Original subtitles

BEN: Last week, the Australian Ninja Warrior phenomenon was back.

Let's do this.

Bigger and better than ever.

WOMAN: Ninja's the ultimate test for an athlete.

REBECCA: Oh, my goodness!

Our returning heroes were determined to go further...

Yes!

..and faster...

FREDDIE: Wow, you can tell that

this boy has done some ninja training.

Straight up the Warped Wall he goes! Yes, he does!

..but the new tougher course got the better

of some of season one's top ninjas...

WOMAN: Come on, just do it. Come on, Sam!

Just get off! Oh!

Everybody is shocked.

..while some first-timers rose to the challenge.

That was spectacular!

Already, history's been made,

with two women making it up the Warped Wall during the heats...

You ripper!

..and another ten female ninjas

making it through to next week's semifinals.

And you get the feeling that they've set the bar for much more to come.

This week, the final qualifying heats

sees the return of some of our strongest and most popular ninjas,

but tonight, they call him 'Flashlin'.

This guy is moving so quickly!

For pure speed, no-one can match Ashlin Herbert.

MAN: No way you can copy what Ashlin does.

He's on a whole 'nother different planet.

The electrifying parkour twins,

Brodie and Dylan Pawson are back.

Let's see who can make it through.

That smirk again.

Three of our top female gymnasts,

Celeste Dixon, Larrissa Miller, and Georgia Bonora.

And then there's this man, a self-described warrior.

One of the fittest we've seen,

what will this ninja weapon do when unleashed on the course?

Only 20 will qualify for the semifinals,

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

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to Ninja Island. I'm Rebecca Maddern.

I'm Freddie Flintoff. And I'm Ben Fordham.

Tonight, 50 determined athletes have made their way to Ninja Island

with just one thing on their mind -

survive this course

and hopefully measure up to the might of Mount Midoriyama.

This year we have new contenders,

and plenty of ninjas are bouncing back this season

after dipping out last time.

Looking at the faces of the returnees,

we have speed to burn.

For sheer pace, no-one came close to the man with the big hair,

Ashlin Herbert.

And who can forget the lightning fast parkour twins,

Dylan and Brodie Pawson?

We also have a record number of women on the course tonight,

including Olympic gymnast Georgia Bonora

and aerial artist Celeste Dixon.

Many of our ninja have joined forces to train together,

with one mission - to beat the course.

It won't be easy.

The obstacles they face will test them both physically and mentally.

Let's take a look at what awaits.

First up, it's the Quintuple Steps,

an early test of nerves requiring five leaps.

Underestimate at your peril.

Next up, a new obstacle, the Hang Glider.

Ninjas slide down the jagged rail,

then swing themselves 2.5 metres to safety.

The third obstacle is a test of speed and balance

to beat the spinning Bridge of Blades.

Next up, the Basket Toss.

Ninjas propel themselves across three baskets,

each set at different angles.

Then another new obstacle, the Swinging Spikes.

Be warned the spikes swing in different directions,

while the third spike is a bungee

and will drop as the ninjas grab it.

Get through the spikes,

and they are faced with the mighty Warped Wall.

Get to the top, hit the buzzer,

and they could be going to the semifinals.

This is it, Australia. We're just moments away.

From another thrill-packed episode of Ninja Warrior.

First up is a man who has devoted the last 12 months

getting ready to take on the Ninja Warrior course.

He's an ex-rugby player for the Waratahs

and he's determined to conquer Mount Midoriyama.

Get ready for Francis Cullimore.

So, for Ninja Warrior season one,

I got to the semifinals,

which was a great achievement for myself.

He's got a tremendous grip.

Oh! No, no, no!

But being 105 kilos, I fell straight off.

I couldn't hold on. Couldn't hold that bodyweight.

This year, I've actually given up the bodybuilding.

I've dropped a lot of muscle - about 12 kilos.

So, I'm weighing in at 94, 93 kilos this year.

I wanted to drop the weight

purely to give myself a chance in season two.

I'm trying as much as I can to make sure I get through

and up the wall with a good time.

I'm so determined to do a lot better.

I'm gonna rip this course to pieces.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Have a look at the bloke!

He says he's lost 12kg,

but he is still a massive unit.

Girls, look! Daddy!

And there's his little girls.

He's blowing a kiss to Pippi and Fern,

who are watching on the sidelines.

I tell you what, Ben, losing 12kg purely to try and beat the course,

that is amazing dedication.

Francis Cullimore - semifinalist on last year's Ninja Warrior.

All-round good lad.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, that is the start buzzer,

and he's starting his campaign for season two

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

He wants to be a bit lighter on his feet,

and so far, so good on the Quintuple Steps.

He is through obstacle one.

The first new obstacle on this course, the Hang Glider,

and it's a bumpy ride to safety.

Here he goes - one bump, two bumps.

He's on. Oooh, hang on! That was close.

He's OK.

Flips himself up onto the mat, and now the Bridge of Blades,

which has been a graveyard for heavier competitors.

He is lightning fast, and sadly... Francis, no, no, no, no!

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Is that off? That's off.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

He's just been disqualified. That'll be heartbreaking for him.

Poor Daddy! Good try, Daddy! Good try!

But straight away he realises, oh, well, it wasn't to be.

He may be lighter this year, but he's still heavy.

He came in hard on the first step, which made the blades spin fast.

As the fourth blade closed in on him, he tried to avoid it,

and ended up knocking himself off course,

resulting in instant disqualification.

Oh, you have to feel for Francis.

What a devastating end to 12 months of hard work and dedication.

Let's hope our next competitor can go further.

She was a semifinalist last year.

Her dream is for a female to make it

all the way to the finals this season.

Let's hear it for the 'Aerial Ninja', Celeste Dixon.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I get asked why I'm so strong all the time,

and I always respond to them,

"I hang upside down a lot."

I fell in love with the silk when I first saw it.

It's such a beautiful piece of apparatus.

(SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

It's like dancing in the air.

There's nothing that can stop me going to training.

I do it out of pure passion.

Lifting yourself is the only weight you need.

It builds those muscles really nice.

That's perfect for Ninja.

Ninja Warrior last year, I made it to the semifinals,

It was an absolute dream.

Come on, Celeste! Come on! (CHEERING)

And then... I fell.

MAN: Bring home the bacon!

Oh, look at this!

(COMMENTATORS EXCLAIM) Oh, no.

The ladders, it was the one thing I thought I would have got easy,

and I didn't.

That course undid me last year...

..but this year I'm gonna tell myself, "You're not gonna fall.

"You're gonna get up that Warped Wall,

"you're gonna slam that buzzer,

"and... (MIMICS EXPLOSION) ..fireworks."

She is one of our strongest and toughest women.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

She takes a breath, and she's off.

She is one of six girls who got into the semifinal last year.

Calm! Calm!

Calm!

That's her dad, Steve, on the sideline there.

Calm!

Very vocal, he is. Go, you good thing!

And she's done with the Quintuple Steps.

Come on, girl!

Now the Hang Glider.

She's taking a moment to compose herself.

As she comes down the Hang Glider swing...

Oooh, a little falter there.

Yes! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Listen to her dad. He's beside himself.

That's what I'm talking about!

Look at her stare down this. Take a couple of quick breaths.

Suck 'em in, blow 'em out, and here we go.

The Bridge of Blades.

You can do this! You can do this!

You can do this!

Yes!

Oh, textbook style!

This is your destiny!

She has done it, and look at the audience.

They are on their feet.

This means so much to our returning competitors.

They want to make their mark on season two,

and they really set the challenge for them.

I think the pressure's even more than season one.

Now on to the Basket Toss.

You can do this! Come on, sweetheart!

Come on, Celeste Dixon. 32 years of age.

Does she have the grip strength and the upper body muscle to hang on?

Yes! Yes!

She has trained for this moment.

She's 161cm tall.

57kg of pure muscle hanging right there,

but it comes down to technique.

Swing! Swing!

They're all supporting Celeste,

but none more so than her dad, Steve.

He is shouting at her, "Swing, swing!"

Spread your arms!

Spread your... (CHEERS) Yes!

But now she's gotta do it all over again.

Try and get that momentum, try and get that swing happening.

Come on, Celeste. Yes!

Now she gets ready to launch herself.

The legs are swinging, the arms are moving,

the hands hold on!

Yes! Yeah! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yes!

That is a mighty effort!

Freddie, how good's this looking?

Mate, she's doing so well.

Her father's on the sideline, giving her so much advice.

Now, watch the bungee!

Yeah, watch the bungee. The third spike is a bungee.

If you're not prepared for that drop when you grab it,

it can throw you off your game.

This is your destiny!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) You got it!

You got this, girl!

Look what she's doing here with her hands. Did you see that?

She's already imagining exactly what she's gotta do.

'Cause they are tricky.

Remember, these spikes are unpredictable.

Each swing and drop in their own unique way.

That's it!

Here we go.

Now, this next one's gonna drop a little bit,

but she's looking, she knows.

Yes, see the bungee drop?

Yeah, look for that.

It's moments like this where her aerial training will be kicking in.

Yes! Yes! Come on! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The smile is just lighting up at the moment.

Keep going!

Oh, come on, Celeste! It's one at a time!

Every single spike brings you closer to the Warped Wall.

I love that she's just taking each and every one

as delicately as she possibly can, Bec.

Just a few more spikes to go.

The crowd are behind you. Your dad's behind you.

We're all behind you! The country's behind you!

That is insane! Yes! Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on! This is it! This is it! This is it!

Last one! Last one!

Last one, Celeste!

Freddie Flintoff, what a moment this will be.

You can do this! You can do this!

"Beat the wall," the crowd are chanting.

Stretching her quads, making sure everything's ready.

Now she's gotta make her way up this wall.

She's got three attempts. I've got goose bumps.

Celeste, Australia is behind you.

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

Relax! Relax! Concentrate!

If you're not on your tippy toes, if you're not on your feet,

you'd better do that right now

because Celeste Dixon is... not quite there.

MAN: It's alright, it's alright! It's alright. It's alright.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

It's OK. She's got two more attempts.

She knows that.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Forget South Australia cheering her on.

All of Australia's cheering her on.

Determined!

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Determined!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, Celeste... Oh, she's getting closer!

Oh, fingertips away! She's getting closer.

This is the one. This is the one.

She was a couple of inches away. That's all.

I'm worried now about her energy levels, to be honest.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! We're all willing you up!

You got another two feet! Willing you up!

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

Beat the wall!

Can she do it this time?

It's alright! It's alright!

Calm down! It's alright.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Come on, baby!

Calm down! Calm down!

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Here we go.

And Celeste Dixon has done it! Oh, yes! (EXCLAIMS)

You ripper! (KLAXON SOUNDS)

I can't believe it! She can't believe it! No-one can believe it!

You have set this island on fire, Celeste!

On fire, girlfriend! Wow!

That's a superstar! That's a superstar!

You rock, girl! You rock!

Oh, my god. Well done, girl!

Celeste definitely made up for last year's disappointment

with this epic run.

She was balanced and controlled.

Her strength carried her across the course,

using her fingertips to pull herself over the wall.

Incredible!

How does that feel?

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

I just wanted a girl to get there

to prove that we're just as good as the guys.

OK, well, I'm sure... your dad's been on the sideline, shouting.

He wants to see you. Go and join your family.

Unbelievable.

Ladies and gentlemen, Celeste!

Oh, Celeste. Celeste, Celeste!

I'm so proud of you, babe. So proud of you.

Absolutely incredible, and guess what.

This is just the beginning.

There's plenty more to come. Don't go anywhere.

We'll be back in a moment on Australian Ninja Warrior.

REBECCA: Ahead, they were a sensation last series,

and now the parkour twins Dylan and Brodie

return to prove once and for all who is the better twin.

For this season, we're both for each other, aren't we?

Underwear model Jacob Woodhouse will take to the course,

and he's packed a secret weapon.

Here's a pair of 24-carat pure gold undies.

And the guy with the big hair and hands

and stuck in the fast lane, Ashlin Herbert is back.

MAN: There's no way you can copy what Ashlin does.

He's on a whole 'nother different planet.

And after the break,

he's ranked by our experts as one of the top athletes of the night,

samurai warrior Gabriel Iftene.

You don't want to miss it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

The night has just begun,

and we have already seen Celeste Dixon

bring down the house with her epic run,

and become the third woman this season to make it up the wall.

BEN: And Celeste Dixon has done it! Oh, yes! (EXCLAIMS)

You ripper! (KLAXON BLARES)

You have set this island on fire, Celeste!

Next up, a young man for whom the way of the warrior

has become a way of life.

A young martial artist and boxer,

he trains under dual taekwondo Olympian Paul Lyons,

who's also competing tonight.

But now this apprentice aims to become the master.

Here is Gabriel Iftene.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

MAN: I resonate strongly with the way of the ninja and samurai.

(DRAMATIC DRUM RHYTHMS)

More importantly, I resonate strongly

with being the way of the warrior.

So, I've decided to become one in real life.

(DRAMATIC DRUM RHYTHMS)

Gabriel's one of my star pupils.

As a coach and student role, we have a very close bond,

because we have the same mindset.

Good! Keep moving.

You know, even his first words, when he walked in the door,

he goes, "Oh, I live by the samurai."

Then I looked at this guy... at first I thought...

Who the (BLEEP)? Yeah, OK, but...

But when he started training,

"Ahhh, I understand now what he actually meant, OK.

"He's a warrior."

He was a born natural warrior, and you know, and I'm the same.

(DRAMATIC DRUM RHYTHMS)

In Ninja Warrior, we know we have to compete against the course.

So, that's our enemy.

So, together, we're just gonna push each other, yeah, aren't we?

We're gonna kill it!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: His trainer's on the side, Paul,

who's also competing in the competition.

Lives by the code of the warrior.

He's gonna need all that here tonight.

AUDIENCE: Gabriel! Gabriel! Gabriel!

Gabriel! Gabriel! Gabriel!

Yeah, there's been such a buzz about this guy around here.

Well, Ben, throughout testing,

he's proven to be one of our top athletes.

This bloke's going up the wall.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, he's quick off the mark. Ooh, he just slipped.

PAUL: Good recovery! Good recovery! Focus!

Close call. Oh, hang on a moment.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

What the...

This crowd is in disbelief.

It's OK, mate. It's OK. It's OK.

His coach is in disbelief.

It's OK.

You think they're in disbelief?

I just said he was gonna go up the wall.

It's alright, man. It's alright. It's OK. You're focused.

I can't believe just what happened.

He was rated by our experts as a top competitor.

This will be a quick replay.

Gabriel rushed it.

He almost fell off on the second step.

Never regained composure, and fell off on the third.

You're his trainer, Paul. What do you say to him after that?

Bang!

(LAUGHS) No, all I gotta say now to you, mate,

regardless of the outcome,

I'm still really proud of all the efforts that you've put in, yeah?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I was gonna say, do you think you can do better? I bloody hope so.

I'm gonna give it a really good crack and see how we go, yeah?

Oh, it just goes to show how unpredictable this course is.

One misstep and you're out.

A big lesson for our next competitor.

She's a graphic designer by day, a car drifter by night.

Loki Kuroi, a petrolhead with her eyes on the prize.

(DRIVING ROCK MUSIC)

Yeah, I'm a bit of a mischief-maker.

I'm always getting up to trouble.

People will go,

"Oh, hey, that's that blonde chick that's all about the cars."

I love to build cars, modify cars.

I love cars. Cars are my life.

(ROCK MUSIC)

I wanted to be a part of Ninja Warrior,

because I definitely love a challenge.

A lot of people think, oh, I can't do that, but that's cool.

I don't care.

I've always wanted to beat the guys, and I know I can do it.

So, the thumb push-up thing's not trained or anything.

It was just a party trick that I continued on for many years,

and I like mixing it into my training.

I can do about 40.

I love overcoming obstacles, whether it be walls, ropes.

I don't look at something and go, "Oh, I can't do that."

A challenge is where it's at.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Her boyfriend, Ben, on the left.

Buddy Lachlan also there on the sideline.

REBECCA: Oh, that must be a nervous time,

standing on the platform,

waiting for the buzzer,

especially when you're following Gabriel's disastrous exit.

(CHIME SOUNDS) Here we go.

FREDDIE: Trying to describe her outfit here,

but I'm not quite sure.

Quite gladiatorial!

She's gonna need to be gladiatorial on this course.

And look at her bounding up the ramp towards the Hang Glider.

Well, it's nice to get the first one out of the way.

Loki, hang on there. Now let go!

Oh, she just misses the dismount. She tries again!

Wow! This is one impressive ninja!

And a close call!

Your heart almost skips a beat every time.

The petrolhead loves speed, as she's racing around the course.

Loki, say hello to the Basket Toss.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here we go just for the bounce. Oh, she's on!

Oh, no, easy! Easy, Loki. Take your time.

We know you like to race, but take your time, kid.

(AUDIENCE CHANTS)

Yes, Loki! Come on!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, you can see the arms are starting to tire,

the grip's starting to weaken.

Don't give up now.

Go, Loki. One more basket.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Yes! This is fantastic!

Did you see that? She just took one hand off to salute the crowd.

Loki, come on! Focus, girlfriend, focus!

Stretching her arms after a punishing Basket Toss.

They'd be burning right now,

and now she's got the Swinging Spikes.

It's only gonna get harder.

Loki has been a real surprise packet tonight.

At this rate, she'll be joining Celeste up the wall -

and doesn't she love firing up this crowd?

Remember, that third spike is a bungee.

As she grabs the first one and the second, I think she's got this.

Nice and easy, Loki. Oh, no! Not on the bungee!

Let's have a look at the replay.

It was a fantastic effort from the drift racer.

Loki showed speed, balance, and strength through her run,

but just lost control when that bungee spike dropped.

Still, an amazing run.

Loki, that was amazing! Just that bungee!

(LAUGHS) It was OK.

Were you having fun out there? Say again?

Were you having fun? Do I have an in-phone?

No... oh, a bit of a language barrier here, isn't there?

Have to subtitle this. Were you having fun?

Bloody oath! It's awesome!

Ladies and gentlemen, Loki!

Cheers. Great effort.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now it's time for the other half of the teacher-student combo,

two-time taekwondo Olympian Paul Lyons.

Gabriel bombed out spectacularly

after just four seconds on the Quintuple Steps.

Can Paul make it all the way through?

Come on, Australia. Let's hear it for Paul Lyons.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

AUDIENCE: Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul!

Freddie, do we think the master is better than the student?

I think the master HAS to be better than the student, Becs,

or at least I hope so, 'cause the student was shocking!

He'll want to show the way - show the student how it's done.

A real-life Mr Miyagi.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, you'd hope an Olympian would get through obstacle number one.

WOMAN: Take your time, Paul!

Although it is a very interesting-looking technique.

Sort of big bunny hops.

And already the master has beaten the apprentice,

but as we know with Ninja Warrior, it's about beating the course.

How far can Paul go? Come on, honey!

Gabriel on the sideline, watching on there,

along with Paul's wife, Danielle.

Come on, honey! You got this!

The Hang Glider - controlled take-off.

Misses the dismount...

..but well and truly makes up for it!

That was a huge swing!

He could have flown all the way through the Bridge of Blades there.

But that looked pretty damn fine.

Go, baby!

Showing the student how it's done. Not bad for a 48-year-old.

Oh, baby! Come on!

Here we are at the Basket Toss.

So far two women, Celeste and Loki, have conquered this.

Can Paul be the first man to do it tonight?

AUDIENCE: Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul!

Wasting no time, he grabs the first basket.

The second... Oh, look out! He's stuck there.

Hanging like that is burning his energy really fast.

He needs to move, Ben.

And now he's in no-man's-land between the two.

Oooh! He's gone back.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OK, that's not the aim of the game, to go backwards,

but he seemed to right his wrong there.

Oooh! Oh!

He couldn't right that wrong, though.

He couldn't find the third basket.

I'm proud of you, baby. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

It all started going downhill

when Paul got stuck in that crucifix position.

That's incredibly hard to hold,

and while he was strong enough to make a recovery,

he just didn't have enough power to make that third basket.

Paul, that was a great effort.

You've competed twice in the Olympic Games.

How does this compare, nerve-wise?

Nerve-wise, oh, it's a whole different kind of atmosphere.

Yeah, so much more challenging

than being able to get kicked and punched, I tell you.

What - this is worse than getting kicked and punched?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.

And the master was showing the student, Gabriel,

the way it's done.

Cool, calm, and collected. Don't rush.

Gotta have a bit of Zen about you sometimes.

Yeah, the old bull and the young bull.

Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Lyons! Well done, mate.

Still to come,

we have a record number of women taking on the course tonight.

Will any of them follow in Celeste Dixon's footsteps

and make it up the Warped Wall?

Olympian Georgia Bonora thinks she can.

I really want to conquer it - conquer the course.

Sam Goodall has run already this season,

and now his brother-in-law, who loves a challenge,

has decided to give Ninja Warrior a crack too.

I'm pretty sure he was watching and going,

"Oh, I can do that way better than him,

"so I'm just gonna go show everyone."

Maybe a little bit, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

But next, meet the Misfits -

the latest training group to come out of series one.

♪ Misfits coming at you! ♪

And they're a talented bunch.

(MIMICS SAXOPHONE)

REBECCA: It's been a night full of surprises

on the Ninja Warrior course.

The first woman of the heat, Celeste Dixon,

made it up the Warped Wall and is still on top of the leaderboard.

BEN: She can't believe it! No-one can believe it!

You have set this island on fire, Celeste! On fire, girlfriend!

Wow!

While an ex-rugby star, an Olympian,

and a self-proclaimed samurai warrior

didn't come close to the Warped Wall.

What the...

But now a new ninja training group

who've come together to try to beat the course.

So, I'm a part of the Victorian Misfits.

As you can imagine, we're a weird group of ninjas.

We're the Misfits, and we're gonna...

The Misfits, these guys - crazy.

They push me every day.

James has got, like, incredible brute strength.

Kadeem just, like, springs off obstacles like a bunny,

and Ashlin is, you know, Ashlin.

There's no way you can copy what Ashlin does.

He's on a whole 'nother different planet.

There's definitely a friendly competition between us all,

but it's all in good fun.

The Misfits are such a, you know, great group to train with.

We were just constantly sharing our skill sets

so we can all get better, really - that's what it's all about.

You know, we gotta deliver, and that's what I plan to do,

and that's what I hope they plan to do.

♪ Misfits coming at you! ♪

(MIMICS SAXOPHONE)

REBECCA: They have been training all year for tonight,

and now it's time for the first Misfit to hit the course.

He is back.

The one and only pocket rocket, Kadeem Aarons.

He was our shortest male ninja last season at 5'2",

but that didn't stop him getting all the way to the semis.

Can Kadeem do it again?

Look at this bloke! Look at that face!

He means business.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Have a look at the physique on this guy.

He is, head to toe, a ball of muscle.

Come on, Kadeem. Kadeem the Dream!

Look how high he's keeping on those steps,

staying well away from that water.

Works at the Richmond Football Club.

Not a bad place to be after they won the premiership last year.

FREDDIE: And now on to the Hang Glider.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, he's losing control a little bit.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yes, Kadeem! Great save.

Now on to the Bridge of Blades.

That last blade has been the problem once it gets spinning,

taking a few of the ninjas out.

Look at the speed of him! Kadeem!

Oh, Kadeem! He's on the side.

Maybe a quick look from the video ref.

Hang on. The red lights are on. Oh, no. No!

Not another disqualification. It can't be.

Yeah, the judges are saying the hand touched the blade.

We'll need to check out the replay.

The rules are you can't use your hands on the blades,

but you clearly see Kadeem does that right here with his left hand,

and sadly, that means he's out.

Kadeem, I'm so sorry, mate.

Just used your hands on the Bridge of Blades, which you can't do.

Oh! Oh, man. That's a shock.

I know. The crowd aren't happy. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Really popular contestant.

Kadeem, unfortunately we have to say goodbye,

but we'll see you series three?

Absolutely.

We'll see how the other Misfits go later in the evening.

Very unlucky, Kadeem. It just wasn't your night.

Next up, a man who knows how Kadeem is feeling all too well.

Alex Bigg is back for another crack at the course.

After falling on the second obstacle last year,

can he redeem himself?

I'm an avionics technician in the Royal Australian Air Force.

I work on the Orion aircraft, on the electrical systems.

I'll fix an aircraft and send it on its way.

Would be easier with all three of us pushing, you know.

It would be.

These guys that I work with

are just some of the best mates you'll ever meet.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

Had a few fairly big changes in my life

since season one of Australian Ninja Warrior.

This little guy here

would definitely be the biggest one, though.

This is my son, Arlo.

So, we've got Big Ninja, and this is Little Ninja.

He loves watching Alex in the gym,

and I don't think he's really got a choice.

I think he'll end up following in Dad's footsteps for sure.

Having Arlo on the sideline this year is gonna mean the world to me.

Like, so many people out there cheering,

but it's the voices that you know,

they're the ones that you pick up on,

and I've heard his screams a lot over the last few months.

So, I reckon I'll be able to pick up on his pretty early.

Yeah, I think that's just gonna push me all the way, eh?

I'd hate to just disappoint him.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That's his wife, Amy, and son, Arlo, beside the pool there.

Big, big unit, Alex Bigg.

86kg. Heavier than most.

He is, and he's looking very pumped, Ben.

(CHIME SOUNDS) He's off!

Quintuple Steps.

He's light on his feet for a big guy.

Very balanced.

Last time he was on this course,

he did not make it past the second obstacle,

and this is the second obstacle in season two, the Hang Glider.

Come on, babe!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Alex feels that jolt, and I don't know if he's got enough speed.

He hasn't got any speed, in fact.

Is he stuck on obstacle two?

Is this a case of history repeating itself?

Oh, he's floundering. This is hard to watch.

Oh, it's gonna be hard to get out of this, Bec.

Oh, he did it! I thought he was a goner.

Yeah! Whoo!

Now taking a moment to study the Bridge of Blades.

At his weight, Ben,

that fourth blade will be coming around very fast.

Oh, nicely done!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

You can do it, babe! You got it!

Now it's time for the Basket Toss.

Well, we've seen with Paul Lyons earlier,

you just can't hang around on the Basket Toss.

You've got to keep moving,

and Alex seems to be doing that.

One, two, three! Great move!

That's the best I've seen through the Basket Toss.

That's unbelievable form through there.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I think he's found his groove. Alex Bigg.

FREDDIE: Now on to the spikes.

Making mincemeat of it, going from one to the next.

Look at this!

Wow! Alex is powering through, not breaking a sweat.

Making light work of the spikes, and he's off to the other side.

What's gonna hold him back?

He's not break... he's not even stopping!

Nothing! There it goes.

(KLAXON BLARES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's certainly made son, Arlo, proud with that run.

Alex laid some demons to rest tonight,

but not without a fright.

We almost gave up on him on obstacle two,

before a miraculous save.

From then on, he dominated the course,

almost certainly booking his place in the semis.

With a time of 1:38, he is the fastest ninja so far.

I think he needs a big cuddle for being a good luck charm.

Whoo! Hi, buddy! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Whoo! (LAUGHS)

Thanks, babe.

Many have tried and failed,

but ninja favourite Sam Goodall

reckons brother-in-law Zed has what it takes.

Last year when I was on the course, I couldn't help but thinking

that Zed is perfectly built for this sort of course.

Is he right?

She made it to the Warped Wall last season, but never got up it.

Can former Olympian Larrissa Miller go all the way this year?

The Warped Wall may have got me last year,

but I'm back to even the score.

And the man with the hair.

Ashlin Herbert, season one's fastest ninja,

is ready to burn up the course.

Ashlin - without a doubt, I know he's gonna kill it.

REBECCA: The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

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

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

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

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

and while you were away, more runners hit the course.

Olympian Steph Magiros represented Australia in snowboarding...

She's gonna do it. You watch this.

Oh, no!

..but her ride ended at the Basket Toss.

So close. Just snuck through her fingers.

Take it on, son! Take it on!

William Eden is a landscaper.

Oh, Will! No!

He got buried by the Bridge of Blades.

Oh, look at this. You can see she's done gymnastics.

Gaining plenty of momentum.

Tamara Caspersz is a tattooist,

but she failed to leave her mark on the course.

Oh, I thought she had it.

But right now on the course is Olympic gymnast Larrissa Miller.

You may remember she got all the way to the Warped Wall last year,

but she just couldn't get over it,

and now she's back for another crack.

She has said that Ninja Warrior has given her focus after the Olympics,

and she's been training so hard for tonight,

but you never know what this course is gonna throw at you.

You can really see her gymnastics come into play here.

Oh, yes! Larrissa Miller.

She's on the second basket.

Getting them legs moving.

Getting that momentum, getting that swing,

moving that basket.

This time she's gonna go again.

Oooh! Yes, Larrissa.

Smiles to the cameras.

What an effort!

Oooh, hold on.

I think she's a little bit injured,

or she's got a bit of a muscle problem in her leg,

but she's gonna have to push through.

Yeah, she's shaking her arms out.

They'll be burning after the Basket Toss,

and it doesn't get any easier,

because now she's gotta back it up on the Swinging Spikes.

Gotta be careful with the next one, the third - the bungee.

She'll grab on to it and just fall down, but she's got that covered.

This is where the gymnastics skills,

the strength, the determination, all coming into play.

Look at the look of determination on her face.

This is an extraordinary effort by Larrissa.

She's been training for this moment for 12 months.

Oh, she's struggling, but she wants this so bad!

You've got this. Come on, Larrissa.

Is she gonna go the dismount? Ooooh!

Oh, look at that hip, though. It's not 100%.

Could we be about to see two women up the Warped Wall in one heat?

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Now, Bec, last time around

Larrissa Miller was a fingertip away from going up the Warped Wall.

So, you imagine how long she's thought about that

over the past 12 months.

Come on, Larrissa. It is time for redemption.

Oh, no! (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Now, don't read too much into that.

She's got time to regroup.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

I'm just worried about that injury.

It looks like maybe causing her some power issues

as she goes up the wall.

But you don't have time to worry about that, Larrissa.

Up you go!

No, she's falling short of her target, way short,

and her hip is giving her grief.

Beat the wall!

But credit to her - she's smiling through it.

She's not giving up.

We know how high she can go.

She can go within a fingertip of that top bar there.

Everyone behind her.

Everybody wanted her to get to the top.

This is her third and final chance at the Warped Wall.

Hit the bar this time. Come on, Larrissa.

The whole country is willing you on.

No! What a disappointment for Olympian Larrissa Miller.

There's no doubt Larrissa's a fantastic gymnast,

and that showed as she moved through the course,

but she seemed to hurt her hip coming off the Basket Toss,

and that left her short of the power she needed

to get up the Warped Wall.

Larrissa, your expression says it all.

I'd imagine absolutely gutted.

I am. It's higher than I remember.

Did you hurt yourself on the way around coming into the wall?

It looked like you were struggling a little bit.

I feel like I hit myself on everything.

Kind of bounced my way through the course.

Well, there is still a chance you'll make it into the semifinals,

depending on how the other contestants do.

So, let's take a quick look at the leaderboard

and see where Larrissa stands.

Larrissa may have

not made it up the wall,

but she's made it to third position

just behind Celeste Dixon

in second place.

The women are certainly

giving the men

a run for their money tonight.

But now, after watching his brother-in-law Sam Goodall

run the course so well last year,

Zed Colback is here to give it a go.

All the way from WA,

welcome Zed Colback.

ZED: When I'm outdoors, I feel totally alive.

It's what I'm made for.

I work as a climbing instructor.

(SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Training, teaching, introducing people to climbing.

With rock climbing and slacklining,

you know, can't hold back, can't have doubts.

You've just gotta go hard.

Ninja Warrior is very much the same as that.

Go, ninja, go! You guys are doing awesome. Keep it up.

I'm one of 13 children.

Good job.

So, all my siblings are right into their sport.

They've all been training as well to be little ninjas at home,

and that's really awesome.

Who's it gonna be? Oh, you're not as ticklish as I am!

No, if you tickle me, I'm gone!

My brother-in-law's Sam Goodall,

who was on ninja warrior last season.

He's kind of the reason that I'm here.

Last year when I was on the course, I couldn't help but thinking

that Zed is perfectly built for this sort of course.

(DRAMATIC DRUM RHYTHMS)

He's got the spirit of a warrior.

I'm pretty sure he was watching and going,

"Oh, I can do that way better than him,

"so I'm just gonna go show everyone."

(LAUGHS) Maybe a little bit, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

AUDIENCE: Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed! Zed!

REBECCA: Sam Goodall on the sideline there in his high-vis,

with wife, Rachel, who's Zed's sister,

Baby Abby there, and Zed's mum, Lisa.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

FREDDIE: Zed Colback on the start line.

Inspired by his brother-in-law's performance last year.

Got to the finals, and now it's his turn.

Trying to follow in his footsteps.

Off to a nice start on the Quintuple Steps.

Well, if Sam Goodall, who was very good at this course,

gave him a tick, I give him a tick too.

BEN: Now the Hang Glider, and no problem!

What about that?

And he's faster than Alex Bigg to this point.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Bolts through the Bridge of Blades. Barely touched it.

Could this guy be better than his brother-in-law?

It could make for an awkward Christmas lunch, Bec.

This guy has got it all.

This is the spot, though, where Sam bombed out in his heat.

Oh, he decided to transition immediately, and again.

That's confidence.

This is brilliant stuff!

He is so fast! Seriously quick!

And he's onto the Swinging Spikes. 1:38, the time to beat.

"This is so much fun," he just said, Freddie,

We have never had a contestant talk to us in the tower

while they're on the course.

Smiling as he goes.

Have we seen a star in the making here on Ninja Warrior?

He's not gonna stop.

Zed Colback on his first attempt.

Smashes the Warped Wall on his first visit to Ninja Warrior.

Zed Colback, you are a new hero!

Whoo! That was so amazing!

Sam Goodall said he'd be a natural, and Zed proved him right,

using his rock climbing skills to fly through the obstacles

and set the fastest time of the night by 16 seconds.

Zed, come in here, mate. We got Sam shaking his head.

Regrets you ever came into this competition.

We all saw how good you were. Did you know you was that good?

Not at all. No way. I didn't know I was that good.

I knew... I knew he was that good.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

It was so much fun.

I did not expect it to be that much fun. It was awesome!

I could see you had a big grin on your face all the way through.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Zed!

Cheers, Sam.

Coming up, there are ninjas with speed to burn.

The parkour twins Dylan and Brodie Pawson are back.

REBECCA: So is the laidback speed machine Ashlin Herbert.

Without a doubt, I know he's gonna kill it.

But next up, a man who certainly dresses like a winner -

underwear model Jacob Woodhouse.

So, the get-up that I've got going

is a pair of 24-carat pure gold undies.

Feels pretty good.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

REBECCA: Welcome back to Ninja Island,

and if you thought the last series was tough,

well, 2018 is proving to be more challenging

than any of us could have expected.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Now, this is a bloke

I'm sure more than a few people have been waiting to see.

He used to play professional rugby, studied too,

but none of that matters,

because these days Jacob Woodhouse models underwear.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JACOB: I've played rugby for 12 years now.

From there, aussieBum thought they might see, potentially,

me wearing, you know, a couple of pairs of underwear here and there.

I suppose they liked what they saw, so...

(FUNKY MUSIC)

Mum and Dad are very proud.

Dad doesn't like to hide it either.

I think it's built in the genes.

It passes on from father to son, that sort of thing.

He just recently came back from Broome,

and he just wore undies around for two or three days

and got paid a fortune for it.

I'm in the wrong trade. (LAUGHS)

So, the get-up that I've got going

is a pair of 24-carat pure gold undies.

I've always wanted to know what it felt like

to be a Victoria's Secret model,

wearing, you know, expensive lingerie and what not,

and it feels pretty good.

And here we are.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Those gold pants - have a guess how much they're worth.

Tell me. 20 grand.

For a pair of Reg Grundies?

(LAUGHTER)

Don't get them pants wet, will you, lad? Don't get them pants wet!

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Here we go.

Jacob Woodhouse.

Woody got plenty of support here tonight.

His mum and dad's on the sideline.

Go, Jake! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well done, son.

26 years of age.

He has a degree in sports science.

So, it's not just all about the looks, Rebecca.

Or the undies, Ben.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OK, he's letting his golden undies lead the way.

The feet touch the edge, and now the swing on, and off.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

There we go. Woody's through.

93kg. He's getting on the heavier side for our competitors.

How will he go on the Bridge of Blades,

where weight sometimes is an issue?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

But it wasn't an issue for Woody.

Now on to the Basket Toss.

Don't make the mistake of underestimating this bloke.

He played rugby for 12 years.

He's fit and he is strong.

Wow, look at that wingspan.

He's got a lot of muscle up top.

Oh! (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Come on!

Come on!

Show us your wingspan, Woody.

Oooh! Oh!

No need with the double hand this time.

Yes! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He looks relieved,

and now the bloke they call Woody,

in his tiny little gold undies,

has got these spikes in front of him.

Be prepared for that third one.

There he goes. He holds on to it, the bungee, and this is not easy.

He's got a lot of muscle, therefore carrying some weight,

and his arms will be burning at the moment.

Oh, he's fighting hard, Ben. Look at his face!

Come on, mate! Oh!

Oh, Woody's got his pants wet! You can't get 20 grand pants wet.

After seeing the undies,

you might have thought that Woody was all show and no go,

but he fought hard all the way to the Swinging Spikes,

when, maybe, in the end, all that gold weighed him down.

Jacob, it was going so well! What happened, mate?

Oh, I'm carrying too much weight around.

"Carrying too much weight around"?

Yeah, look terrible, don't you? Jeez!

You got some shocking tan lines here, mate! Look at that, eh?

Oh, no! I don't want to see any more!

Cheers, Jacob.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a big hand for Woody!

Well done, mate. Thanks, mate. Cheers.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, it's been a night of strong performances by our female ninjas,

led by Celeste Dixon, who made it up the Warped Wall.

Our next ninja has the background to do the same.

She represented New Zealand in gymnastics,

and grew up watching 'American Ninja Warrior'.

She is India Henry.

I come from a little town called Gore, in New Zealand,

like, bottom of the South Island.

It is so small.

They have one gym, a couple of supermarkets,

and you know, a lot of countryside.

As a kid, I've watched, like, 'American Ninja Warrior' on TV

all the time when it came on.

It was, like, the most exciting show

and we were, like, "Man, I wish we could do that!"

Who would have thought, when I was, you know, an eight-year-old kid,

that I'm actually there doing it?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

She's just having her first look at the course

and the Quintuple Steps.

And there's her boyfriend, William, there on the sideline,

who's a landscaper.

Remember we saw him come off on the Bridge of Blades earlier tonight.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Can India go further? Here we go.

Make no mistake, the Quintuple Steps are a difficult obstacle.

It's no walk in the park, even though they're obstacle number one.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Next up, she's got the Hang Glider.

Come on, babe. You got this.

Advice from the sideline. A good take-off.

Good speed! Well done!

She's got such an athletic build.

All of those years in gymnastics training.

She's a couple of centimetres taller than Celeste.

5kg heavier...

..but it looks like it's all muscle.

Go, go, go, go, go! Yes!

Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: William on the sideline, pleased for her.

One jump on the Basket Toss, Indy.

Yes! Oh, she's got power!

Come on!

She's got an immense amount of power.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

We are seeing a special athlete here.

I don't want to speak too soon,

but we've never had two women up the wall in one night,

but that's exactly what India's got in mind.

Now on to the Swinging Spikes.

This will be a test for her endurance and her strength.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

On to that bungee. No problem!

So strong, and she's as fast as the blokes.

She won't want to be there too long,

and that's why she's carving through it.

This is extraordinary.

This is a big gap, that last one.

Yes! You ripper! Yes!

That is so great.

Now she's through, with just the Warped Wall to go!

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

Are we about to get another woman up the Warped Wall, Rebecca Maddern?

This could be a history-making moment on Australian Ninja Warrior.

We have never had two women up the Warped Wall in the same heat.

Listen to that crowd! Here she goes!

Pump those arms! Pump those legs, Indy!

Yes! Yes! You are up on the Warped Wall!

(KLAXON BLARES) Yeah!

Our second woman tonight up the Warped Wall.

Sensational stuff!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

India, that was a first-class run.

You are the second woman tonight up the Warped Wall.

Congratulations. We'll see you in the semis, young lady.

Look at that incredible power India generates

to propel herself across the obstacles.

She stays strong

and ends her run with an explosive sprint up the wall

in just 1:54.

Let's take a look

at the leaderboard,

and look at that.

Zed Colback is in top spot,

followed by Alex Bigg.

Then the women dominate

the top five,

with India Henry in third place,

Celeste Dixon in fourth,

and Larrissa Miller

in fifth position.

Incredible!

Hey! So good! So good! So good!

Oh, I love it! So good! That was awesome.

You did so well. You did so well.

What a night for the women here on Australian Ninja Warrior.

It's been a history-making night.

Yeah, the sisterhood strikes again.

More girls. More girls.

There's never been a night quite like this,

and there is plenty more to come,

including the princes of parkour, Dylan and Brodie Pawson.

They're back, and determined to be crowned kings of the course.

Gymnast Georgia Bonora made the semis last year.

Could she be another contender for the Warped Wall?

GEORGIA: I really want to do better than I did before.

I want to conquer it - conquer the course.

But next, Nathan Ryles has overcome extraordinary odds to be here.

When I was 19, I found out that my mum had breast cancer.

A couple of months later,

I ended up getting diagnosed with testicular cancer as well.

And now he's going to show his family and the world

nothing can keep him down.

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island.

So far, seven ninjas have made it up the Warped Wall

in lightning speed.

Yeah!

And history's been created,

with two women going up the wall in the one night.

REBECCA: Sensational stuff!

While you were away,

pharmacy student Jordan Papandrea

sent hearts racing.

Isn't it strange

how quickly you fall in love with these competitors?

Excuse me? You know what I mean.

And got up the wall in 1:45.

Welcome to Australian Ninja Warrior!

Luke Williams trains with Alex and Celeste.

Whatever they're doing seems to be working.

He clocked 2:05.

No, no, no, Luke! No, no, no! Don't tease us, please!

Just hit the buzzer! Hit the buzzer!

Yeah!

Then stuntman Mike Snow put on a show mid-run

and proceeded to shoot up the wall in 1:21,

knocking Zed Colback off the top spot.

You don't need to stop when you're that good, Mike Snow.

It is great to see you back on Ninja Island.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Next up, we have a competitor from South Australia

who's overcome incredible odds to be here.

A huge round of applause for Nathan Ryles.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

MAN: My name is Nathan Ryles.

I am a personal trainer in Adelaide,

and my love for fitness is out of this world.

I've always, as a young guy,

just been as athletic as I can.

I loved it. Like, it was my passion.

When I was 19, I found out that my mum had breast cancer.

I wanted to be there and support her as much as I could,

but a couple of months later,

I end up getting diagnosed with testicular cancer as well.

I'd never really experienced being at such a low point before.

I've always been quite fit and quite athletic.

It totally hit me for six.

Seeing Nathan in the bed, it was just horrible.

That made me think,

"If he can get through his, I can get through mine,"

and maybe that's why we both got it together,

to sort of be there for each other.

My perspective on life is so much different now.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

The reason that I'm on the show

is to prove that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

For her to see me where I was to where I am now,

I just... I hope I can do her proud.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

His mum, Pamela, watching from the sideline tonight.

She looks so proud already.

Take your time! You got this!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Starting Ninja Warrior from the crouched position,

which I don't think we've seen before either.

Whoa! Take a look at the concentration.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, up on his feet.

And now this is his opportunity to have a crack for the first time

at the Ninja Warrior course.

24-year-old Nathan Ryles.

FREDDIE: It's a good start from the debutant.

He has already overcome a massive obstacle in his life.

Thankfully, he's been cancer-free for five years.

Go on, Nathan! Go get it!

Oh, the Hang Glider.

Perfect dismount.

FREDDIE: I reckon this is a serious contender,

but the Bridge of Blades has taken a few of those out already.

Jump! Yes! Come on, lad!

Now, I'm gonna put it out there. It is that sort of night.

The time to beat is Mike Snow's 1:21.

Nathan's on the pace early. He looks good.

If you have a look at his body shape,

it's the kind of body type

that we've seen do very well before on the course,

but then again, looks can be deceiving.

Here he goes. On to the second basket.

Oh, this... Straight on to the third.

No mucking about.

This guy is blowing me away, everybody.

Well, prepare for more of that, Bec,

because he seems to be speeding up.

He is just carving through this thing,

like a knife through butter.

He's powering his way through.

Oh! Almost missed that last spike.

Oh, that was amazing, Ben,

and the time, Ben, if he gets up the wall,

we're gonna have a new leader.

I don't think anything's gonna stop him from going up, and there he is!

Nathan Ryles from Adelaide - top of the Warped Wall.

Nathan Ryles, take a bow, son.

Whoo-hoo! Well done!

Our ninjas are getting faster and faster.

Nathan shot through this course with speed, focus, and precision.

With barely a slip-up,

he clocked 1:18 and takes the top spot.

But on the start line,

you could see how focused you were in that position.

What was going through your mind?

Just to relax. Like, I didn't want to rush through.

I know a lot of guys are trying to just bust through this.

I wanted to be very careful, very precise, but... (PUFFS)

Yeah, sorry, I'm still out of breath.

It's all good.

No, it was just an exciting feeling.

Feels like I didn't even do it, like, I don't know - so surreal.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nathan Ryles.

Well done, mate. That was amazing. Great stuff.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Boy, oh, boy, this heat is running hot,

with some of the fastest times of the season.

The course may be tougher this year, but so are our ninjas.

And next up, two of the fastest ninjas of all -

the parkour twins Brodie and Dylan Pawson.

They blew us away in season one,

but the competition and the course is tougher this year.

Can they rise to the challenge?

(DRAMATIC DRUM RHYTHMS)

MAN: Last season, I guess we did find out,

with Ninja Warrior, anything can kind of happen.

OK, time for the right... Look at this!

He has gotta be one of the fastest so far on the course tonight.

He is five seconds faster than Brodie was hitting that mat.

Take a look at this! He's not even gonna take a break!

Straight up the Warped Wall! Hand on the buzzer!

Unbelievable! He has broken a minute! 58 seconds on the course!

He beat me. He beat me.

DYLAN: I did beat Brodie by eight seconds,

and then we both fell off on the Spinning Log.

It was pretty funny how we fell at the same place, but...

Yeah, it was pretty ironic.

Dylan fell in first.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

No! He falls!

Come on, Brodie! Oh, no! He's come off at the same spot!

Oh, damn!

A friend pointed it out, saying, "Did you see Dylan's smirk?"

And I had to, like, play the video back.

And when I saw the video, I was just like,

"He's actually a little bit happy about it."

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

If it was the other way around, I guess, you know,

I'd probably have a bit of a smirk as well, like, yeah, we're...

No, but for this season, we're both for each other, aren't we?

OK, first up tonight is Brodie,

and there's brother, Dylan, with Brodie's girlfriend, Rebecca.

I'll call it early.

Barring disaster,

both these guys will be up on top of the leaderboard soon.

1:18 is the time to beat.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: Making the Quintuple Steps look easy.

Oh, blink and you miss it!

Brodie wastes no time. He knows how to do this stuff.

Oh, now, there's a rough ride, but he's through.

Don't get up from the couch and go and get a drink,

otherwise you'll miss this exciting young man.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He won't hang around on this one neither.

REBECCA: Go, go, go, go!

Big dive and a roly-poly. The parkour coming in there.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now he's up on the Basket Toss.

AUDIENCE: Brodie! Brodie! Brodie! Brodie! Brodie! Brodie!

Now just allows himself a little bit of time. Dries his feet.

Not your feet you need on this one, mate. It's your hands.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

On to the second one. He's moving fast.

He's a country mile ahead on time.

And before you know it, the Basket Toss is done and dusted, Bec.

Now on to the spikes.

He doesn't even look like he's breathing hard.

That is absolutely incredible.

In fact, I think my heart rate is higher than his.

Whoa! He's nearly 20 seconds ahead.

There he goes!

Season two of Australian Ninja Warrior,

and Brodie Pawson takes the shoe off, hits the buzzer,

and catapults himself into the semifinal.

He certainly went into the course with something to prove,

and he did just that.

With a time of 1:01,

he is a whole 17 seconds faster than Nathan Ryles.

An incredible run from the first parkour twin.

That was impressive. Anything that you learnt from last year?

Oh, just pressure-wise,

I think I handled the pressure a little bit better.

Chill out. You don't have to go fast.

(LAUGHS) You could fall in then.

That's a bit rich from you! You flew through it.

Ladies and gentlemen, Brodie and Dylan!

Well done, mate. Great effort.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And with that,

Brodie Pawson puts an end

to Nathan Ryles' short-lived reign

at the top of the leaderboard,

while Zed Colback slips

to fourth place.

India Henry is sitting

in seventh spot,

while after her amazing run,

Celeste Dixon is currently in ninth.

Next, his brother may be sitting at the top of the leaderboard,

but can Dylan Pawson outclass Brodie?

Then, she's seen Celeste Dixon and India Henry conquer the course.

Will dual Olympic gymnast Georgia Bonora

be able to stake her claim on top of the Warped Wall?

This year I'm gonna climb my way to the grand final.

(KISSES) Nick off, go on. Alright.

Go kill 'em. See you.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Before the break, we saw one half of the Pawson twins, Brodie,

annihilate the course in just 1:01,

sending him to the top of the leaderboard.

BEN: Brodie Pawson catapults himself into the semifinals.

And now his identical twin, Dylan,

gets his chance to better his brother's time

and prove once and for all who is the fastest twin.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

A huge roar for Dylan Pawson.

Dylan Pawson, the other half of the parkour twins.

His brother, Brodie, went through the course in 1:01.

He was fast. Can his brother beat him?

The Pawson twins pretty much tick all the boxes

in terms of this course.

They're agile, they're the parkour guys.

We didn't know what parkour was in season one,

but we're very familiar with it in season two.

WOMAN: Come on, Dylan!

He's standing by for the buzzer.

It's still wet at the bottom.

WOMAN: Sorry...? It's wet at the bottom.

Oh, the... the middle one.

Like, just... just that one, the whole thing is wet.

This is interesting.

Dylan Pawson is questioning whether or not

there's a little bit of water on one of those pads.

Freddie, what can you see?

Pointed out a bit of water on the Quintuple Steps.

They're getting half the crew to wipe them.

Dylan Pawson here means business.

He doesn't want to make any silly mistakes.

You know, you don't want to slip, do you, when it's not your fault?

REBECCA: Nope, that's fair enough.

The course needs to be dry,

and if you can see it at the start of the Quintuple Steps,

then you're allowed to call for it.

So, we're making sure it's 100%.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OK, we are all set to go now.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHIME SOUNDS)

No, no water on there. Just skips through.

Now on to the Hang Glider.

1:01, the time to beat of his brother.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Oh! Oh! Oh! What a shock!

He's in the water!

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That is unbelievable, that is unexpected,

and that is a massive shock.

Nobody saw that coming.

Can you believe it?

Dylan didn't get enough momentum on the slider

and released too far away from the platform.

From there on, gravity beats reputation.

Dylan, you beat your brother - it was only 13 seconds -

but what went wrong?

Bit of a mistake happened, so...

So, your brother's still in it.

What was it like watching from the sidelines?

Oh, you know, like, I just wish that, like,

he could have gotten through,

but you know, just... it can happen to anyone,

but it would have been good to have both of us in the semis.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Dylan Pawson.

Unlucky, mate.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Steal it for you, man. Went in before your bro.

I kind of... I just... I don't know.

REBECCA: Once again,

the course gets the better of one of our top athletes.

And this is why I love Ninja Warrior.

You just can't predict what's gonna happen.

Well, I predict big things for our next competitor.

Another Olympic gymnast.

She was one of only six women to make it to the semis last season,

but wants to go much further.

She is the second member of the Misfits crew, Georgia Bonora.

GEORGIA: I keep having, like, flashbacks from last season.

Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh! So close.

This time I'm coming in with more of a fight in me, I guess.

Personally, I'd like to do the wall on the show.

I'd really like to have that experience,

and get up and have a little wave moment to the crowd.

I really want to do better than I did before.

I want to conquer it, conquer the course,

but really, I'd like to get into the finals.

That's my ultimate goal.

Her mum, Karen, and brother, Adam, on the sideline tonight.

Go, Georgia! (CHIME SOUNDS)

FREDDIE: Two girls have got through so far to the semis,

getting to the top of the Warped Wall.

Is Georgia gonna join them tonight?

Well, Georgia is an elite gymnast.

She's represented Australia twice at the Olympic Games.

We know that's a fantastic background for Ninja Warrior,

but as we've seen,

it wasn't enough for fellow Olympian Larrissa Miller tonight.

Now on to the Hang Glider.

Not to be underestimated. We just saw Dylan bomb out here.

It's a bumpy ride once the Hang Glider starts going.

Running down the track. Bump after bump after bump.

Oh, that's alright.

She's got the momentum to swing, and safely on the platform.

And now the Bridge of Blades. She's seen this baby before.

Keep it low, keep it low.

I've got to say she looks a little unsure.

Hesitation is the enemy on this.

You've just gotta keep going, and go for it.

Desperate dive at the end, but it doesn't matter.

Up you get, up you get. She's so relieved.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

To the Basket Toss.

MAN: Take a breath!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

She tests the mini tramp.

AUDIENCE: Georgia! Georgia! Georgia!

Georgia! Georgia! Georgia! Georgia! Georgia!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Basket number one. Now makes the transition.

What a flying leap!

Just appreciate the distance between the baskets.

1.5 metres, in fact.

She's got enough momentum. Can she hold?

Yes, she can! Ooooh!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yes, Georgia Bonora! Yes! Yes! Whoo!

Now the spikes.

Georgia Bonora - the second-last obstacle.

Look at the smile on her face.

I don't blame her. She's doing great!

Well, Ben, we've seen some incredible women

get past the Swinging Spikes tonight.

There is no reason Georgia cannot join them.

Take them high! Take them high!

She knows that this is going to be a burner here.

She's going to feel this in every bit of those arms.

One is difficult to grab,

but once you're on it, there's no turning back.

You've gotta focus and get through it.

Oh, this is great form, Georgia.

She's here for a good time, not a long time.

She does not want to be on this obstacle too long.

It's burning her arms, it's burning her shoulders,

it's burning her hands.

She's gonna go for the dismount.

But she's almost there! She's there!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What is happening, Ben?

We are back at the Warped Wall.

We've already made history tonight,

with two women making it up the Warped Wall.

Can Georgia make it a hat trick?

Now just the Warped Wall stands in between Georgia Bonora

and a spot in the semifinal.

You know you can do this!

Georgia has never faced the wall in competition.

This is new territory for her.

Georgia Bonora, we are all behind you.

Sets herself. Deep breath.

Now she's off. She's sprinting up the wall.

Ooooh!

She looked like she was about two inches short.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Only three attempts on the Warped Wall. One gone already.

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

She knows what she needs to do here. Can she better it?

Oooh, I think she was around about the same mark there.

OK. Come on, you can do it!

The pressure's really mounting now.

She knows this is her third and final attempt.

Come on, Georgia Bonora!

This is what all the time in the gym has been for -

a chance for a guaranteed spot in the semifinal

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Georgia, jump! You gotta jump!

Her third and final attempt...

Quick run!

..at the Warped Wall.

Georgia Bonora, pump those arms!

Yes! I can't believe it, Bec! That is incredible!

(KLAXON BLARES) Georgia Bonora!

The third woman up the Warped Wall! I can't believe it!

That is extraordinary! You are brilliant!

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my god!

This is a world first.

In all the time 'American Ninja Warrior' has been going,

never have three women made it up the wall in the same heat.

A historic moment.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Georgia had a close call on the Bridge of Blades,

and needed all three attempts to scale the wall,

but in the end she leapt to victory

and secured her spot in the semifinals.

Georgia, come in!

Georgia, no wonder you're smiling. That was unbelievable.

The girls are showing up the boys tonight.

The top of the Warped Wall. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling ecstatic.

That was such a fun run, such a fun run,

and I was so glad I got that last wall run.

And you've been in the semifinal before.

You think you can go one further this time?

I'm hoping to. That's the aim.

So, yeah, here's hoping.

Ladies and gentlemen, Georgia Bonora!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Congratulations.

Up next, the lightning fast freak of nature

who finished third last season.

The ninja with the big hair, Ashlin Herbert is after the break.

Ashlin, if you've seen the size of his hands,

he could literally hold the whole course in one hand.

REBECCA: We have one ninja left to run tonight,

and you don't want to blink, or you'll miss him.

No-one came close to him last season,

and he finished third overall.

All big hair and big hands,

this Misfit promises to be just as quick again.

Ashlin Herbert, welcome back!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(ELECTRONIC DANCE BEATS)

My strength would probably be my laidback attitude.

GEORGIA: We all try to look to Ashlin for guidance,

but whenever we do, we get a, "I don't know, you just do it."

Last year, I was fastest for a few of my heats.

So, that was unexpected.

Out of nowhere, Ashlin Herbert blows the field away!

BEN: Mate, you are a freak!

(KLAXON BLARES)

Ashlin Herbert is about to catapult himself into the finals.

Ashlin, if you've seen the size of his hands...

..he could literally hold the whole course in one hand.

Without a doubt, I know he's gonna kill it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, given what we saw happen to Dylan Pawson,

I'm reluctant to say anything,

but I'll say this.

The time for Ashlin to beat is 1:01.

Here we go, then. Ashlin Herbert.

One of the favourites for Ninja Warrior.

He said his life hasn't changed since Ninja Warrior.

I disagree. You've got a girlfriend.

You wouldn't have had that before this, would you, Ashlin?

(CHIME SOUNDS)

(BEN LAUGHS) Oh, Freddie.

Girlfriend Kelsey, mum Gabrielle watching on

as Ashlin flies through the Quintuple Steps.

Wasting no time. Sliding down the Hang Glider.

Easily through, and on to the Bridge of Blades.

Oh, Ashlin Herbert!

Whoa! He is on fire tonight.

This guy is a freak!

It's too easy for this lad!

I can't keep up with him, I'm on the ground!

This is an incredible pace.

Ashlin Herbert - trying to put a time in to remember.

Could be less than a minute!

I can't believe that I'm seeing. Look at him.

Blooming heck! What's going on here, Ben?

He's going for it, Freddie.

Oh, straight up the wall. Thank you for popping in!

He's up the Warped Wall! (KLAXON BLARES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That was out of this world!

Ninjas, beware! Ashlin Herbert is back!

That was 40 seconds.

He sliced 20 seconds

off his closest competitor, Brodie Pawson.

What can we say? Blink and you would have missed it.

'Flashlin' Ashlin.

The man with the big hands just carving through the course,

and, Bec, you know what they say about blokes with big hands.

A fast course time. Exactly.

Ashlin, come in, mate.

Be honest with me - was that too easy?

Uh, a little bit. (LAUGHS)

Last year you got to the finals. You came third.

Now, on tonight's performance, nobody's gonna bet against you,

but do you believe this time you can win it

and get up Mount Midoriyama?

I'll give it a shot.

Is that it? Anything more you want to add?

No, not really.

Alright, well, go and see your girlfriend. See you later.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ashlin Herbert!

Let's take a final look at the leaderboard

after a night of unforgettable performances.

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert

clearly in first place,

21 seconds ahead of Brodie Pawson,

and cancer survivor Nathan Ryles

in third.

RAAF technician Alex Bigg

flew into seven.

Then, over the page, history made.

Three amazing women,

India Henry, Georgia Bonora,

and Celeste Dixon all made it

up the Warped Wall,

while Larrissa Miller

and petrolhead Loki Kuroi

are also through to the semis.

But the Performance of the Night

belongs to the man with jets in his shoes,

Ashlin Herbert scorching the course in just 40 seconds.

I say again, 40 seconds.

Well, Bec and Ben,

what an incredible night here on Ninja Island.

The Warped Wall has been the main attraction.

What's it been like up there for you guys?

Phenomenal, mate.

A historic evening, really, Freddie, in many ways.

Five women qualifying for the semis,

and not one, not two, but three of them

making it all the way up the Warped Wall, Bec.

It was absolutely sensational.

Newcomer India Henry, Celeste Dixon, and Georgia Bonora

the latest heroes created on Ninja Warrior.

Tomorrow night, qualifying heat five,

and another 50 athletes hoping for the same success

as tonight's ninjas.

I wanna prove that you can't always underestimate the little guy.

Sibling rivalry hits the course.

MAN: I've actually been doing some secret training.

It's just so I can beat my brother.

And a big brother of a different kind.

In 2013, I was on 'Big Brother'.

It's driving me crazy, it really is.

Yeah, I think that's probably why people would think I'm familiar.

Fitness warrior Sheena Steinert made a big impression last year.

(SCREAMS) Oh, (BLEEP)!

She's back and ready to roar.

(ROARING)

And meet the bloke they call 'Twitch'.

I'm a 27-year-old panelbeater, and I have Tourette's syndrome.

Yeah, whoo! Boom! (BLEEP)!

I will show you that Tourette's or not,

you can get to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

Plus we roll out the big guns,

like enforcer Jeffrey Mercado,

the son of two media giants,

and the man we've been waiting for,

the 'Deadly Ninja' Jack Wilson.

ALL: Deadly Ninja!

The first ever up the Warped Wall returns and he's on a mission.

I'm going to get up Mount Midoriyama.

That's tomorrow night on Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: You won't want to miss a minute.

We'll catch you then when Australian Ninja Warrior continues.

Goodnight. Goodnight.