Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: There's nothing ordinary about ordinary Australians.

MAN: This is my life. I've put everything on the line to be here.

On Australian Ninja Warrior,

they have soared.

There is really nothing I cannot do.

MAN: My life's journey has taken me to this point.

We need to chase what makes us happy.

They have inspired...

REBECCA MADDERN: Incredible will power, incredible guts.

..they have rewritten history.

I can't believe it!

She is the first woman up the Warped Wall!

Tonight...

Yes, yes, yes!

..the grand final.

He is a contender to win Australian Ninja Warrior.

What began as a challenge...

That is how you do it, fellow Ninjas!

Yes!

..has become a mission.

This is grand final time.

What a performance!

It all comes down to tonight.

MAN: The ultimate goal would have to be

getting to the top of Mount Midoriyama,

hitting that final buzzer

and just knowing that I've finally conquered the one dream.

I felt like everything in my life had just pulled together

and just brang me to that moment.

It's what I was born for.

I've got all the physical attributes to win this.

Just more up here - I've gotta control this.

I am a role model to a lot of young Indigenous people back home

and failure - it's not an option.

To have my wife here, Rachael, and my daughter, Abby -

they are really, truly the loves of my life.

I want to do them proud. Want to be their hero.

REBECCA: I have got goose bumps.

That was an incredible moment on Australian Ninja Warrior.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Hello. I'm Rebecca Maddern. I'm Freddie Flintoff.

And I'm Ben Fordham.

Welcome to the first-ever grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CROWD CHEERS)

Well, can you believe it?

We're now down to just 21 -

21 remaining Ninjas out of the thousands of applications

and each and every one of them has taken a leap of faith

and thought, "This is my moment,

"my chance to prove that I'm the greatest of them all."

But before we get ahead of ourselves,

there's a hell of a challenge ahead tonight.

Oh, Ben, you can say that again.

To be crowned Australian Ninja Warrior,

our athletes must complete this entire course.

Stage one, there are nine obstacles,

like in the semi-finals.

Stage two, there are eight obstacles -

but they are so much harder.

Stage three, if anybody is left, is Mount Midoriyama.

It's as simple as it is brutal -

a 22-metre rope climb straight up.

It must be completed in just 30 seconds.

It's terrifying!

17 obstacles and this time, they're against the clock.

It really is the fittest and the fastest.

If they don't get to the finish line before the clock gets to zero,

it just ends - you're out of there.

It's no wonder our experts have said they wouldn't be surprised

if no-one gets to the end of stage two!

Never mind Mount Midoriyama. Yeah, that's a good point.

It took the Americans seven seasons to get there and to find a winner

but we know Australians are a different breed.

Our athletes are as tough as nails.

So, with all that in mind,

let's have a look at the obstacles that face our Ninjas tonight

on the first-ever grand final.

To begin,

Ninjas will tackle the first of this three-stage grand final.

This is stage one.

The first obstacle remains the same from the heats -

the Quintuple Steps.

From here, though things take a turn for the worst for our Ninjas.

They've never seen anything like this.

Case in point - the Big Dipper.

Even the best of our Ninjas will be tested

as they commandeer a metal bar down and up the dipper

to propel themselves to a hanging rope.

The dreaded Spinning Log took out plenty in the semis

and tonight we've added a donut

to throw these Ninjas completely off their game.

Grip strength will be tested on the Jump Hang,

as Ninjas launch themselves off a mini-tramp

and onto a cargo net.

Also making its debut tonight, the intimidating Spider Jump.

After securing their footing,

Ninjas traverse between two walls suspended above water.

And after that, our old mate, the 4.2-metre Warped Wall.

Then another new obstacle - the Globe Grasper.

Any grip strength and confidence Ninjas have left

will be shredded as they use the twisting, thick globes

to swing to safety.

Then it's the Ring Swing.

Precision and endurance will be tested here

as our Ninjas transfer across three suspended hooks,

using just two metal rings.

Finally, the Chimney Climb,

a torturous three-storey climb to the final buzzer.

Complete stage one in under 3 minutes and 45 seconds

and you move on to the brutal stage two.

(CROWD CHEERS)

So, this is what we've been waiting for.

Let's get the Australian Ninja Warrior grand final under way.

Up first tonight

is a man who's right at home hanging on above the water -

it's jet-skiing plumber Ryan Solomon.

The plumber is doing very, very well.

Go, baby!

The 28-year-old Queenslander

still can't believe he made it this far in the competition.

RYAN SOLOMON: I look at a lot of the other guys around

and they're super-athletic dudes

and here's me, who's just a plumber that likes to go jet-skiing.

To be able to mix it up with them and to push it to the limits for me

has been incredible.

After a smooth run in the heats,

a bad dismount nearly brought his semi-final to a halt.

REBECCA: Did he hurt his ankle? I think he did.

But his determination saw him through,

earning a spot in the grand final.

And now he's on top of the world!

RYAN: Tonight, being so close to the end, I'm pretty nervous,

knowing that it's make-or-break.

But I'll do whatever I can and hit that buzzer as many times as I can

and, uh, hopefully get to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

(CHEERING)

REBECCA: The pressure on our Ninjas has never been this intense.

To stay alive,

not only does Ryan need to complete all nine obstacles -

he has to do it inside 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

Ryan! (ALL CLAP)

Ryan!

That is girlfriend Amy on the sidelines.

She's been a vocal supporter since his first heat.

Here we go. Our first grand finalist, Ryan Solomon.

Tonight, the clock is counting down from 3 minutes 45

as he jets across a familiar foe, the Quintuple steps.

He hasn't seen anything like this next one, though, the Big Dipper.

It is a monster, so early in the run.

Yeah and this crossbar is not in a groove,

so you've gotta hold it straight as you slide down...

MAN: Come on, mate. Come on!

..and then launch yourself at the end.

OK. Here we go. Oh...

(CROWD EXCLAIMS) Oh, no!

Oh!

And one of our favourites is already out!

Yeah, Bec. We've saved the toughest obstacles for the grand final.

And Ryan's just learnt how tough they are.

He looks better when he's wet, anyway. (LAUGHS)

You've gotta get two things right on this obstacle -

commit to the slide and keep that bar straight.

Ryan did neither - he wobbled halfway down,

came up short at the end,

so he didn't have enough momentum to make the rope.

Whoo!

Ryan, the heats and the semi-final went well

but just couldn't transfer it into the grand final.

No, just came unstuck on that slider there.

I suppose it's not dampened your appetite -

you want to come back again next year

and have another crack at the Ninja Warrior course?

Yeah, 100% I'll be back.

(CROWD CHEERS) Mate, I love your spirit.

Cheers, man. Ladies and gentlemen, Ryan!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Bugger. Hey, baby. Bad luck.

Mwah! Ooh!

From the plumber to the chippie.

Up next, Sam Goodall,

a man who bears all the battle scars

of this journey to the grand final.

SAM: Tradies are the ninjas of the country.

We're not very smart but we can lift heavy things.

BEC: It hasn't been the smoothest of runs

for WA tradie Sam Goodall.

I've hit my head on a bar in the first heat,

cracked my eyebrow on one of the wheels on the semis.

Oh, he's hit his head! He might even be bleeding.

Yeah, I don't like trampolines much now, mate.

Oh, Sam! BEN: What a performance!

SAM: The course is very difficult

but what you don't get on TV is the emotions involved -

your heart's pounding when you're actually up on the course

and so that's something you can't really train for.

And with Mount Midoriyama in sight,

he has a new motivator to help him reach the top.

Having my wife here, Rachael, and my daughter, Abby, cheering for me,

it's fantastic.

They are really, truly the loves of my life.

I want to do them proud. I want to be their hero.

Whoo-whoo!

There's the loves of his life right there - wife Rachael and baby Abby

and good friend Beth.

We are about to find out if he will take his place in history

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

BEN: The ninja tradie, Sam Goodall.

A farmer as well.

This is the big moment for him and this is gonna be a big test, Bec.

It is.

Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Sam Goodall, say hello to the Big Dipper!

We saw what could happen when the bar twists, with Ryan Solomon.

Sam needs to get even pressure across that bar.

And he's home!

Whoo-hoo!

Rachael and Abby very happy with that one.

Approaching the Spinning Log now

but this added donut, that's gonna throw you...

Oh, boom! Boom! Get out of there!

Yes, yes, yes! He's alive!

Ooh! You've got this, babe!

Daddy's alright, Abby. Daddy's alright.

What we have got here, Australia, is one tough tradie.

He looks a little injured, a little winded.

Yeah, this is tense, the Jump Hang

and he's... Oh, no! Oh!

What happened there?

You want Daddy? (CRIES)

You want a cuddle?

It was a rough start for the tradie ninja.

That fall winded him, putting him off his game.

On the next obstacle, Sam had nothing left.

Yeah, I was just hoping to put on

a bit more of a show for the crowd, to be honest.

But it's just a privilege to be a part of this whole thing.

It's just... Ninja Warrior's awesome.

You see what I get to cuddle next? I'm a winner anyways.

See that over there? Daddy's gonna get up that next time.

(LAUGHS) Yeah!

BEN: We're sure you will, Sam.

But now, taking his tilt at the grand final course,

Ben Cossey, one half of the famous rock-climbing brothers.

He and Lee are the hottest of hot favourites

to take out this competition.

Ninja Island saw many brothers tackle the course together

but rock climbers Ben and Lee Cossey

are the only pair to make the grand final together.

I'm gonna win Ninja Warrior. Yeah, no.

(LAUGHS) I'm gonna win Ninja Warrior.

And break his sternum.

Look out, fellow competitors - the Cossey boys are coming your way.

In the heats, younger brother Ben confirmed he was the showman...

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

..while in the semi-finals,

older brother Lee proved he was the strategist.

He is a 24-carat rolled gold contender

to win Australian Ninja Warrior.

Us both going to the finals together - totally awesome.

And I'd like to have a hack at climbing Mount Midoriyama, so, yeah.

Give me all you've got.

Ben and Lee. They climb with the Blue Mountains posse.

That includes Tom O'Halloran, who's also in the final,

and Andrea Hah, Lee's girlfriend,

who just missed out on a grand final spot.

And I am so glad he has run with the tight, old-fashioned footy shorts.

Oh, these guys. They don't take themselves too seriously.

Oh, my god! Whoo!

But they are seriously strong competitors.

Come on!

Here we go. Come on, Ben!

Now, remember, these guys only have 3 minutes and 45 seconds

to complete the nine obstacles.

On to the Big Dipper now. Come on, Ben!

And he makes his way down, finds the rope - you bet he did!

Freddie?

FREDDIE: Looks down to his brother, Lee,

as if to say, "That's tricky, that one!"

Whoa! Get up! Oh, yes, Ben!

(CHEERING) Never give up! Never give up!

And see, that's where the lighter performers have an advantage,

because they can lift themselves out of a nightmare like this.

Incredible save. He weighs 75 kilograms but he's 184 centimetres,

so he's a bit like a string bean

but he's strong and he's tough.

Awesome.

Now another new obstacle introduced for the grand final.

Hello, Spider Jump!

You've gotta bounce up and wedge yourself between the walls.

He's in it. Brilliant job. Now he's gotta work his way along.

He's gotta manoeuvre that six-foot frame along that narrow corridor.

And every muscle will be burning.

Come on, Benny. Come on! Come on!

This is the first moment we've seen him, he's struggling.

He's tiring, really tiring.

Come on, Ben! (SPECTATORS CHEER)

CROWD: (CHANTS) Beat the wall! Here he comes.

"Beat the wall," says the crowd.

He takes a deep breath

and he launches himself straight up that wall.

(SUPPORTERS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

This is where you meet the Globe Grasper.

However, he is a rock climber and this is where he feels comfortable.

Yeah, although when rock climbing, he'd have chalk on his hands.

This is all about the grip, all about holding on.

Oh, what?! Whoa!

Talk about speaking too soon!

Ben Cossey, in the water!

This is a shock but this is the grand final

and tonight, folks, you get the feeling that anything can happen.

Let's see where he went wrong.

Yeah, that chalk sure would have come in handy for Ben tonight.

These globes make the toughest rock face look easy.

He didn't get a grip on the situation

and the younger Cossey out of the competition.

I thought that this one here, the grasper,

would be right up your... with the rock climbing...

Yeah, the friction was sub-optimal.

Um, but I was a bit smoked.

Really? It really took it out of you tonight?

Uh, yeah, I was pretty worked, actually. Surprisingly.

I wasn't expecting to lob off there

but not to be, eh?

What advice are you gonna give to brother Lee?

Just squeeze a bit harder.

(CHEERING) Like you always do.

Right. Well, we're gonna take a break but don't go anywhere.

Come straight back. Plenty more action on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Right here, bro.

BEN FORDHAM: Coming up - we're one climber down

but Tom O'Halloran has a huge advantage.

Just ask his wife.

WOMAN: He acts like a monkey, looks a little bit like a monkey

and climbs like a monkey.

This rumble in the jungle is just heating up.

Will the kid they call 'Tarzaniel'

swing into the history books tonight?

Mount Midoriyama should be a breeze for Tarzan!

BEC: Warming up to run after the break,

stunt man Jayden Irving has an extra-special fan.

Just swing off, do a double back-flip.

I've got my nanna watching me run.

And gymnastics finish.

If you're out there, Nanna, be ready - 'cause I'm gonna bring it.

Deadly ninja Jack Wilson has a fan too -

his marathon mentor, the great Rob de Castella.

Jack, just want to wish you all the best, mate.

Get out there, give it your best shot.

Take no prisoners and we'll all be proud of you,

win, lose or draw, mate.

When Ninja Warrior returns.

BEC: Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior grand final.

BEN: Tonight's grand final consists of three stages.

Fail to complete any obstacle or stage in the given time limit

and it's 'sayonara'.

But if any ninja can make flawless runs and reach stage three,

they'll have the chance to climb Mount Midoriyama

and have a shot at the $100,000

and the title of the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

Hoping he's got the right stuff to take out the title,

our next ninja, a stunt man and professional mascot

who entered with his brother, Nathaniel.

Jayden Irving!

25-year-old stunt man Jayden Irving arrived on Ninja Island

with his brother, Nathaniel.

My brother, Nathaniel, is one of my best mates in the whole world.

Having him there by my side, supporting me, is absolutely stellar.

(ROARS)

Best day of my life, guys. Am I right?

But after Nathaniel's slip during their semi-final...

(CROWD EXCLAIMS) Oh!

..Jayden was left to climb solo towards the grand final.

BEN: You little ripper!

Being in the finals is awesome.

I think Ninja Warrior has been the best experience ever.

It's not over till the fat lady sings

and I can tell you right now, out there, there's no fat lady,

so I can't hear her singing.

(ALL SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

The Irvings have had some very tough times -

both Nathaniel and mum Carol have overcome cancer

but tonight, the Australian Ninja Warrior grand final

is an absolute high point, I'm sure.

BEN: Yeah, it's a family affair. There's nan in crowd.

Keeping her company, Jayden's mate, fellow stunt man Mike Snow,

who will be running later tonight.

OK. Here we go. Jayden has conquered all 15 obstacles he's faced so far.

So what's another 17 more, folks?

Well, part of the 17 is the Big Dipper.

Here he goes. He hits the end, grabs the rope and he is on the mat.

Shakes the hands out.

Let's see him do this, the Spinning Log with Donut.

And he trips, falls... but survives.

Well done, matey!

How's the clock looking, Freddie?

FREDDIE: This is a fast time.

He was fast in the semis

but now he's putting a real spurt in, in the grand final.

Yeah, they've gotta move fast.

The added pressure of the time limit means they can't even stop

to think about how to approach the next obstacle.

Well done! Fantastic!

And he's now facing up to the Spider Jump.

This is all feet.

Oh! Hang on a moment! Oh! Dear me!

And he's out. (BUZZER SOUNDS)

The rules are clear - ninjas only get one attempt

at wedging themselves between the walls.

Even though Jayden didn't hit the water,

he failed on his first attempt, meaning instant disqualification.

And I think the face on his dad, Stuart, says it all.

Devastation for Jayden Irving.

Brother Nathaniel's out and now Jayden is too.

I can't believe what we just saw.

He flung back - he was so determined not to be out of this competition,

he risked his life and limb to have another crack

but sadly, it's not allowed.

Jayden, unfortunately you only get one go on the Spider Jump.

You can't come back.

I did know that - I was just hoping that everyone else didn't.

(LAUGHTER) Unfortunately, you're a big lad.

We all saw it.

I've never done anything like the Spider Wall before.

It's a challenging object.

Um, just, yeah, didn't get enough purchase on the tramp.

And that's all I do as a stunt performer - it's all tramp stuff

and I messed up - no!

And... But at least...

"At least I beat my brother."

(LAUGHS) Oh, what?!

Well done! Yes, you did, mate.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Thanks, guys. I tried. Nathaniel, you can rub that off.

It's in Sharpie - it's not coming off.

BEN: Good to see Jayden's family still smiling.

I'll tell you another bloke who never stops smiling.

That's our next competitor, Daniel Weston.

BEC: But we like to call him 'Tarzaniel'.

At 19 years of age, he knows no fear

and he can climb and swing like a real-life Tarzan.

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

(IMITATES TARZAN YELL)

In the heats, the 19-year-old Queenslander

wanted to prove who was king of the jungle

(SIREN BLARES) Boom!

Do you really think now you can win this competition?

I think so, if it's all like this. It was pretty easy.

But his overconfidence nearly cost Tarzaniel in the semi-finals.

BEC: He now just needs to navigate the dismount...

Oh!

Fortunately he still qualified for the grand final,

based on his lightning-fast time.

Mount Midoriyama should be a breeze for Tarzan.

It's what I was born for and I can't wait to get there.

Go, Daniel! (GROWLS)

Ooh! Hang on a moment. BEC: Oh.

Well, we don't know who that is. How did they get through security?

Go, Tarzan!

I'm guessing that's mum Michelle and brother Jacob

but I can't be 100% sure.

I love this kid - and I say 'kid' because he's 19!

He's got incredible spirit, incredible guts

and incredible strength.

Tarzaniel! Come on, Daniel!

OK. Here he goes, down the Big Dipper.

He exits. He hangs on to the rope.

You beauty!

You saw a little bit of Tarzan there.

The Spinning Log with Donut.

Well done! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Nails it.

And the clock is in his favour at the moment.

Launches himself onto the net...

Wow! Oh!

You can feel the collective disappointment

on behalf of Tarzaniel.

Such a crowd favourite!

Daniel made the simplest of mistakes.

Watch his eyes - he was so focused on the net,

he forgot to line up the trampoline.

He hit it too far towards the front,

shot off too low and could not grab the net.

I know you're only 19. Are we going to see you again on this course?

I would love you to come back. Yeah, 100%.

And I hope, a better costume. A better costume?

What's wrong with the Tarzan? Everyone's loving the Tarzan.

I've got pants on!

Well, I'm not sure they'll let you on the course without pants.

Probably not - but we'd love to see you back here next year, Tarzaniel.

We're yet to see anyone complete stage one.

Remember, it's not the furthest, fastest

that move through to stage two -

you have to complete all nine obstacles

in under 3 minutes, 45 seconds.

BEC: Can our next ninja, rock climber Tom O'Halloran,

find a way to make it through?

Unlike fellow climbers the Cossey brothers,

Tom's path to the grand final hasn't been faultless.

A stumble in heat 4...

Whoa! The legs straight up in the air!

..a near miss in semi-final 2.

Oh, hang on, Tom!

He's had more than a little luck on his side.

Yeah! Come on!

Lucky objects, no. Lucky family, yes.

Three-year-old Audrey with wife Amanda -

they've ridden every obstacle with him.

Tom O'Halloran books his ticket into the final!

Little monkey!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Daddy!

BEC: Aww, very sweet.

That little kiss that Audrey is blowing her daddy

might just be the edge that Tom has over everybody else.

And after what we saw in this stage,

what it did to fellow rock climber Ben Cossey,

he'll need all the luck he can get.

Come on, Daddy!

Is Tom O'Halloran the man?

ALL: (CHANT) Let's go, Tom Let's go!

FREDDIE: Tom O'Halloran, it's time to stand up.

It's time to be counted.

It's time to book your place

for a chance to climb Mount Midoriyama.

Let's take a moment to look at this very serious obstacle.

Here we go. It's like a wobble bar, this thing.

It's not smooth ride on the Big Dipper.

And Tom O'Halloran gives it all he's got

and he's there, he's there!

Ben, he didn't even need to use the rope!

Unbelievable! That is a great feat.

Oh, get up, Tom! Save yourself, Tom!

He's a rock climber! Yes!

He knows how to save himself when he's on the edge.

That showed guts. That showed glory and determination.

The Jump Hang. Yeah!

It looked like he could have missed the net then for a second.

Oh, he's had two saves and this run is incredible.

This guy has got what it takes to be Australian Ninja Warrior.

I can feel it. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Spider Jump now.

We just saw what happened to Jayden when he got the timing wrong.

Yeah! No problem for Tom.

Makes his way through the walls.

He does this every day, rock climbing.

Come on. Yeah! Come on!

Well, from the very beginning, in the heats,

we said this is one of the strongest participants in this series.

However, this is grand final time.

Here he goes. He knows he's on the home stretch now

but he's still got to complete three obstacles.

And in just over 2 minutes.

It is time now for Tom to gather his thoughts

as he approaches the Globe Grasper.

Take your time, Tom. Take your time.

Amanda's saying, "Take your time." She's holding on to Audrey there.

The advice is right. He needs to remember what happened to Ben Cossey.

Come on!

The Globe Grasper. Will it be too much for this young bloke?

I don't think so! I don't think so either, Ben.

Look at him go, so strong right here.

Come on! The clock is ticking, though.

That is crucial. Yes!

Righto. Now he's on to the next obstacle.

This is the Ring Swing.

You need strength, co-ordination, timing and guts.

And this one is complex - you have to get your ring onto the bar.

Can he do it?

Yes! Yes, he does!

He grabs the second ring. Now he must lache to the third.

Righto. Here he goes. Come on!

Starts to get the swing on... Yes!

He makes the transition

and now gets ready to exit.

Yes! He's off.

He knows he can do it. He's been here in the semi-finals.

He does not waste any time. He goes up.

Level 4. Come on, Tom!

Level 5, level 6... You can do it!

..level 7!

Tom O'Halloran, you have done it! Yes!

You have made it to stage two.

You are unbelievable. Yes!

How good was that?!

Tom O'Halloran, the first through stage one of the grand final!

The lucky charms have done it again!

Tom, you now face stage two.

Are you ready?

Oh, yeah.

Come on down. How good was that, Rebecca Maddern?

I have got goose bumps!

Besides the obvious skills rock climbers bring to the Ninja course,

it was Tom's survival instincts that saw him through.

To the joy of the crowd,

Tom pulled himself out of trouble time and time again.

Later in the night, we'll see if he can get through stage two.

FREDDIE: Come on. Come and see your dad. Come on.

Don't stay over there.

Come on, Audrey. How good was Daddy? He was good tonight, wasn't he?

Aww, bless him.

Tom, we said that this course has gone up a level tonight.

Definitely a bit more nervous out the back than, uh, during the semis

but, um, yeah, a couple more kind of tricks in there for this one.

Mate, you've got a chance now, stage two of this course.

Are you ready for this, Tom?

So ready. Yeah, I'm frothing for it. It's gonna be awesome.

Top man.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Tom O'Halloran!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Tom will be back a little later on

to take on stage two of the course.

But up next...

MAN: Failure - I've had it once in the UK.

Yeah! Oh!

Don't want to do that again here.

Can Fred Dorrington erase that memory

and create a new legend tonight?

BEC: Plus Instagram sensation Nathan McCallum

is hoping to take the ultimate selfie on top of Mount Midoriyama.

I'm about to do this and I'm ready for it.

And preparing with his family,

the deadly ninja Jack Wilson

prepares to take his shot at Ninja immortality.

Let's go do this! Go, mate! Let's go!

When Ninja Warrior returns.

BEC: 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 AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where the grand final course is proving brutal.

These ninjas are the elite

but over the break, three more failed to complete stage one.

25-year-old stunt man Mike Snow

made a big impact...

Oh, no!

..crashing out on the Big Dipper.

I am in complete shock.

Truckie ninja Tom Hazell

took a wrong turn...

..and does a spectacular backflip.

..failing to get a grip on the Jump Hang.

And it seemed nothing could stop 33-year-old Neal Holmes.

FREDDIE: Look at the speed of this man!

He's in a rush tonight, is non-stop Neal.

But the show was over

when the circus performer met the Globe Grasper.

And Neal Holmes just didn't have enough in the grand final.

Getting his grip primed in the warm-up area,

25-year-old former ballet student William Laister.

He danced through the qualifying rounds

and is hoping to continue his hot streak through stage one

later on tonight.

Get ready, Australia - marathon runner Jack Wilson is next.

His biggest motivation - to inspire Indigenous men, women and children

to strive for their goals in life.

(FANS CHEER)

Jack Wilson.

JACK WILSON: I am a role model

to a lot of young Indigenous people back home

and failure - it's not an option.

Deadly ninja Jack Wilson made his mark early in the heat.

BEN: Jack Wilson, the first ninja to complete the course.

FREDDIE: I've heard about budgie smugglers

but I've never seen them close at hand. Wow.

A slip in the semi almost spelt the end.

(BUZZER BLARES) Oh, he's touched the water!

But Jack's fast time was enough to get him through to the grand final.

I'm from Mt Isa and the grand final is Mount Midoriyama.

Mt Isa, Mount Midoriyama - there's a bit of a ring to it if you ask me.

I'm going all the way up.

He may have fallen off in the semi-finals,

however, I will not back against him

to get through to stage two of the grand final.

BEN: Yeah, you're right about that, Freddie.

He was the first ninja up the Warped Wall.

Can Jack produce something special again tonight?

(SQUEALS) Go, Jacko!

Go, Jack! Go, Jack, go!

And there is Jack's family - mum Debbie and brother Mick.

Come on, Jack. He's got some attitude.

He's got some spunk

but does he have enough to be Australian Ninja Warrior?

(FANS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Rob de Castella has been a mentor. Won't he be proud?

And I can tell you that Robert de Castella

is tuned in tonight with his entire family

and many of the other Indigenous runners

who've taken on the New York Marathon.

Yes, Jackie boy!

That takes incredible strength, to keep a hold of that rope.

The Spinning Log with Donut.

He's always light on his feet - watch him just tippy-tippy-tippy-toe!

He went for a slide! Went about two metres on the mat.

I'll give him a 10 out of 10 for that.

OK. Go, Jack!

And he always does this.

He's done that in the heats, he's done that in the semi-finals.

Check the tramp, check your footing.

Whoo! FREDDIE: Yes!

Onto the cargo. Big grin on his face. He's loving his work.

Go, Jack!

And from here I'm getting a fantastic view

of the budgie smugglers.

Not sure I want it but I can see 'em.

I can see 'em. (LAUGHS)

OK. Now he approaches the Spider Jump.

Jack makes it look fun but he analyses each obstacle like a pro,

which is why he's such a firm favourite in this competition.

Yeah, good grip on the feet and the hands.

And now makes his way through this corridor.

We can see the muscles working double time at the moment.

Keep going, bras!

This is a classy run by the 24-year-old Jack Wilson.

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

Here he goes, straight up -

and he's up that wall.

Come on, Jack!

Too easy, man. Too easy!

Too easy! Go, Jack!

Approaching the Globe Grasper.

This is all about upper body strength and grip.

One wrong move and you're in the pool.

And if he's able to get through this,

he will breathe a sigh of relief

because he came unstuck in the semi-finals

but in the grand final, he steps up to the plate and delivers.

But can he deliver on the Ring Swing now?

Only the second ninja to make it this far.

Yes!

Look how well he's powering through this course!

He let go completely to grab that second ring.

Jams it on the next hook and now looks for an exit.

Too easy.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Go, Jack!

The clock looks good and so do you, Jack Wilson.

And, Rebecca Maddern, this young man, Jack Wilson,

is making his way up the chimney.

He's feeling the pain in his arms

but he can still smile.

You betcha he's there, on top of the world.

And now into the second stage of the grand final.

Yes, yes, yes.

He wanted to inspire Indigenous men, women and children

and he's done just that.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

We were waiting for the dance and he delivered.

He delivered alright.

Another scintillating display of strength and agility

and his smile says it all,

as his quest to make a difference continues into stage two.

Jack, look at that smile on your face.

Is that a smile of pleasure,

relief, having not got through the semi-final course,

or a bit of everything?

There's mixed emotions there in that smile.

Uh, looking down at the crew here.

You know, they were with me all the way there.

They were looking up with joy in their eyes

and yeah, that just pushed me all the way through.

As you was going on a few of them obstacles,

on the big screen, I know why your nickname is 'Willy'.

Mate, that was... that was an unbelievable effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Jack Wilson.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Jack is the second ninja through to stage two tonight

and that smile has won plenty of fans here on Ninja Island.

Hasn't it ever? They love him.

And our next ninja won plenty of fans himself

when he nearly conquered the UK series.

Can Fred Dorrington go even further

with a home town advantage?

Even though he made the finals of Ninja Warrior UK,

Lismore lad Fred Dorrington quickly learned

the course would be rougher Down Under.

Oh! That's gotta hurt.

Around a very sensitive zone.

But he blitzed through his heat and semi,

focused on his main objective.

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

I got through to the second finals stage.

My left foot dipped down into the water,

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

It was devastating to go out like that

and to be given that extra chance,

I just thought, "I've just gotta make the most of this now -

"try and tick off what I've achieved in the UK

"and just go a little bit further."

BEN: We love the green-and-gold outfit

that Fred brings to this course, Bec.

Will it be his lucky charm tonight?

He hasn't changed outfits and why would you?

Alright.

Go, Fred! Come on, Fred!

His favourite TV show is 'Antiques Roadshow'.

So Australian Ninja Warrior is a whole different kettle of fish.

(LAUGHS) It is.

Well, the Big Dipper has been the real problem tonight

for so many competitors.

Fred does not want to end up in the water here.

Ooh! His foot - his foot nearly hit the water there, Ben.

Or did it touch the water?

I saw some water move there.

FREDDIE: He didn't touch it.

I think it was the mat banging that caused the ripples.

OK.

You're doing well, man.

Well, the video ref hasn't stepped in, so...

There it is. (BUZZER BLARES)

OK. We've got the siren. He is disqualified.

(CROWD MUTTERS)

What happened?

We are just looking at the tape now

and he is disqualified.

It looks like his foot went in the water on the Big Dipper.

FREDDIE: I don't think he did.

I think he's had a stiff one there, him.

Well, Freddie is right on the spot.

I think we will need to have another closer look.

We're gonna go to a break and we'll see if Freddie is right,

when Ninja Warrior returns.

Is your shoe wet? Let's contest it.

Yeah.

BEN: Welcome back to a tense grand final night on Ninja Island.

Before the break, it appeared

Fred Dorrington's feet touched the water

coming off the Big Dipper,

meaning instant disqualification.

But our sideline eye, Freddie Flintoff, saw it differently

and after reviewing the replay,

we can see the splash of water was caused by the safety mat,

not Fred's foot.

So in accordance with international rules,

Fred will start again from where he left off.

Good luck, mate. Go on.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Go, Fred! Go, Fred! Go, Fred!

(STARTING BELL RINGS)

BEC: And the clock re-starts and Fred Dorrington is back in the race.

Now, remember, the foot in the water

was exactly what got Fred disqualified from the UK series

and he was so close to doing it again.

Yeah, it's good to see him back on track.

And now the Spider Jump.

(FANS SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Ooh, I hold my breath every time our competitors get on that mini-tramp,

because to get from those narrow footings to the wide footings

is tough.

We know he's done this in the UK series, so he knows how tough it is.

(FANS CHEER, BARRACK)

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Time for the wall.

No time to waste. Up he goes and he's at the top of the Warped Wall.

Let's go, Fred! Heaps of time, mate. Heaps of time.

How about his family and friends,

asking themselves, "Can our mate Fred go all the way?"

"Freddy, Freddy, Freddy," chants the crowd.

And now he's got a series of globes in front of him.

Gets a feel of that first one. Come on, man!

Quick transfer. Another quick transfer.

I'll tell you what - he's moving through this course very quickly.

Isn't he? The clock is looking good.

You've gotta keep going! Come on! Come on! Faster!

Get down from there because the longer you're up there,

the more it hurts.

FREDDIE: Don't want to make a mistake now.

He's going in a circle, like he's in a washing machine, spinning round.

He's twisting now and he's facing the wrong way.

And it's taking him longer to get off...

but he corrects himself, grabbing that last globe.

And that is a seasoned warrior at work right there.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

"Right," says Fred. "Two obstacles left."

Needs forward momentum on the first ring to catch that first hook.

Yes! He does well.

MAN: That's it, mate! This is you! Straight through the rings.

Now he's gonna latch the next one.

Thinks about it, pauses... executes!

Yes!

So good to see this man wearing the green and gold.

Go, son!

He is spent but does he have enough muscle left to go up the Chimney?

He's got 40 seconds to get up there.

WOMAN: Go, go, go, go!

Level 4, level 5.

Lots of fuel still in the tank. He needs to keep going.

Level 6. Almost there, Fred Dorrington!

He hits the top, Bec!

(SUPPORTERS SCREAM)

Lays on his back. Hand on the buzzer.

Can you believe what he has just achieved?

Unbelievable!

Don't worry about UK Ninja Warrior!

It's now Australian Ninja Warrior!

And the man in green and gold does his country proud.

Mate, that was incredible. Well done.

Thank you so much. Holy moley!

BEN: You can say that again.

Proving there's no substitute for experience,

Fred recovered well from that disqualification scare

to complete stage one, with more than 20 seconds to spare.

Fred's now our third ninja to qualify for stage two,

joining Tom O'Halloran and deadly ninja Jack Wilson.

But up next is one ninja

who many picked to be in the grand final from the start.

William Laister.

William has been flawless

in the heats and semi-finals,

completing both courses

with really fast times

but tonight it is a whole new challenge.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: Just imagine how this young lad's feeling, William Laister.

When he was 17, couldn't walk for two years due to illness.

Whoo! Go, Will!

And now he finds himself in the grand finals

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

He's very focused for a 25-year-old.

He's used to competition - he's lived all over the world,

competing in snowboarding events

and I tell you, the things that this guy does on a snowboard in the air

will leave you breathless.

Yes but this is the Big Dipper.

How can he manage it? He's off, he's up, he's...

No! (BOTH WAIL)

He finds himself crashed out

on this most difficult second obstacle in the grand final course.

Another one bites the dust.

Yeah, William's problems start with his launch -

he casually falls into the Dipper without generating momentum.

The bar stops before the final crest

and his anguish there, for all to see,

before he even hits the water.

I'm just shattered. I, um... missed the timing.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yeah, just missed the timing. That's all it was.

Yeah. So I'm just disappointed. That's all I can say.

Yeah, William, he's been a champion

but it's time to say goodbye to Ninja Island.

BEC: Hoping his run won't come to a premature end

is rock climber Lee Cossey.

His brother, Ben, just fell on the Globe Grasper

but lee has always managed

to stay one step ahead of him.

Can he do the same tonight

and move through to stage two?

Come on, Lee! Come on!

Come on!

FREDDIE: Great to see his girlfriend, Andrea Hah, on the side.

She came so close to making it through to the finals as well.

(STARTING BELL RINGS)

Yeah. Both his brother and girlfriend have already been eliminated,

so the pressure's on Lee to perform right now.

And he knows the clock is ticking.

How's he gonna go here on the Big Dipper, Bec?

Well, he needs to make sure he's got even pressure across that bar.

Oh, it is a smooth run down the Dipper.

That is the best we've seen tonight. Come on, Lee!

Nice and fast!

FREDDIE: You can tell how he looks at this and wants it.

He's seen his brother, Ben, fail on the course tonight.

He'll be wanting to do it for a bit of pride for the Cossey family.

Oh, attacks the Jump Hang now. Lee is all focus.

He is a machine tonight.

He's really making his way down this net fast,

because he knows every second counts.

He's gotta finish in 3 minutes and 45 seconds, Bec.

He can't afford to take a break.

Just, like...

Brother Ben with some helpful hints in the Spider Jump.

And he lands it! Yes!

Good job! And that's exactly like a spider.

Edging his way through now, the glass walls.

Yeah, look at the long legs -

he'd be a daddy long legs if he was a spider, this bloke.

Time is still pretty good.

And now ready to shape up to the Warped Wall.

One deep breath. Hits it. Here he goes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Pulling himself through.

He's up and over the Wall

but remember, this next obstacle is where his brother, Ben, fell off.

Use both hands if you need to.

2 minutes, Lee. 2 minutes.

Yeah, Andrea's yelling advice too.

The clock's ticking, Lee. No pressure.

(MAN SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY) Come on!

Now, these globes are thick and they're awkward,

even for these rock climbers.

Come on.

Come on! Come on, Lee!

Can he do one better than his brother?

I just think his rock-climbing experience will shine through, Ben.

Awesome, Lee. Come on! Ben's watching on.

His partner, Andrea, is watching on.

Australia is watching on.

Come on! Yeah!

There it is! Nice one!

He's gone further than his brother. He has, he has.

But he's not finished yet. He's still got to complete two obstacles.

And look at the clock - it's gotta be done in just over a minute.

Yep! Nails it in one swing.

Moves on to the next one.

He is smashing this obstacle like a man on a mission -

to keep the Cossey name alive in this competition.

Beautiful! Yeah!

OK. It's the Chimney Climb.

He's wasting no time! Look at him!

Go faster! Just carving it up!

Halfway up the Chimney! Almost towards the top!

Come on! He's there!

He's found the top of the Chimney.

Oh, he's happy!

Slams his hand down on the big red buzzer.

And one of the best rock climbers in Australia

is through to stage two of the grand final,

with a time almost as climbing mate Tom.

Cool and calm under pressure.

There's something very Zen about the way Lee attacks the course.

All the climber's weaponry on show

as he gets closer to the biggest mountain of all.

For starting, there must have been mixed emotions,

seeing your brother, Ben, fall off

and then it's your turn.

Was there added pressure,

trying to get one of the Cosseys through

to the grand final, part two?

Absolutely, yeah.

It was quite scary watching Ben

come off something that I thought he'd be really strong at,

so it's obvious that it's really easy to blow,

so I was just taking it pretty carefully.

Well, it was a great effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Lee Cossey!

Well done, mate. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Good job. Oh, cheers.

Good job. (LAUGHS)

BEN: Coming up - only five ninjas are left.

Can any of them get the better of stage one?

The man with the headband, Ashlin Herbert,

has been one of our quickest.

He did that so easily! Piece of cake!

But can the 22-year-old speed demon

apply his thrusters on the new course?

The stakes are definitely higher.

Mount Midoriyama's definitely in my reach.

Plus...

If I could sort of tell myself a year ago where I'd be now,

I just would have laughed at myself.

18 months after breaking his neck,

can Alex Matthews shock the island and take his mo to the mount?

Never really in it for the money. Not the fame, either.

I just like pushing myself.

And later, the brutal stage two awaits

but the deadly ninja, Jack Wilson, is ready...

I'm on my way there and I'm gonna power on through, all the way up.

..when Ninja Warrior returns.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Over the break, three more ninjas have taken their shot

at stage one in the grand final.

Instagram sensation Nathan McCallum

failed to get his feet to follow on the Spider Jump.

Not a glamorous place to fall off. Hashtag wetninja.

West Australian music producer Ben Polson

made a smash hit at the top of the Chimney...

FREDDIE: Another near-perfect run.

..completing stage one with 55 seconds to spare

but was then upstaged by robotics student Rob Patterson...

That is a killer time and he knows it!

..exterminating the course with 1:11 remaining,

the fastest time so far.

Doing amazing, man. That was awesome.

This means two more ninjas move on to stage two of the grand final.

But back to the course and we're halfway into Alex Matthews' run,

as he approaches the Globe Grasper.

He's a 33-year-old firefighter from WA.

Now, that's Alex's mum, Carlene, and girlfriend, Mia, on the sideline.

She promised to come over from Perth if he made the grand final

and as you can see, she was good to her word.

Amazing, Alex.

Alex has an incredible story -

2015, he actually was in a car crash.

He broke his neck and he was in a collar for three months.

And here he is tonight.

The first time he's encountered this obstacle

and now, like a monkey, he just swings from one to another.

The facial expression says that he's starting to feel a bit of the pinch.

But he's gonna be OK.

He has impressed every step of the way in this competition

and next up, the Ring Swing.

Oh, this Ring Swing gets everybody nervous.

And up he goes, onto the first ring.

He must put that ring on the hook

before he moves on to the next part of this obstacle.

Oh!

You've gotta get that swing straight, Alex!

Come on, mate! You can do this!

Oh, no - he doesn't get it on the first attempt.

He's missed again!

And this gets harder, the longer he hangs there.

And remember, every time he misses it, he's burning energy.

Yes! Oh, he's done it!

He's saved himself! Incredible will power!

Incredible guts.

How he did that after two failed attempts, I don't know.

It would have knocked the energy out of his body

but here he comes -

he's more than halfway through.

He hooks it! He's home!

Now all he's gotta do is land those feet outside the pool.

He knows. He can taste it. He's ready for the Chimney Climb.

He doesn't waste any time.

And speaking of time, the clock is ticking.

There's not a lot of time for Alex to get up this Chimney!

His arms are burning. You can see him looking at the clock.

Not a lot of time, Alex. 20 seconds left.

The aviation firefighter makes his way to the top of the chimney!

He's struggling. He's hurting.

Get out of there, Alex! Get home!

Hit the buzzer!

Come on, Alex!

(BOTH CHEER) Go, you good thing!

He's into the second part of the grand final!

The firefighter set to light the fireworks!

Whoo!

What a heart-stopping encounter

for this man from Western Australia,

who has lit up the state of WA and the whole country

during this competition.

And now he says to the crowd,

"Thank you for cheering me along every step of the way!"

It was another gutsy show from the mo,

getting himself out of trouble on the Ring Swing

to stay in the competition.

After that, there was no stopping Alex

and it was well worth the trip for Mia.

I saw you on the Chimney Climb, just looking over, checking the clock.

You had to get your skates on a little bit.

Yeah. Yeah, I was pretty damn nervous, so...

I didn't want to go too fast and slip off,

so I was just trying to time it with a few seconds to spare there.

Yeah, all worked out.

Mate, we're absolutely loving it and can I touch the 'tache again?

One more time. One more time.

It's a good look. It's a beautiful thing.

Alex's show-stopper makes him our next ninja through to stage two.

Now, get ready, folks.

The last ninja tonight to attempt stage one

has also been the quickest.

Pay close attention - if you get distracted, you might just miss him.

He's Ashlin Herbert.

If you wear a headband,

you're definitely gonna be the next Ninja Warrior.

Looks can be deceiving.

And deceive he did.

Out of nowhere, Ashlin Herbert blows the field away.

The 22-year-old chippie

recorded the fastest times in both his heats...

Mate, you are a freak!

..and his semi-final.

Ashlin Herbert is about to catapult himself into the finals.

Now that I got into the grand final, the stakes are definitely higher.

Lot more pressure.

Mount Midoriyama is definitely in my reach.

See if I can get there.

Try my best and yeah, the 100 grand's just a bonus.

(CHANTING) Ashlin! Ashlin! Ashlin!

FREDDIE: This lad is brilliant.

There's no other word which can describe Ashlin Herbert.

Go, Ash! Whoo!

His mates Ebony and Jason on the sideline.

Come on, Ash!

BEC: And he looks very speedy across the Quintuple Steps.

Nice work! Yes!

Let's see how he handles the Big Dipper.

Go!

Hits the end and grabs a hold of that rope. Too good.

And he is just cool as a cucumber.

Oh, and he is very quick and nimble.

Doesn't give the Log time to spin!

Jump Hang next.

Oh, he flies into the net!

He is making a big statement tonight, Ben.

The fastest run tonight had 1 minute and 11 seconds still on the clock.

Ashlin looks like he's got that in his sights.

And now he hits the Spider Jump.

He nails the jump. Wedges himself perfectly.

I don't think we've seen anyone move this fast through halfway.

He can do this one easy.

Go, Ashlin!

(CHANTING) Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Now the wall. BEN: Here he goes.

No time to waste. Up he goes and he does it easily.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Good, Ash!

He's not overawed by the occasion of the grand final here on the island.

He looks like he could be partaking in the heat.

He's not rattled by the occasion.

Yeah but will he be rattled by the Globe Grasper?

Many have.

He's so steady! He doesn't even move.

His body is not rocking. He's not wasting any energy.

Just quick check of the clock -

he's now 7 seconds faster than the quickest time tonight.

He could afford to slow down

but he doesn't know how!

Let's hope it doesn't cost him on the Ring Swing.

Oh! Yeah!

And he wasted no time! What are we witnessing?

Well, we're witnessing a bloke

who could go all the way to Mount Midoriyama.

The 22-year-old is showing the rest of the competition how it's done.

FREDDIE: He's still got 1 minute, 35 seconds left,

as he wedges himself in the Chimney.

This lad is incredible.

The clock is looking very good at the moment.

The whole crowd is cheering him on.

The man with the headband is about to hit the buzzer

in the fastest time tonight.

Send the fireworks up into the sky!

Chapter one of his grand final course is complete.

That was an incredible moment on Australian Ninja Warrior.

He is fairly puffed. Wow.

Or are you? I'm pretty puffed.

That's alright.

Oh, it was another showcase of speed and precision from Ashlin tonight.

The 22-year-old close to perfect, posting the fastest time tonight.

He and his headband are into stage two.

Ashlin, how DO you do it?

Just get on with it.

Is that the key to it, just get on with it?

Don't think about it too much, get on the course and get round it?

Yeah, nah, can't think about it. If I think about it I'll screw up.

I love you. You're absolutely brilliant.

Top man. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ashlin. Unbelievable run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That concludes stage one of the grand final tonight.

So far we've seen 21 ninjas attempt this incredibly difficult stage.

Only these ninjas were able to complete stage one.

They include climbers Tom O'Halloran

and Lee Cossey

and the deadly ninja, Jack Wilson.

They now move on

to the brutal stage two.

Coming up,

if they thought stage one was tough,

wait until they tackle stage two.

The obstacle that I'm most worried about is the Salmon Ladder.

The Cliffhanger - that's not meant to be easy.

Flying Bars - very easy to miss those baskets.

Stage two tonight. I'm hungry.

BEN: When Ninja Warrior returns.

Bring it on. Can't wait.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior grand final.

Stage one is done

and these are the ninjas

who've made it through to stage two.

They are the best of the best

but stage two is savage.

They will have to produce a perfect run

if they have any chance of making it to Mount Midoriyama.

Well, it's not gonna be easy at all.

They're eight of the toughest obstacles that we've ever seen.

Once again, the clock is ticking

so our ninjas have to be lightning fast

and another complication - the rain is falling slightly as well,

so, Freddie?

Ben, this last section of the course

is designed to protect Mount Midoriyama.

Each obstacle forms another layer of defence

against unwanted ninjas.

Only the most ferocious warriors will survive the onslaught

and make their way to the base of Mount Midoriyama.

In stage two, the ninjas must complete the first five obstacles

in under 65 seconds.

And remember - these ninjas have never seen these obstacles before.

First up, the Jungle Ropes.

Here, ninjas must work through a series of ropes

to swing to the other side.

Obstacle two is the Basket Toss,

where ninjas must use the off-centre hoops

to swing to safety.

On the iconic Salmon Ladder,

ninjas hoist themselves up five rungs

only using a metal bar.

Then it's the Unstable Bridge,

where ninjas must traverse across two suspended boards

only using their hands.

Then it's the Wall Lift -

lift and duck under three walls of increasing weight,

at 30, 40 and 50 kilos.

But stage two doesn't end there.

If they make it here under 65 seconds,

there are three more obstacles to complete.

The Crazy Cliffhanger.

Ninjas traverse across four narrow ledges on their fingertips

and jump across a final gap to the ledge.

Then the Floating Boards,

where ninjas must traverse four suspended, swinging platforms

to safety.

And the final obstacle in stage two is the Flying Bar,

where ninjas must use a metal bar

to hoist themselves across five sets of suspended platforms.

Anyone left standing moves on to stage three,

Mount Midoriyama.

As we know, Ninja Warrior is a global phenomenon.

There are versions of this show all over the world

and in Ninja Warrior history,

no-one has ever scaled Mount Midoriyama and claimed victory

during the first series.

Yeah, the odds may be against them

but as we've seen already,

the remaining ninjas are fearless

and I've got a feeling

we might just see an Aussie go up that rope tonight.

But let's keep things moving along

and bring out the first ninja to take on stage two.

It's Fred Dorrington.

Yeah, he was nearly knocked out of stage one but he's still in the fight

and wanting to better his top-three finish

in the UK version of Ninja Warrior.

Come on, Fred Dorrington!

Come on, Fred! You've got this!

Crowd chants, "Come on, Fred!"

Fred! Fred! Fred!

Fred Dorrington has 65 seconds to complete five obstacles.

There is no time for error.

It has been done in training today by one of our experts.

It's set by the very best in the world.

You got this, Fred! You got this!

OK. This is the Rope Jungle. You've gotta do it nice and quick.

Onto the first rope. Transitions to the second rope.

He's gonna need one more swing and he's gotta get off on this one.

That's it! Come on! Come on, Freddy!

Come on, Fred! He's off!

(CHEERING) 50 seconds to go.

Fred Dorrington, onto the Basket Toss.

He swings on the first one. Ooh!

Trying to get the right amount of motivation to fly.

Yes! He's made the second!

Come on! Looks for the exit!

Having a look down at that mat. Ooh!

Fred Dorrington's alive and kicking!

And now he's got the Salmon Ladder.

30 seconds left, Fred.

He is trained for this. He knows all about the Salmon Ladder.

He's gotta make four moves. Two!

Come on, Fred! Three!

Oh, his arms are burning at this stage!

Four! Keep flying, man! Fly!

Come on, Fred! Now the Unstable Bridge.

He gets the first one. Jinks his way along it.

He's doing very well! (SIREN BLARES)

That's the 10-second warning.

This is an incredible effort!

I don't know if he's got enough time!

He's stuck there on the Unstable Bridge.

Fred, keep going! He's run out of time!

But that is an amazing feat, Fred Dorrington.

Come on! Oh!

The crowd devastated.

Fred Dorrington has got every reason to stand proud tonight.

That was phenomenal.

Hey, Fred!

In stage two, it's all about pace and precision.

Fred's early errors saw him beaten by the clock.

(GRUNTS) Fred! Fred!

That thing was, uh, pretty, uh... pretty intense.

I just wanted to stay dry but finally the shirt got wet, so...

And how are you feeling now? Pretty good, actually.

Pretty exhilarated.

Didn't get as far as I'd have liked

but I'm stoked.

Top man. Great work, Fred.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Fred Dorrington!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Next up, hoping to beat the course and the clock

in this unforgiving second stage,

Queensland robotics student Rob Patterson.

We know he was super-fast in stage one

but, Bec, can he crack it in stage two?

I can't answer that question right now

but I can tell you something -

he is the youngest man to go through to stage two.

So that is a victory in itself - he's only 21.

You got this, Rob.

65 seconds to complete five obstacles.

Oh, he missed it. And he misses!

Come on, Rob! Watch your feet! Watch your feet!

Watch your feet! Oh, come on, Rob!

And it's heartbreaking to watch this. All of the hard work that goes in.

What do you do now? Come on, Rob! Come on!

We just saw with Fred, you can't afford to make mistakes like that.

But he gets out of it and onto the Basket Toss.

He needs to move now!

He's onto the first. Onto the second!

Oh, no!

And he comes down on the Basket Toss.

The fellow ninjas can't believe it.

Rob's ninja dream is over.

The youngest competitor to get through to this stage of the course.

21 years of age.

He's got a lot to be proud about.

How do you prepare for that?

There's no way you can prepare for anything like these.

These are crazy obstacles, man.

But ridiculous fun.

It's a hard course

and a shame that I can't get to play on these things anymore, hey?

Well, I suppose now you'll start preparing for next year?

Most definitely. Most definitely.

That's the spirit. Well done, Rob. Got to have you on. Well done, pal.

Great effort. Well done.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)

BEN: Next up - he's tall, he's strong

and he has carved up Australian Ninja Warrior so far.

Can he make it all the way to the top of Mount Midoriyama?

And he's ready to go.

Music producer Ben Polson.

Whoo-hoo! Come on, Benny boy!

We've had high hopes for Ben Polson

from the outset of this competition.

Doesn't he look like he means business?

He really does.

Is he the one to do it?

(STARTING BELL RINGS)

He's under way. He's onto the Rope Jungle.

He's gone really high.

Now, the trick is you need to grab low and fast,

build up your arc so you can move through quickly

but he's already burnt 12 seconds

because he's gone too high!

Well, he's just realised that and he's slipping down the rope.

Now he's building the swing.

But he's swinging in the wrong direction at the moment, Bec!

He is! Oh, no!

No! He's about to go into the crowd!

Oh! (LAUGHS) Enjoy the ride!

'Absolutely gutted' written all over his face!

Oh, hang on - he's called it a night! That's it!

You could have got wet, at least!

That is a disappointing end.

The clock had beaten him. The obstacle had beaten him.

Stage two has beaten Ben Polson on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Is the dream of climbing Mount Midoriyama still alive?

Oh, well and truly alive. Well and truly alive.

I know the crowd want to see me at the top of that mountain next year,

so I'll be there, don't you worry.

I want to see you up there as well

but I want to see your ginger next time.

It's been great having you on. Yeah, thanks, man.

Top man. Well done, mate.

BEN: After the break,

he posted the fastest time in stage one.

Pretty brutal but more sort of out of breath than anything.

But can the man with the headband

catch his breath and the title in stage two?

Mount Midoriyama is definitely in my reach.

Pretty confident. Pretty confident.

Plus, can Lee Cossey go where no Aussie has gone before?

It'll be a mental battle,

being in the zone and just making sure you let it flow.

And about to run after the break, Tom O'Halloran.

His daughter, Audrey, can see Mount Midoriyama.

It's up high. Yeah.

That is up high.

Now all Daddy's gotta do is make it there.

See you at the top, monkey.

You are at the top. See you at the top.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior's grand final.

It's the brutal stage two.

Completing the first five obstacles in under 65 seconds

has proven too difficult for three of our ninjas.

Now only a handful remain

and the pressure has never been so intense.

But nerves should not be a problem for our next ninja.

Could this rock climber be the one?

Tom O'Halloran.

Well, considering the level of nerves on Ninja Island right now,

he's managing to crack a smile.

And what a smile he's got.

I suppose, when you've made it this far, why not?

Hi! Hi, Daddy!

He's got the guts - will he get the glory?

BEC: Well, he did just get a good-luck kiss from Audrey.

That is a very good start. Just relax. Come on.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(START BELL RINGS)

Tom O'Halloran.

He's onto the first rope. He grabs it low.

He gets straight onto the last rope! He's done so well here!

Come on! But he misses the dismount!

Now he's gotta try and correct himself.

Oh, I just don't know if you have the time to do this, Tom!

He'll be well aware of that.

He's thinking, "This is not where I want to be!"

Yes! He's off!

Come on! Come on! Well done.

Let's see how he goes on the Basket Toss.

From one basket to the other, straight away!

He didn't get off in one swoop either.

He's just stuck on the second basket.

You don't want to be there either, Ben!

Oh, now he makes it off!

He's got 28 seconds to finish three obstacles.

He'll be good on the Salmon Ladder.

Up he goes. One. Two.

Three.

Four! Yes!

Every obstacle, he's nailing

but I'm just worried about the clock!

He's on the first Unstable Bridge.

(SIREN BLARES) 10 seconds to go.

Come on! Come on.

Looking to transition to the second...

Oh! Just can't find the second bridge!

No, no, no, no, no.

Tom O'Halloran.

The dream of climbing Mount Midoriyama

is over for this year.

Tom's high grab on the Jungle Rope proved crucial.

It cost him 13 seconds.

You stall, you fall.

And by the time he reaches the Unstable Bridge, his run is done.

I didn't want him... To come off! I know, honey.

It's OK.

I didn't want him to get his new shoes wet.

(LAUGHS)

One of your fears in life is to have no regrets.

And I'm sure you don't have any after tonight.

No, I was cooked, hey?

I, um, gave it my all

and grand final, it's, um...

pretty awesome to be here with all the other guys

and I hope they go really, really well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Hello. Hey. Good job.

Daddy... He's all wet!

Hey, monkey!

(CROWD CHANTS)

OK. The crowd is pumped. The island about to explode.

Strap yourselves in,

because Alex Matthews is about to take on the grand final course.

BEC: Here he comes, the man with the mo.

He is a crowd favourite.

Come on, baby!

Yes!

FREDDIE: One of our very unlikely heroes.

Alex Matthews, you have got 65 seconds.

You've not gotta be good - you've got to be perfect.

Any mishaps, any slips

and it'll all be over.

(START BELL RINGS) OK. Here we go.

He's under way. This is the Rope Jungle.

The swing's too short there, Ben. He missed that last rope.

And already, he's in trouble.

Just remember how good these guys are

and look what the course is doing to them.

Come on, Alex! Oh, Ben!

He's wasting a lot of time here.

The clock is really ticking. Come on, babe! You got it!

Although he's taking his time

because he doesn't want to exit into the swimming pool,

I think the clock is gonna eat up the time here.

Come on, come on!

Come on! Oh, Alex!

Alex! He's going sideways. He's nearly coming off the course.

He needs to dismount but he just can't find the mat.

Oh, no! It's alright.

They're dropping like flies.

But, Ben, that's because this grand final course

is designed to test the best athletes in Australia.

It's not supposed to be

something that these guys are able to conquer in their sleep.

It's supposed to be a nightmare and it's proving to be one tonight.

Tonight, knowing that you had 65 seconds,

you can't make a mistake.

Was there added pressure? Did you feel it?

Oh, no added pressure but the...

You can't make a mistake

and that was probably a little one just there, I'd say.

The finals for me was just the cherry on the icing on the cake.

The heats were the cake and I got the icing, so...

Maybe I'll get the cherry next year.

Can I just touch it one more time?

Oh. One more time. Oh, cheers, Al.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, well done, baby!

Oh! (LAUGHS)

He has blitzed the heats, blitzed the semi-finals.

Stand by and watch a real contender tonight -

Ashlin Herbert.

Whoo!

Here we go. Ashlin Herbert, the quiet boy with the big perm.

And a beautiful headband.

Everyone here has got high hopes for this young man.

BEN: His fellow ninjas have started calling him 'the Smiling Assassin'.

He was the fastest through stage one.

This guy stood on top of the Chimney Climb

and you'll remember, he was hardly puffing.

This guy is extremely fit.

(START BELL RINGS) Here he goes.

OK. This is the Rope Jungle.

You've gotta do it nice and quick.

Oh, but he's missed that first grab!

He's lost in a sea of ropes!

That miss is gonna cost him.

Keep going!

And this is not a good start,

because the clock is ticking.

He finally gets onto the back rope

and now he'll get a chance at getting off.

It's gonna be a big jump but he lands it!

The crowd goes nuts. Not many people can make that dismount.

Here he goes onto the baskets.

Oh!

But he's re-set himself

and he's flying through the air at a blistering pace on the Basket Toss.

All he needs to do now is get a clean dismount

and he does.

We've seen this bloke carve up the course in record time before.

He's still got 20 seconds to do three obstacles.

The Salmon Ladder. He's gotta get up four rungs.

Oh, no, that's a mistake. He corrects it.

He recovers. He's OK.

So... (SIREN BLARES)

That's the 10-second warning. Up to the second rung.

Up to the third. There's another slip. He corrects it.

Come on, Ashlin Herbert!

Oh, but time's gonna get the better of him.

Time's running out.

(SIREN BLARES)

And that is time up.

And that gives you an indication, Rebecca Maddern,

just how hard this stage of Australian Ninja Warrior is.

This course is brutal

and then you've got the clock on top of that.

Ashlin Herbert, usually cool under pressure

but he just got all muddled up on those Jungle Ropes,

losing precious time

and from there, he was playing catch-up.

He just ran out of time. Couldn't beat that clock.

Coming up - and then there were two.

It'll be a mental battle.

Body paint's coming off but the pride ain't.

Arguably two of our best

are the two left standing.

You just want to look, see and just do it.

You've just gotta pump through. Click into another gear.

It's the climax of Australian Ninja Warrior.

BEN: Welcome back to the grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

250 started.

Now two are left standing.

Can they conquer stage two and move on to Mount Midoriyama?

BEC: There is a rumble in the crowd.

The hopes of a nation

now rest on the broad shoulders of our last two ninjas.

And entering the arena now is Lee Cossey.

The feeling's intense here at the moment, Bec.

Hey! Hey!

(MOUTHS)

Ben, we were warned

about the brutality of stage two of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Did you think it would be this hard?

No way in the world.

But history's there for the making tonight

and I reckon he'll be thinking about the fact

that many others have struggled on this first obstacle,

wasting too much time.

He has to blitz it.

Well, you cannot afford to put a foot wrong.

(START BELL RINGS) Come on, Lee!

Here he goes, Lee Cossey.

Oh! He's gone for the last rope! Perfect!

Oh! Oh, no!

Not so perfect.

He knew the clock was on, he knew he had to go quick

but he found the pool.

That's the thing. Too adventurous.

You have to go that hard and that fast,

because if you don't, within seconds,

you're not gonna get through the next four under 65.

How's it going? I'm alright, Lee.

More to the point, how are you?

I'm quite wet. You are quite wet.

You attacked that first obstacle so quickly.

There's no room to kind of stop and think,

not when you've got 65 seconds to get through five obstacles.

And are we gonna see yourself, your brother and your girlfriend, Andrea,

back next year?

It's been a hell of a lot of fun. Why not?

Yeah, I think the crowd want you to come back.

We'd love to see you.

Lee, great effort. Unlucky tonight. Well done, mate.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

You muffin! That was good. I didn't stop and, like...

No, no. ..and pull back.

No, no, exactly. No, it's cool.

Yeah, it was a good time.

BEN: And then there was one.

The first up the Warped Wall. Now the last man standing.

Can the deadly ninja, Jack Wilson,

grab his shot at immortality?

And right around the country, you can just hear the roar.

This guy has been a favourite from the very beginning.

And he is loving this moment!

He's not overcome with nerves at all!

Look at him! He's waving to everybody in the crowd!

Says, "Stage two - bring it on!"

Bring it on alright, Bec.

It's been a curse for our ninjas, stage two,

but he can break it to make it.

(SQUEALS)

Come on, Jack! Can he make the near-impossible look possible?

He is one of the crowd favourites, Jack Wilson.

24 years of age. (CROWD CHANTS)

And I hope he's put the supersonic jets in his feet,

'cause that's what he'll need.

'Cause this is tough, so tough.

(START BELL RINGS)

Here he goes, Jack Wilson. Come on, Jack!

Taking to the Rope Jungle.

He goes from the side rope. Swings back a little bit.

Finds a transition.

He's a bit high but he's moving.

Not ready to exit

but he's going to find his feet right now...

No! Oh, Jack, you need to get off!

Swinging back and forth. He's bound to get off now and he does!

He's off. No time to test the tramp.

You need to attack this, as I said, like an attack dog.

Come on, Jack - you've gotta get moving!

Pressure's on. The Basket Toss.

Onto the first basket... Ooh!

And he hits the second basket but sadly, he hits the water.

Oh, friends and family so proud.

And one of the true heroes of Australian Ninja Warrior

bids farewell in front of this huge crowd on Ninja Island.

Australia will be so disappointed.

He was one of the favourites in this competition.

We were all hoping and praying

that he would get up Mount Midoriyama.

Well, I'll tell you what, Jack -

it's fair to say you've got the most supporters in the crowd tonight.

Unbelievable, aren't they? Yeah.

Yeah, have a look at 'em up there.

Thanks for coming, guys. I love youse!

And I just want to, uh, just create a bit of a ripple effect.

It takes one person to make a difference.

I never thought I'd make it here tonight

and I just want to send that message out there

to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people

to make sure you, you know, live a healthy lifestyle

and you can achieve these sort of things.

Anything! You can do anything! Mwah!

Whoo-hoo! My boy. That's my boy.

The one thing is, I'm not sure about ripples -

I think you've made a few waves tonight

and inspired the whole of Australia.

You're a top man, Jack. Great effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, give it one more time for Jack Wilson!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, what an absolute inspiration.

And I love that line from Freddie Flintoff -

forget about creating a ripple - you have created a wave.

You done well, Jack. You done well, love.

You've done well, darling.

This is how our ninjas finished up.

Fred Dorrington went furthest, fastest.

He was followed by Tom O'Halloran -

the only ninjas to make it to the Unstable Bridge.

Ashlin Herbert rounded out the top three,

making it to the Salmon Ladder.

The Performance of the Night goes to Fred Dorrington,

who was the ninja to make it the furthest

on this gruelling grand final course.

Well, we warned the second part of this course was going to be tough

but it was brutal,

taking out our ninjas in the first few obstacles

and leaving Mount Midoriyama untouched.

But it has been an incredible grand final.

You can say that again, Bec. Absolutely sensational.

The crescendo to an extraordinary first series.

We discovered the passion, the commitment,

the sheer guts and determination of those taking on this course.

We need to say to all of you ninjas,

you set the standard.

You provided us with so many awe-inspiring moments.

Freddie, I know you agree.

For me, it's been a pleasure to be on the side and walk the course.

See them as they've taken on obstacle after obstacle

and just never giving up.

But I bet they all want to come back next season and do it again.

What do you reckon - you coming back?

Yeah!

I knew it.

Well, that's it from us

and the first season of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Train hard, ninjas,

because Mount Midoriyama is up there and it awaits,

like a beacon, waiting to be conquered.

From Ninja Island, thank you. And goodnight.