He's there! He's done it!

You beauty!

After that button was hit,

I just looked over at my family and friends.

Seeing their reaction, it made you all a bit teary.

For Ninja Warrior,

Scotty's gonna go at it as hard as he can and as fast as he can,

because that's who he is.

You've just gotta hang on for the ride.

SCOTT: My motto for life is - challenge accepted.

So for the semifinals of Australian Ninja Warrior, challenge accepted.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN FORDHAM: Now, although Scott did successfully finish the course

with a sixth place in his heat,

it was the warped wall where he really struggled.

He needed to use all three attempts

to climb over it.

Tonight, he'll not only have to conquer the warped wall,

but then he'll still have three more obstacle to try to overcome

if he wants to get to the top seven

tonight. (COUNTDOWN TIMER)

REBECCA MADDERN: Look at the body on Scott.

85 kilos, 170m - 170cm tall.

I can't even speak! He looks like a 170m tall, no worry.

This guy is incredible. Holy... Jesus.

How is his physique?

I don't think the log grip is gonna survive after his grip.

There you go. Well done, Scott.

Spinning log next.

Tricky for a big unit like Scott.

Straight across this pole - oh!

Oh, that's gotta have hurt.

But this bloke's bullet-proof. WOMAN: Go, Scotty!

Jump hang now.

Let's go down to Freddie, with a closer view from the side-lines.

WOMAN: Yeah, nice jump. FREDDIE: He's not taking his time.

He's in a rush here as he scrambles onto the cargo net.

You'd imagine he's been on so many cargo nets as a commando.

But look at him, look at his abs.

His abs are just popping out.

I've never seen anything like it.

He's to watch his shoulders, though.

His shoulders are getting a little bit close to the water.

You've got this. WOMAN: Come on, Scotty!

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: There he goes.

Wow.

REBECCA MADDERN: Now Scott won't have faced

anything like this next obstacle.

It's called bungee road.

This section is designed to smash your grip strength and forearms.

BEN FORDHAM: Well, he's got the bungees in the right place.

Too low and they bounce too much.

Too high and they don't swing.

And he needs that to bridge the gap here.

(CHEERING, REBECCA GASPS) Oh, yes!

ALL: Yes!

Now, onto the pipe.

The hard part is he has to climb up.

Have a look at the strain on those forearms.

WOMAN: Awesome!

Can he do it?

Oh, he's done it!

WOMAN: Good job! But now, Ben Fordham, the wall.

He's only short - 5 foot 7 -

so this is a real challenge.

Remember, he's failed here twice in the heat.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

BEN FORDHAM: Scott Evennett!

And he's done it!

He's got a finger, he's got a hand.

And he's up.

Jumping up and down on the side-lines.

His fiancee Tamara is beside herself.

Now the heats ended at the warped wall

but this is the semis.

There are still three more obstacles,

starting with the flying shelf.

How's he going, Freddie?

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: I've gotta tell ya, I'm stood down here.

I've got a first-hand view of this obstacle.

And this looks tough.

This is not for the faint-hearted.

This is not for people who doubt themselves.

This isn't for people who haven't got the strength in their arms,

in their fingers, in their entire body.

Now he just has to get those legs going.

Good job, babe.

He's hanging by those fingertips.

Can he hold himself? He does. (GIRLFRIEND WHOOPS)

But now he's gotta reach the mat.

It's more than 3m away.

Big one...

Oh no! (BUZZER)

That was the most spectacular fly through the air

but he didn't make the mat.

Good one, babe!

Scott was more paratrooper than commando

getting between the two shelves,

but he rushed his dismount.

He needed one more swing to make the distance.

As it was, he came crashing to earth in the most spectacular fashion.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Well done, mate. ALL: Well done, Scotty!

Scott, you was flying through the course.

You was exactly the same time on the top of the warped wall

as in the heats.

It was going ever so well.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be tonight,

but I'm sure, we're gonna see you again, aren't we?

Oh, for sure. 100%. Thanks, guys.

BEN FORDHAM: Bad luck, Scotty.

But he's not out of the running just yet.

Depending on how many others finish the course

and how fast they go,

Scott may hang on into that top seven.

REBECCA MADDERN: But now, over in the warm-up gym,

is our dual Olympian, Georgia Bonora.

And to support her tonight is fellow Olympian Larrissa Miller,

who's down on the side-lines with Freddie.

Larrissa, you're here tonight supporting your mate, aren't you?

Yeah, I am.

Like, unfortunately I didn't make it through to the semifinals,

but I'm here supporting Georgia tonight

and I'm so, so excited and I'm so proud of her.

I'm just... yeah, I'm really excited to watch.

And what words of wisdom have you passed on to your mate tonight?

I think she just needs to, like, have fun and believe in herself

because she is capable of this.

She's just super nervous but I know that she can do it.

We're all hoping that she'll get up there.

Larrissa, lovely to speak to ya.

You go over there and support your mate,

like everyone in this crowd will be tonight. Thank you so much.

BEN FORDHAM: Still to come -

his brother crashed out early in the course...

and now stuntman Jayden is ready to avenge Nathaniel's loss.

You're going to see an Irving win this competition.

Plus - can all four ninja climbers make it to the grand final?

MAN: Round one was just a warm-up.

But tonight, give me all you got.

REBECCA MADDERN: But straight after the break -

it's dual Olympic gymnast Georgia Bonora,

as she flies the flag for our female Ninja Warrior.

The further it's taking me the more I wanna win.

REBECCA MADDERN: Welcome back to the second semifinal

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

30 ninjas in action tonight,

but only seven can make it through to the grand final.

Who will survive?

Next up, it's time for dual Olympic gymnast Georgia Bonora.

During her heat, Georgia fell short at the second last obstacle

where she eventually finished 13th.

She'll be looking to go further tonight.

My heat didn't exactly go to plan

as I kind of slipped on the ball.

That's basically what I said as I was falling into the water - balls.

(CHUCKLES)

AUDIENCE: Oh! (BUZZER)

I want to stay dry tonight.

I just washed my hair so I don't wanna have to do that again.

(LAUGHS)

(ROCK MUSIC)

For the semis, I have my best friend Larrissa supporting me.

We were in the same team in the Olympics in London.

Just knowing that she's there, cheering me on -

yeah, it means the world.

Feel like I've got it in me

to be the first female Australian Ninja Warrior.

The further it's taking me past the heats -

now I'm into the semis -

the more I wanna win.

I'm definitely thinking about the finals.

I'm definitely thinking about Mount Midoriyama.

I'm ready to go.

I'm ready to take on Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN FORDHAM: Nerves aplenty.

Only the top seven finishers, male or female,

make it to the grand final.

REBECCA MADDERN: Larrissa Miller much calmer on the side-line...

as we get ready for Georgia,

who is 5 foot 4 and 55kg of pure Olympic athleticism.

Quintuple steps.

She's probably thinking there's a very long way to go on this course.

LARRISSA: Come on, George.

But she needs to concentrate here.

MAN: That's it.

So far so good. No problem.

Taking her time as she gets onto the log grip.

Come on! She is on the smaller side

so she's gonna need plenty of inner thigh strength

to wrap her whole body around the log grip.

She can't just rely on her arms... Oh...

..and she rode those bumps, one, two, quite nicely.

Well done, Georgia.

Now although she's a gold medal-winning gymnast,

the spinning log is narrower than the balance beam that she's used to.

Oh! So close!

But Georgia - she's recovered! Well done.

Had to catch my breath on that one, Ben.

Yeah, nail-biting stuff.

As she now prepares for the jump hang,

and with all of her Olympic experience,

she should be in her element here.

MAN: Big jump. You've got it, George.

LARRISSA: Fly!

Yes! Oh, she's missed it.

Spoke too soon.

She got her hand on the net but couldn't hang on.

Oh, no.

Georgia seemed to focus on the distance to the net.

She didn't get a lot of height off the trampoline,

so she was falling when she tried to grab on.

She just missed her hold,

and her night is over.

Georgia, you had an unbelievable save on the log.

And then on the cargo net,

you just got your fingertips onto the cargo net but couldn't cling on.

GEORGIA: Oh! I feel like I bounced the way, all the way across.

But, yeah. Ah, I'm all wet.

(ALL LAUGH)

Oh, good to see the water hasn't dampened her sense of humour.

Nonetheless, a good effort there by Georgia Bonora.

Mwah! That net.

Good try. What is that?

I wasn't even... (LAUGHS)

..I wasn't even really worried about that one.

REBECCA MADDERN: Now time to write a new chapter

in one of the biggest stories from the heats.

Four of Australia's top rock-climbers

live just outside Sydney.

Tom O'Halloran, brothers Lee and Ben Cossey,

and Andrea Hah

all qualified for tonight's semi,

and all will compete for a place in the grand final.

BEN FORDHAM: First up, it's Ben Cossey.

Ben showed us why rock-climbers do so well on Ninja Warrior.

Finished third in his heat.

Can he climb his way to the finals?

Ben Cossey!

I'm like a lean, powerful,

aggressive, obstacle-crushing...

machine!

My brother Lee and I are both rock-climbers.

I think we approach climbing in a slightly different way.

I'm probably a bit more like...

And he's... (LAUGHS) ..he's a bit more, yeah, reserved or whatever.

Give us a ridgy-didge.

(LAUGHS)

I think our approach to climbing transferred onto the course.

Oh, look at that! Oh, hang on a minute!

He was resting, looked more calculated,

where I was a bit more carnage.

The Cossey brothers... These guys are something special.

Two brothers through to the semifinals!

Round one, it was just a warm-up.

But tonight, give me all you've got.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And there they are,

two of Ben's rock-climbing teammates supporting him.

They all want to see him conquer this course.

And that's what this competition is all about -

man or woman versus course.

Come on, Ben!

(COUNTDOWN TIMER)

REBECCA MADDERN: He's so calm. He's so unassuming.

And a natural.

I mean, he's the kind of guy who,

if you looked at him walking down the street, you wouldn't think, OK,

this is gonna be one of the fittest blokes in the country.

But, ladies and gentlemen,

this man is one of the fittest people in Australia.

Spinning log now.

(COMMENTATORS GROAN) He is through!

He is something special, Freddie.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Real character as well.

And possibly, wearing the shortest shorts

we have seen in the competition so far.

Look at him now,

the rock-climbing grip coming into play on the cargo net.

MAN: Stay high.

He tucks his T-shirt into his vest.

Doesn't want to make a silly mistake there,

as he's getting so close to the water.

MAN: Come on! You've got it, Ben!

Going a bit close to the water for my liking,

but I think he's gonna be OK.

The tight shorts are an advantage at a time like that.

REBECCA MADDERN: (LAUGHS) They are!

Now this is where

Ben's rock-climbing is gonna come to the fore.

Such good grip strength.

And look at it. MAN: Nice one.

Such a long reach.

Yeah, nice.

Alright, give it heaps. Come on, Ben.

Come on.

And now - well, hang on a moment,

that didn't look perfect but he'll correct it.

Come on! Come on, Ben. Come on.

Yes!

Now the transfer.

FRIENDS: Come on!

Well, the facial expression says that he's doing it a bit tough.

He is doing it a little bit tough.

Come on, Ben. Just build it up.

Come on. Swing it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) He's alright.

(AUDIENCE SHOUT AND CHEER)

Now, during the heats,

he made it over the warped wall in just one attempt.

Not this time.

Oh, whoa! He was so close.

But I think this semifinal course

is really starting to take its toll on him.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Fast, come on. Fast. Just do it straight away.

Take your time, Ben. Here we go, second attempt.

And he makes it! Well done.

But there's a long way to go yet.

If he has got some fatigue issues now, Ben,

how do you see him going on the flying shelf?

Well, he might just pause for a moment here.

Come on, Ben. Come on. Come on, Ben.

He doesn't pause. He's straight into it.

No! His long arms may just lend themselves...

from one shelf to the other.

But you've gotta make sure you're accurate

because there's no room for forgiveness if you miss it.

More this time, Ben. Give it more. Go big. Come on!

A big dismount needed here.

This is where Scott Evennett came up short.

Come on, Ben.

Yeah! But not Ben Cossey!

And he does it in spectacular fashion.

Now, the pole grasper.

Just when you're at your most fatigued,

this burns everything you've got, Freddie.

Do you think he can do it?

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: I've gotta tell you...

he was all smiles to begin with.

But now this has just become real.

Sliding down the pole, but the end is in sight now, Ben.

You do not want to give up now,

no matter how your arms are feeling.

No matter how sore your fingers.

No matter how much your legs are burning.

You have nearly got to the end of the Ninja Warrior course

and having a chance in the final.

Well, he's sucking them in big time at the moment, big deep breaths.

Ooh! I think he can do it.

Just... I think he can do it.

Tippy-toes! Tippy-toes are there.

And he's home!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now just hang in there. Come on. Come on, Ben. Come on.

This is it, the chimney climb - 7m straight up.

7m of torture when you are completely spent.

It's gonna take everything he's got.

Now, that has to be

one of the strangest climbing positions we've seen.

Come on! Square up.

(AUDIENCE CHANTS)

Come on, Ben!

He is struggling! Have a look at him suck in the deep breaths.

Oh, I don't know if he's got enough stamina to make it.

He can do it! He can do it! Come on!

He's got all of Australia behind him.

They're cheering him here on Ninja Island.

And Ben Cossey is 7m high

and is about to lay claim to the opportunity of a lifetime.

Come on! Go, go, go!

Oh, pull yourself up and through!

He crawls his way through! (SIREN WAILS)

And pays a deposit for a shot at Mount Midoriyama!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Mate, that was like seeing a marathon runner crawl across the line.

It feels like we need to be passing you some crutches there

so you can stand up. How are you feeling?

Yeah, pretty smoked, actually. (BEN CHUCKLES)

Um... Ooh!

Pretty chuffed.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ben has every right to be chuffed.

Without doubt, a supremely fit athlete.

He was struggling by the time he reached the warped wall.

From there, it was pure guts and willpower

as he complete the flying shelves and the pole grasper.

Before somehow finding a way up the chimney climb -

it did not look like fun.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

How was that chimney climb for you?

It looked like your legs were burning, your shoulders...

Yeah, I don't know. I was just trying to...

stand my little heart out,

but I'm a bit of a gangle-berry so it was just like...

getting cramped in there.

Yeah, just a lash.

A gangle-berry?

I've never heard of a gangle-berry.

Got long legs, short torso.

Really? Technical term.

Oh, I'm not into these technical terms on the rock-climbing scene.

Any advice for your brother and Andrea?

Ah, yeah, just hold on.

It gets pretty pumpy towards the end.

Um...

and commit. Fully commit to those pounces.

Yeah. It's the best thing that I could tell ya.

Andrea - confident on the course this time?

Yep, there's a pretty high standard, so I'm gonna go for it.

You think you'll make it through the warped wall this time?

That's the number one priority.

We wish you luck.

And while... while Ben gets his breath back,

we're just gonna nip for a short break.

But seriously - do not go anywhere.

You wanna come right back

and see more action on Australian Ninja Warrior.

BEN FORDHAM: Coming up -

at just 5 foot 2, it's Ninja Warrior's shortest male competitor,

Kadeem 'The Dream' Aarons.

You know what they say - great things come in small packages.

REBECCA MADDERN: And it's the return of the 'Barefoot Ninja',

Daniel Mason.

I wanna get all the way to the end and hit that buzzer again.

Get the shoes off, throw them up in the air

in true barefoot ninja style.

Good luck out there.

BEN FORDHAM: Welcome back.

You're watching the second semifinal of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Where our athletes need to make the top seven

to advance to the grand final.

And for Ben Cossey, he was the first to make it all the way to the top.

REBECCA MADDERN: And during the break,

two more competitors also completed the course.

Pilot William Baron-Croston with a 4:06.

He's conquered the chimney,

and he may have just checked himself into the finals!

And The Modern Mogley, Josh O'Sullivan, with a 5:09.

(CHEERING) Yes, he's there!

You betcha!

(CHEERS)

And now, hoping to make it to the top seven tonight

is the competition's shortest male warrior.

But what he lacks in height, he makes up for in determination.

It's Kadeem 'The Dream' Aarons!

It is my dream to make it to the semifinals,

and I'm absolutely stoked that I've been given that privilege.

Some of these guys are Olympic gymnasts or Olympic athletes,

and just to know that you're even at that same stage for this

is just an unbelievable feeling.

REBECCA MADDERN: Look at his face! He is starting to hurt.

The heat didn't go as planned.

BEN FORDHAM: Oh! There you go. (BUZZER)

But I'm still standing.

And you know what they say - great things come in small packages.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

I'm determined this time to do my best and get to the end.

I will redeem myself. (LAUGHS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (COUNTDOWN TIMER)

Here he goes on the quintuple steps.

Go, Kadeem!

Born in New York.

All of his family's still in America.

His nickname at school - Kadeem 'The Dream'.

And he's through the first obstacle.

He's gotta make sure he can get those arms around this log.

Well, he doesn't have a big wingspan because of his height.

He's through the jolts.

Dismount now!

Ooh, no. There's trouble.

MAN: Come on, Kadeem!

He's not liking what he's seeing at this point,

because he's thinking the mat is so far away at this point.

I don't know what to do. (BEN GROANS)

He's hanging in there.

But this will be a great escape if he gets away with it, Freddie.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: How is he going to do this?

He's figuring it out. Yes, Kadeem! Yes!

Maybe if he climbs to the top and stands on it and jumps.

Come on, Kadeem! Go for it, son! You can do this.

Oh no, he can't. (BUZZER)

The dream is over for Kadeem The Dream Aarons.

Still a great effort to get into the semifinal.

Yeah, absolutely.

Should be proud of that effort. Well done, Kadeem.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Next up is Daniel Mason, also known as the 'Barefoot Ninja'.

And as you can see from his stat sheet,

he scored an impressive third place in his heat,

and during that run, the Barefoot Ninja, he lived up to his name.

As soon as he reached the top of the warped wall,

he whipped off those shoes right away.

How's he gonna go in the semifinals?

We find out now. Daniel Mason!

Come on, Dan!

(COUNTDOWN TIMER) Alright.

Bites his lip. Here he goes on the quintuple steps. Come on, Dan!

Like the heats, Daniel's wearing shoes for safety reasons.

As his wife, Maddie, looks on from the side-lines.

Nice work, Dan!

Come on!

He's at the second obstacle at the moment, the log grip.

Good grip, Dan. Good grip.

AUDIENCE: Barefoot Ninja! Barefoot Ninja!

BEN FORDHAM: Oh, comfortably through!

This next one, though, can bring the best of competitors unstuck -

the spinning log.

Let's have a look at his approach.

Oh, great footwork, Barefoot Ninja. (BEN LAUGHS)

That log didn't even spin.

This is all about hitting the tramp in the right place

and getting a good purchase onto the net.

He's done that well on the jump hang.

Don't touch the water!

Ooh, watch the shirt!

He needs to be careful here.

Watch your shirt, Dan!

That is inches away from the water. (CHUCKLES) Oh, mate.

Please, ninjas - tuck your shirts in. Come on, Dan!

He's through! Whoo!

But that long climb down saps your grip strength,

and this next obstacle is all about grip strength.

Bungee road.

Give your forearms a break.

Ben, he looks like he's got really good position on the bungee,

and look at the bent arms.

He's strong, really using his biceps to help his grip.

Come on, Dan!

He's made his way through it so far...

with a degree of ease,

but this is the tough part.

He's on! Ooh!

Nice grip. Nice, Dan. Nice.

It does look a little bit daunting.

That's a mighty leap you have to do at the end there.

And then you've got this nasty surprise at the end,

being this log that you've gotta bear hug

and get yourself to the dismount.

Come on.

And it doesn't lend itself

to getting a good view down but there he goes.

He has a look to make sure of the landing - well done.

It's time for the warped wall.

Daniel Mason, 25 years of age from Victoria.

I hope everyone's watching... AUDIENCE: Beat the wall!

You've got this. ..in Victoria tonight.

Here he goes!

Oh! Nice work, Dan!

What great leg drive. He made it look so easy.

The best we've seen tonight.

But we know it is not over yet.

Down two steps.

And he's just caught sight of the flying shelf.

Take a break if you need one.

The crowd on their feet.

Here we go.

Once you get yourself up onto this,

it's all about finger strength.

There's no way around it.

You've gotta have straight arms, which is a dead hang,

and then you've gotta push yourself,

propel yourself through the air to get to the second shelf!

And he does! (BEN LAUGHS)

And again. I tell you what...

your heart's in your mouth as you're watching this stuff.

It is just incredible.

My heart's in my mouth now because that is about 3.5m.

You've gotta fly through the air to get to the dismount,

but he did it well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's got the kind of body shape that maybe lends itself to the poles,

but I've thought that before and others have come unstuck.

Well, by this stage in the course,

you've probably built up quite a sweat,

so your hands are starting to get sweaty.

And that's what you need in this obstacle -

you need good grip.

Nice work.

And it's not just the hand grip.

It's the feet and the legs as well,

because if you can't hold on... with the feet,

then forget it.

You're not gonna be able to keep your body upright.

Nice work, Dan.

This is the tell-tale sign when they start to look in trouble.

You see the feet going lower and lower and lower.

He knows he's in trouble,

and he's gotta get off really quick! Oh, he's doing the splits!

At a time you don't want to be doing the splits. Come on, Daniel!

Oh, this... Daniel Mason...

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Try and get them feet. Pull yourself up.

Look at that. Yes! It's the greatest comeback we've seen in years.

As he was slipping down, but no.

He says, no, I'm not giving up here.

I wanna get through to the finals.

I wanna complete this course.

Sliding down - yes!

Gets his feet onto the mat! Whoo! Come on, Dan!

Wow!

That was a test of strength. That was a test of nerve.

That was a test of sheer balls and ticker.

(CHUCKLES) OK, beautifully put, Freddie.

He needs to find even more. Come on, Dan!

He still has the chimney climb to go.

AUDIENCE: Climb, climb, climb!

Oh, this is not easy. This is 7m tall.

Come on, Freddie, talk us through it.

Having seen what I've just seen,

and I'm not backing against him on this.

But he's getting up there as fast as he can.

Up to where the pipe spits him out.

Coming up to the 6m mark.

Now up to the seven.

And his top... it's just popped through the top of the chimney.

Now the rest of his head has too.

He pulls himself up.

(BUZZER) The Barefoot Ninja presses the buzzer!

Oh, he takes his shoes off as promised.

Oh, his feet are gonna be sweaty.

Nearly hits his missus on the head with his shoes.

But she's happy, she's smiling.

He's smiling. We're all smiling.

Well done there, Barefoot Ninja.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

This is where you really start to understand

the mental strength of these athletes.

Just look at Daniel on the pole grasper.

His forearms were shot, his grip was shot.

He was sliding towards the water.

But somehow muscled himself back into contention

with the fourth fastest time of the night.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Talk us through the pole grasper. You dug so deep.

Where did that come from?

Oh!

Just... (CHUCKLES) ..my desire to get through it. I almost came off.

I looked at the chimney and went, "Man, I want to get up that."

(CHUCKLES)

And then you promised that you were going to take your shoes off

if you got to the top of the chimney.

But you nearly hit your missus on the head with your shoe

as you threw it.

Whoops. Sorry, Maddie. (CHUCKLES)

You got some explaining to do. Lucky she's still smiling.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Barefoot Ninja - unbelievable run.

Big round of applause. Go and join Maddie, mate.

Congratulations. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MADDIE: Nice work.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Coming up - it's the next of our Team Ninja Climbers,

Tom O'Halloran.

There's two Cossey brothers

but we both know that you need two of them to make up one of me.

And still to come -

it's the 'Turbo Tradie', Ashlin Herbert.

Now that I've made the semis,

I'm sort of one step closer to Mount Midoriyama.

It's definitely another chance to have a bit of fun.

Plus - can Andrea Hah become

the first ever Aussie female Ninja Warrior

to conquer the warped wall?

I am so determined tonight to stand on the top of that platform.

REBECCA MADDERN: The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

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

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

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

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to the semifinals,

where the stakes have never been higher.

Just 7 of tonight's 30 athletes will go on to fight in the grand final.

And during the break, Fred Dorrington,

the man who finished third overall in the UK version of Ninja Warrior,

completed the entire course in 4:35,

putting himself in the running for tonight's top seven.

Fred Dorrington, Australian made all the way!

But no such luck for our resident fisherman Cody Thomas,

who was all at sea on the log grip.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Oh no! Cody Thomas is in the water.

And we saw tears of a clown from circus performer Glen West...

Oh! Oh no!

..who got caught out at the jump hang.

He is furious with himself.

Glen, dare I ask how you're feeling, mate?

(SIGHS) I'm so upset.

So upset with myself.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What an incredible field of athletes we've seen in action tonight.

Already, five have completed the course

but only the seven fastest will make it through to the grand final.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

And our next competitor

is yet another member of the Blue Mountains ninja rock-climbers -

Tom O'Halloran.

And he finished a comfortable second place in his heat.

He's quickly proving to be one of the competition's dark horses.

(TRANQUIL MUSIC)

When you're out rock-climbing, it's...

it's very much just you and a couple of friends

and you're out there and there's birds

and, you know, the wind going through the trees

and it's really a, um, calm, peaceful environment.

Nice job.

And then you come here...

suddenly you've got 40,000 TV cameras and lights and...

you just try and bring yourself back to,

"Cool, I'm at the cliff. I'm with my buddies. I'm having a fun time."

And there he is!

(BUZZER) Yes, sir!

My daughter Audrey -

I think definitely she's very keen on climbing.

How's it going? (MUMBLES) Oh, you've got a chalk bag too.

We took her out to the cliff the other day

and she chucked a harness on

and she wanted to go higher and higher and higher.

Do you want to come down now? No. No?

I wouldn't be surprised that,

if in season 10 or whatever of Australian Ninja Warrior,

that she comes out and has a crack. (LAUGHS)

REBECCA MADDERN: That is Tom's wife and his little girl, Audrey.

And there it is - he blows 'em a kiss.

It becomes a pre-course ritual,

and something Tom believes to be a very good luck charm -

blowing his family a kiss.

Why wouldn't it be?

(COUNTDOWN TIMER)

BEN FORDHAM: And I know that many of the other competitors

have watched this bloke and thought,

this could just be the ninja who sneaks up behind the rest of us

and makes it to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

He's used to being up high.

He's used to hanging on to things.

And he hangs on brilliantly to the log grip.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WOMAN: Come on, you've got it. Come on.

He's only 67kg.

That's really light for someone who is over 180cm tall.

Oh, yes! See how the spinning log didn't even... spin.

It was basically just a log.

Here he goes, onto the tramp.

Ooh, it's low. He lands low on the net. He does!

He took a big leap there, Freddie.

Massive leap.

But now just scrambling under the cargo net.

Oh! Ever so close with his vest to the water.

WOMAN: Come on! Little bit of luck there

as he comes to the bungee road.

Come on!

WOMAN: Come on, Tom!

What I love about these rock-climbers is their composure, just so calm.

Taking his time across the bungee road. Ooh!

Just needs to get to these last two,

which are quite a leap through the air, and he does that successfully.

And then he's just got... Come on, Come on.

..a log to get across.

You can't touch your feet in this.

You can only use your hands and arms.

Nice dismount, Tom. Come on.

Here he goes - wastes no time.

Yes! He didn't stop to look at it.

He's now thinking about the clock.

And he has to. We know five ninjas have already completed the course.

More are still to come.

So he needs to finish and finish fast to be sure of qualifying.

Take your time.

But at the moment, it's the flying shelf in the way.

Come on, Tom. Come on.

Come on, Tom!

He eyes off the first shelf.

He needs to get a good grip on it.

But look at that rock-climbing form. He's very confident.

He feels pretty comfortable up there, Ben.

His grip strength is amazing... Wow!

..so he is going to have an advantage on this... Come on. Come on!

..certain obstacle.

And he makes no mistake with it.

As long as that strength is matched with coordination...

Two obstacle to go, and he is not wasting a second.

It's now time for the pole grasper.

And once again, this is another one,

that as a rock-climber,

he's going to have an advantage over other competitors.

Come on. Come on, Daddy!

He's up high, Rebecca. Come on.

He's up very high, and I like his form.

It gives you some room for error... Oh! ..If you slip!

(GROANS) Oh! Hang on.

No, no, he's alright.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Oh, now he has a dance!

For a bloke that said he was nervous about all the lights and cameras,

he doesn't look too nervous now.

He's loving it! Well, why not, Ben?

He is currently the fastest of the night by 30 seconds.

He's 2m up. He's 3m. He's 4m.

He's five. He's six. He's seven.

And get ready, Tom O'Halloran books his ticket into the final

of Australian Ninja Warrior!

And that is the fastest time of the night so far - 3:34.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

That was extraordinary. How you feeling, mate?

Ah...

need a bucket to throw up in.

(LAUGHTER)

We can organise a bucket for you. Yeah.

Tom's run has just thrown down the gauntlet for the rest of the field.

He's 32 seconds clear at the top of the table.

And 35 seconds ahead of rock-climbing mate Ben Cossey.

Commando Scott Evennett is hanging on in seventh place.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: It was an amazing time.

Suppose that was all about technique.

Yeah, that's it, hey? It's, um...

efficiency and technique.

And if you do everything well,

then you don't need to overpower, I guess.

Oh, your missus and little daughter Audrey waiting over there

for your lucky charms, mate.

You get yourself over there. They're dying to see you.

Amazing run! Well done, pal.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Hey!

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Oh!

(GIGGLES) How cute's that!

In there. AUDREY: Is that yours?

It is. Do you want some? Yeah.

Well, he made it look easy, but make no mistake -

it is hard and it's about to get a whole lot tougher.

Oh, this is must-watch TV, isn't it?

We'll have more for you on Australian Ninja Warrior!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, getting ready in the warm-up gym

it's our very own stuntman Jayden Irving.

Will he make it to the all-important top seven?

Go Team Irving! ALL: Team... Irving!

REBECCA MADDERN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

During the break,

the spinning log tripped up our former Brisbane Bronco

David Georgiou.

(COMMENTATORS GROAN) BEN FORDHAM: Oh, hang on!

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Big fall from David Georgiou.

Then also two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal-winner

Thomas Pichler.

Oh, gone!

Bombed out in the pool on the spinning log.

But it was the man with the 'fro, Travis Edwards...

He pops his afro through the top of the chimney!

..who recorded the fifth fastest time so far.

What an incredible run!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(READS LEADERBOARD)

So for our remaining athletes,

Daniel's result is currently the time to beat

to sneak inside the top seven.

Can Daniel hang on?

Or will our next ninja, stuntman Jayden Irving,

knock him out of the top seven?

Jayden successfully completed the course in his heat,

finishing sixth.

Tonight it's the semis.

Things get tougher.

And earlier, he watched his brother Nathaniel crash out early in the run.

So the stakes have never been higher for this man, Jayden Irving.

And there is Nan. She would not miss this for the world.

(COUNTDOWN TIMER)

Righto. Down to business.

Come on, Jayden. 25 years of age.

Completed the course in the heats.

And skipping through the quintuple steps.

Just on those pants - are they knickerbockers?

Is that what they used to be called in the 1980s?

I think they're called a three-quarter pant

but in the '80s, they were called a knickerbocker.

Now, this next one is interesting

because his brother Nathaniel crashed out on this spinning log

in his semifinal.

How is Jayden going to go? Oh!

The knickerbockers gave him the extra speed he needed.

He whipped it. Here he goes, off the tramp, onto the net -

no problem. Beautiful landing.

Kicks his way down there.

He's going quickly, Bec.

Going very quickly.

ALL: Come on, Jayden.

Well, he knows he has to not only finish,

but finish fast to make the grand final.

But the flipside to that is rushing.

You're more likely to make a mistake if you rush,

and one mistake here, and you're out!

MAN: Yes, yes, yes!

WOMAN: Go, Jayden.

OK, next up, he's got bungee road.

Jayden is tall and light - 6 foot and just 72 kilos.

So physically, he's well suited to this one.

He's onto the second set of bungees.

Looking to make it on to the third.

He's just going one at a time.

FRIENDS: Yes! That's a low catch.

WOMAN: You've got this, Jayden.

But he's hanging there, Freddie. You've got this.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Grabbing onto the log.

Can't use his feet on this exercise. Gotta use his hands.

It's tilted up - just makes it that extra bit harder.

Needs to get onto dry land now. Onto the mat.

Yes, he's through!

He's through. Jayden's travelling very well so far.

His time is fast and he beat the wall in his heat.

He's wasting no time.

He's up!

First time. WOMAN: Go, Jayden!

Good work, Jayden.

But now, into unknown territory - the flying shelf.

You've got this, Jayden.

The fastest time of the night is a 3:34, set by Tom O'Halloran.

And looking at his time so far, Jayden could well beat that.

But can he keep it together?

You can see his family there, just in the shot.

It is such a tense moment for them... Yes!

..as he flies through the air.

They clap their hands, knowing he's almost there, Ben.

You've got this, Jayden.

Come on, come on, come on. Is he gonna go? Is he gonna go?

He's gonna go! Ooh! That's one way to do it.

What a first.

You've got this, Jayden. Straight onto the pole grasper now.

His arms have got to be burning.

And there's Nan. She's riding every move.

MAN: Yes, come on. WOMAN: Come on.

You're it, Jayden.

It's good. Come on. Come on, Jayden.

This is a different technique to what we've seen,

and he climbs up each time, and goes down a little bit,

testing the next pole.

WOMAN: You're nearly there, Jayden.

Look at the muscles in his arms.

Everything is rippling.

That takes an incredible amount of strength

to dance through those poles

and keep yourself up nice and high.

Now the dismount. Looks to be troubling him a little bit.

Oh! He's just trying to get enough swing.

How do you get out of that?

What that is is extreme core strength. That's how you do it.

That's how you do it.

WOMAN: Good work, Jayden. Come on. MAN: Come on, Jayden. Come on.

One to go, Nan, but it's a biggie - the chimney climb.

WOMAN: You've got this, Jayden. Don't blow it now.

He's the second part of the Irving brothers to take on the semifinals

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

His brother Nathaniel couldn't get there.

Can Jayden Irving make it all the way up?

He is there!

He's made it to the top...

(BUZZER) ..of the chimney climb,

and hits the buzzer.

You little ripper, Jayden Irving.

3:29.

He's not only climbed the chimney, he's climbed right into first place.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Jayden Irving, that was something special.

Congratulations. What a run, my friend. What a run!

Thank you. Thank you.

Oh!

It's definitely exhausting.

But hey - awesome fun.

Whoo!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Jayden's got a loose, easy style about him.

But that belies just how strong he is.

He's shown very little fatigue through the course.

And with time being so crucial, he barely paused between obstacles.

That performance is bad news for the Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason,

who falls out of the top seven.

Congratulations once again to Jayden Irving,

now on the top of the leaderboard...

(READS LEADERBOARD)

But there's still a long way to go.

Will it be enough to keep him in the top seven tonight?

Still to come - Andrea Hah came so close in her heats.

Can she be the first female competitor up the warped wall?

AUDIENCE: Oh! (BUZZER)

Tonight, she's back! And out for redemption.

Plus - will Lee Cossey join his younger brother Ben

in the top seven?

To be here, representing the Blue Mountains

and the climbing community -

couldn't be happier.

And after the break - he finished first in his heat...

Out of nowhere, Ashlin Herbert blows the field away.

..but can he do the same in the semis?

It's the 'Turbo Tradie', Ashlin Herbert.

REBECCA MADDERN: Welcome back to the semifinals

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

And the competition is heating up

as we join the Turbo Tradie, Ashlin Herbert,

who's holding on at bungee road.

BEN FORDHAM: This guy blitzed the field in his heat,

finishing first overall.

Now, to get into the top seven,

he needs to beat 5:09.

But the way he's going,

he might even beat the night's fastest time of 3:29.

Yeah, he is lightning quick!

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Here he goes!

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

And he's up! Great stuff, Ashlin. Great stuff.

So this is the new part of the journey,

and he now stares at the flying shelf.

This is such a difficult obstacle.

I mean, that is only a very narrow shelf.

Not only do you have to hang onto it,

but you have to get enough swing to get to the second shelf. Oh!

Look at the swing!

(COMMENTATORS GROAN)

Oh, look at the air! Right through the air!

He is making his mark here on the course.

Up he goes onto the pole grasper.

And look how quick he's gone.

One, two, three, four, and he already grabbing onto the fifth pole.

He's just not fazed by the obstacle.

He's got no mental demons to overcome.

Now he transfers over. The feet aren't slipping at all.

Great control, perfect composure.

Just don't muck up on the dismount. No, he won't do that.

This man has got all of the qualities that could see him go all the way.

Ben, I'm sorry. He is just skipping through this course.

No worries!

This could be the best time for the night.

Now let's alert the pyrotechnics department.

Get the fireworks ready,

because Ashlin Herbert, from Victoria,

is about to catapult himself into the final...

(BUZZER) ..of Australian Ninja Warrior!

Ashlin Herbert, that was absolutely sensational.

You deserve this moment!

You have gone to the top of the leaderboard.

Mate, you are a freak!

How did you do that?

Ah, yeah.

Just try it. No, we don't know.

(LAUGHTER)

Well, well, well.

Ashlin, you have set the bar right up here, my man.

Right up here. You're the one to watch in this competition.

Let's take a look at the leaderboard.

(READS LEADERBOARD)

Sadly, it's the end of the line for Josh O'Sullivan,

who slips outside the top seven.

That leaves our 'Afro Ninja', Travis Edwards,

just hanging on in seventh place.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Our next runner is Emmett Swindells, from Queensland.

He is a warehouse picker,

who only made it to the fifth obstacle in his heat.

He'll have to do a lot better than that tonight.

It's Emmett Swindells.

(ROCK MUSIC)

MAN: Pick boxes for a supermarket during the evenings.

Basically picking up boxes all night, so that's pretty physical.

I think the guys at the warehouse will enjoy it.

They'll, um, I think they'll have a bit of a laugh.

The obstacle I'm most worried about in the semifinals

is probably the spinning log,

just because it's a bit unpredictable.

I've never really done anything like that before,

so that will be a bit tough, I reckon.

It does feel like I can get to Mount Midoriyama.

I know I stacked it on the last one,

but I'm just really happy that I get another chance to do it

and try and... try and complete it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Emmett Swindells, what has he got on?

And no, I don't mean the beard.

I mean the trousers.

I mean the socks and the trainers.

Are you smiling? I can hear you!

(LAUGHTER) Come on, Emmett!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(COUNTDOWN TIMER) This is your moment

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

How will those fancy red shoes get him home?

Well, they'll move faster than normal-coloured shoes, of course.

They'll need to move fast tonight.

5:05 the time to beat.

Set by the 'Afro Ninja', Travis Edwards,

who's currently in seventh place.

OK. He's got a strong grip on the log grip,

and that's exactly what you need to ride those nasty bumps.

MAN: Boy, that's it! MAN: Well done!

Nice.

Spinning log now.

Here he goes.

Across and... Oh!

..hang on, hang on!

Oh my goodness. Hang on!

Don't let go. Don't you give up!

Don't you give up! Yeah, don't!

Oh my goodness! Emmett Swindells...

hanging on for dear life.

This is an opportunity for him to keep on going in the competition.

And he's going to do it!

That is an extraordinary recovery!

The crowd get on their feet.

What an extraordinary piece...

Emmett Swindells does not know the definition of giving up.

That was a mammoth save.

Brilliant stuff from our warehouse picker.

But it's cost him time and energy.

MAN: Yes! Well done! Well done!

Come on, Em. Well done. Come on.

The courage to refocus after that stumble takes an incredible athlete.

That's it, lock those feet in. Nice. Well done, well done.

(COMMENTATORS GROAN)

Oh! He's coming down.

Take your time. Take your time. Well done, well done. Doing well.

He's just flirting with the water. Oh!

Emmett, you're killing us!

You're going so close.

And he's going so slowly.

Let's go. But I think he's gonna be OK

after getting a second life... Nice, nice.

..on the spinning log.

He survives!

Again, he survives! The jump hang.

He's a cockroach. You can't kill him off.

But the clock might get him, Ben.

We're only through the fourth obstacle, and I can tell you,

he is already 15 seconds behind where he needs to be to qualify.

He needs to make up some time here on the bungee road.

Nice. Take your time. He does, Bec,

but he doesn't look like he's got it in him.

That saving on the spinning log has... Oh, there you go.

Oh, no. He's gone. He's gone.

Unlucky, unlucky.

Emmett's saving on the spinning log was one in a thousand.

There is nothing to hold on to here,

but somehow he manages to cling on to the log long enough

to work his feet onto the mat.

Raw strength and willpower.

But he paid a big price, burning so much energy,

and blew out his last candle on the bungee road.

Emmett, you've ripped your trousers. Have I?

You've got a hole in your trousers. Look at this!

Oh, I'm gutted for you and your Stormtrooper trousers.

Well, I've only got one more pair left, so...

I'm pretty devo that they're ripped actually.

Well, save them for next year.

Hopefully you'll be back. Yeah, definitely, man. It's awesome.

Great effort tonight. Great effort.

Ladies and gentlemen... Oh, I got a kiss from the bearded man!

Oh, I'm a little bit embarrassed.

I've gotta go to a break. I need to get over that.

(LAUGHS) Jeez! Come back after.

More action on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Next - getting ready in the warm-up gym

and flying the flag for our female Ninja Warriors...

Andrea Hah.

I think females are in a really fortunate position

to be able to be on the same playing field as men,

and to be able to do really well, regardless of gender.

BEN FORDHAM: Welcome back to the second semifinal

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Remember - only 7 of tonight's 30 ninjas

will make it to the grand final.

Currently, Andrea Hah is preparing for her run,

but first, let's check the leaderboard.

Where we can see that sitting in first place

is our 'Turbo Tradie', Ashlin Herbert.

And down in seventh place, hanging by a thread,

'Afro Ninja' Travis Edwards.

REBECCA MADDERN: So if Andrea wants to join her rock-climbing mates

in the top seven, she'll need to beat Travis' time of 5:05.

But right now on the course, we are in the middle of an impressive run.

Yes, it's 24-year-old financial adviser Rob Sandover,

from Western Australia.

He finished fourth in his heat,

and now he's about to negotiate his way through the pole grasper.

Rob has really gotta get a move on.

He's got less than a minute to get to the buzzer.

Yes, Rob. You've got it, Rob!

Now, this is the weakest that he's looked on any obstacle so far.

He's obviously tired.

He just said to himself then, "Come on."

MAN: Yes! Looking good, mate.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Halfway through the grasper.

You can see it on his face now -

he's starting to hurt.

The previous obstacles that build up getting here...

As he reaches back, trying to get that momentum.

Decides to go further up the pole as he reaches out.

Come on, Rob! Do not give up now.

He's only got a couple more reaches...

Don't slide down the pole, Rob. Oh, he's sliding down, Bec.

He's sliding down.

The crowd willing him on!

There's three more poles. Oh, he's hurting.

Rob Sandover, from Western Australia, he's dipping.

He's getting closer and closer to the water.

Oh, oh! Don't go in, Rob!

Oh no! Don't go in!

He's gone in! (BUZZER)

Oh no! You won't believe it!

He's just let go at the end. He couldn't hold his body weight up.

Oh! And his foot just touched the water.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

What an effort, Rob.

You could see it on your face. You could see the pain.

How was it, mate?

Tough. I, ah, I really wanted to get that.

I really wanted to get that last one, but...

just the arms gave out.

I gave it everything, so it was good.

Well, mate, we all enjoyed your work. Unbelievable effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Rob Sandover!

Great effort, mate.

Oh, it's no consolation but Rob was out of time

before he went into the pool.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Next up, it is Andrea Hah.

She's Australia's top all-round female rock-climber.

Andrea put on a show of skill in her heat

but she couldn't get past the warped wall.

She's here to change that tonight.

Andrea Hah!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Well, this is huge.

And there is fellow rock-climbing teammate Ben Cossey,

who currently sits in the top seven.

Next to him, Andrea's boyfriend, Lee, who'll be running later tonight.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(COUNTDOWN TIMER)

To make the grand final,

she needs to complete the course in under 5:05.

To do that, she needs to get herself up the warped wall.

Come on, Andrea!

This is her chance to create history.

And everyone's behind her.

She's light - 57kg.

The spinning log shouldn't even know she's on top of it.

Well done!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) MAN: Awesome!

I just love her style, Andrea Hah.

She hits the tramp, finds the net. Oh!

You better believe it. Good job.

She wants to make it to the warped wall and beyond.

Nice and high.

And look at the climbing style!

Awesome! Awesome!

(CHEERING) Come on. Come on, Andrea.

And you can just feel the tension.

On Ninja Island, she's a very popular competitor.

Have a look at the strength. Have a look at the crowd.

Good job. Come on, come on. Every single person willing her on.

Yeah, heaps. Come on. Come on. AUDIENCE: Andrea! Andrea!

Needs to make a huge leap now. She does!

Oh, have a look at the look on her face!

Come on!

It's good! Come on.

One arm over.

Two arms over.

The time she's gotta beat is 5:05,

set by the Afro Ninja, Travis Edwards.

She's neck and neck with his time.

Come on. You're all over it.

She's coming up to the dismount. Come on.

Look at the strength!

She sticks it!

But this is the moment she would've had nightmares about.

She wouldn't have been happy in the heat,

not completing the warped wall.

She's here for redemption. Can she do it?

Put the hammer down, Andrea. Come on. Yeah.

And it's not just about Andrea, Bec.

We want a woman up that wall!

This is history in the making.

Come on, Andrea.

And history's against her. We do need to say that, Bec.

It took six seasons for a woman to get up the wall in America.

Hang on a minute! She's done it!

She'd done it! I can't believe it!

She is the first woman to go up the warped wall.

Andrea Hah creates history on Australian Ninja Warrior

as the first female competitor to make it up the warped wall.

What a moment, Ben.

But there is no time to celebrate.

She's got to keep moving.

Look at the splits. She's a real contender to make the top seven.

She deserves to take a bow, but the clock is ticking.

She's gotta focus on the flying shelves.

Yep! I wonder whether

she's even thought about these obstacles beyond the wall.

Go big. Yeah, that's the one.

Can she find her way to the next shelf?

(CHEERING) Yes! And she holds on.

This is absolutely extraordinary.

Yes! Oh!

(CHEERING)

Australia holds its breath,

and then breathes a sigh of relief

as Andrea Hah, the 30-year-old from NSW,

kicks the ankles out, wipes the hands,

and grabs hold of the first pole.

Good work.

The crowd want her to go all the way, Rebecca Maddern.

And look at the clock.

(ENUNCIATES) Look at the clock.

She's got 45 seconds to get to the buzzer.

I think she's gonna do it.

That's one - yeah! Swing.

Awesome!

Come on.

She's not going to be beaten by this obstacle.

She will not be beaten.

Yes!

Oh!

Oh, yes! Oh no.

Oh, she touched the water. (BUZZER)

She just touched the water. Andrea Hah. Damn.

I can't believe it.

It was the tiniest touch with her toe.

What a shame.

AUDIENCE: Oh!

I've still got goose bumps. That was a phenomenal run.

That's it! Take your hats off to Andrea Hah.

That was spellbinding, Ben.

Girl power at its best,

and history created on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Wow!

In America, it took six seasons

before a woman made it up the warped wall.

In the UK, they're still waiting after three years.

But Andrea Hah has done it in our first.

She is an instant superstar.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: Andrea, that was absolutely incredible.

But how are you feeling? You got so close.

Pretty gutted.

Yeah, I thought that was done. (CHUCKLES)

You thought... you think that's what undid you in the end?

Just getting a little bit ahead of yourself.

Oh, I think I just...

I watched the boys go low to be able to reach the platform,

and that's what I was focusing on, the platform instead of the water.

So... It was an amazing run.

And I'll be honest with ya, I don't know who's more gutted -

you, me or the crowd.

Everyone was urging you on.

The two boys on the side as well.

It was unbelievable. Fantastic to see.

Ladies and gentlemen... (CHEERING)

..come on, let's give a massive round of applause for Andrea Hah.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Oh!

Good job. Thanks.

(CHUCKLES)

Well, it is that a special moment or what?

Spine-tingling moment that I think

people right around Australia are going to remember

for many years to come.

But, Bec, it ain't over yet. Oh, it's not.

I've got goose bumps out of that.

But after the break -

it's Andrea's boyfriend and the final competitor of the night.

Can Lee Cossey avenge Andrea's demise and go onto the grand final?

Find out right after the break.

BEN FORDHAM: Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where we just saw history made.

Andrea Hah became the first female to make it past the warped wall,

an achievement that took six years to witness in the USA.

REBECCA MADDERN: Oh! Oh, she's done it!

She's done it! I can't believe it.

Inspiring stuff.

Andrea was on course for a top seven finish,

but just the tiniest of errors cruelly robbed her

of a spot in the grand final.

(BUZZER)

Oh, what emotions we've witnessed tonight!

But now, it's time for Andrea's boyfriend, Lee,

the final ninja of the night...

to tackle this daunting semifinals course.

(IN FALSETTO) Whoo-hoo!

Now, in his heat, Lee Cossey was the fastest competitor.

His brother Ben has already advanced to the grand final tonight,

and Lee just watched Andrea miss out.

Surely that's gotta be playing on his mind right now.

And, Ben, to add to that pressure -

for Lee to qualify for the grand final tonight,

he must do better than 5:05... (COUNTDOWN TIMER)

..set by Travis Edwards, who hangs on in seventh place.

BROTHER: Good job! And this is just the beginning.

A big challenge ahead.

This is the log grip.

Well, if he was feeling the pressure at the start,

he's certainly not showing it.

He's barely broken a sweat. ANDREA: Come on, Lee.

He's so focused.

Whoa! And he has just skipped right through the spinning log.

This is a man on a mission.

ANDREA: Come on, Lee. Go big.

And now propels himself onto the net.

Come on, Lee. Nice and high, Lee.

Come on.

And this is an incredible crawling style, isn't it? Look at him.

I mean, he's able to grip the net with his feet at times there.

It looks like he's got four hands.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Listen to the crowd. They're right behind him.

They wanna see both Cossey brothers in the final.

Nice and high.

ANDREA: Come on, Lee.

We can't stress enough the pressure bungee road puts on your forearms.

Come on. Good work. Come on, Lee. Good job. Come on.

Let's have a look here.

Gets those knees swinging. ANDREA: Come on, Lee.

Grips it! Come on. Come on.

Now he's on the pipe.

Nice job. Awesome, Lee.

Good job. Come on.

Oh...

makes it! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Take a moment, Lee!

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

He seems to be the more focused of the two Cossey brothers.

What he lacks in flamboyance he makes up in millimetre precision.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

BEN FORDHAM: There he is!

Warped wall time, straight up, Lee Cossey.

Good job, Lee. Come on, Lee.

Three obstacles to go...

in his semifinal run on Australian Ninja Warrior.

The time to make it into the top seven is 5:05.

But at the rate Lee's going... Come on, Lee.

..he could even beat the night's fastest time, 3:13,

set by Ashlin Herbert.

Whoa! Nice job, Lee. (BEN FORDHAM LAUGHS)

He is in the zone. Go massive.

ANDREA: Think big, Lee. Come on. Think big.

Oh!

OK, this is it, the pole grasper.

This is where it all came undone for his girlfriend, Andrea.

He'll be wary of this obstacle.

This is quite incredible.

We are witnessing something very special here, Ben Fordham.

That's right. The 34-year-old from NSW.

His brother started to really feel the pain

at this point on the pole grasper.

He needs not to make the same mistake as Andrea.

He cannot touch the water.

He cannot lose focus here. Come on, Lee. Good job.

Come on, Lee. Lift those legs. Lift those legs!

Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Yes! He got there! Awesome!

He's just one step away from joining his brother Ben in the final.

Race up it, Lee. Come on.

You got it. OK.

Come on, Lee. He's a rock-climber.

I predict that he will take the rock-climbing stance - no!

He's gone front-on.

The legs, the arms are pushing. Come on!

The legs are working. The arms are burning.

He's almost at the seventh floor.

And he's almost on the top.

Lee's there! Lee Cossey! (BUZZER)

Well done!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Whoo-hoo! (CHUCKLES)

He is a 24-carat, rolled-gold contender

to win Australian Ninja Warrior.

Lee Cossey, that was something special.

Oh!

(MUMBLES) Yeah, yeah.

Feels... tiring. (CHUCKLES)

Well, you finished second overall,

and beaten your brother's time by 50 seconds.

Wow.

Mate, that was extraordinary. How do you feel?

Ah, exhausted but pretty psyched.

Yeah.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Despite the pressure of his girlfriend Andrea missing out

and also his brother Ben making the top seven,

that did not faze this man one bit.

This is one cool, calm and collected customer

as he climbed up the chimney and into the grand final.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

How good was that. Our ninjas have taken it to a whole new level.

What an awesome night.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: That's right. It has been a huge night.

(READS LEADERBOARD)

And as a result of Lee's impressive run,

it means our Afro Ninja, Travis Edwards,

has been bumped out of the top seven.

(READS LEADERBOARD)

So commiserations to Travis.

And after rewriting the history books,

how could you not give

the Performance of the Night to Andrea Hah!

The very first woman up the warped wall.

What an inspiration.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Major milestones, unbelievable stuff. Well, that's it for tonight.

Now, join us next time as the semifinals continue.

Tomorrow night - the third and last semifinal.

Just seven more grand final positions remain.

Fighting for their place -

parkour twins Dylan and Brodie Pawson.

Their superhuman skills set heat one alight.

Can they do it again?

He has broken a minute!

Gymnast Celeste Dixon was a powerhouse in the heats.

That is top-shelf!

And she's stepping up a gear.

Deadly ninja Jack Wilson,

a man on a mission.

This run is unbelievable!

I'm here to prove anything is possible.

And rugby league star turned 'Footy Show' host Beau Ryan.

He surprised himself by outlasting AFL's Adam Cooney,

but how much further can he go?

Yes!

Go hard or go home.

That's tomorrow night on Australian Ninja Warrior!

Goodnight! Goodnight!