Original subtitles

BEN: Last night on Australian Ninja Warrior, history was made.

Georgia Bonora, pump those arms...

(CHEERING)

..with not one, not two...

You ripper!

..but three female ninjas making it up the Warped Wall.

You have set this island on fire, girlfriend!

Wow!

It was a night where speed...

Ninjas, beware. Ashlin Herbert is back!

..and skill combined...

That is insane!

..and an incredible 15 ninjas completed the course.

I can't believe it!

But one of the biggest names didn't.

Oh! Oh!

That is a massive shock.

The bar has been raised beyond expectation

and tonight in the second-last qualifying heat,

who will rise to meet it?

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

Sibling rivalry hits the course.

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

just so I can beat my brother.

And a big brother of a different kind.

In 2013, I was on 'Big Brother'.

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.

(YELPS) (BEEP)

She's back and ready to roar.

(ROARS)

And meet the bloke they call 'Twitch'.

MAN: I'm a 27-year-old panel beater and I have Tourette's syndrome.

(EXCLAIMS) (BEEP) (ROARS)

I will show you that, Tourette's or not,

you can get to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

And the man we've been waiting for, the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

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 tonight on Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING)

Welcome once again to Ninja Island. I'm Ben Fordham.

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

And we have another huge night lined up for you

as our returning Ninja Warrior heroes

are set to take their revenge on this course.

That's right, Bec.

Our Deadly Ninja, the almighty Jack Wilson, he's back.

He was the first to make it up the wall last year

and was one of the last men standing.

Can we go all the way this year, Freddie?

He says he can, Ben.

And so does out fitness warrior, Sheena-Lauren Steinert

and the Irving brothers.

And among the newcomers, the amazing James Sayers,

who's overcome Tourette's syndrome,

aerial artist Gab Diab

and 'The Enforcer', Riot Squad cop Jeffrey Merc.

They all want to take their shot at Mount Midoriyama

and the $200,000 jackpot prize.

Let's look at the obstacles they'll have to overcome tonight.

As always, we start with the Quintuple Steps -

five angled platforms, but ninjas underestimate them at their peril.

Next, new to this heat, the Pole Rider.

A tight grip is the key,

as ninjas ride down through two jolting drops,

then use their momentum to reach the platform.

The Bridge of Blades has more bite this year,

the new angle making it a test of speed

to beat the spinning fourth blade.

Our fourth obstacle is the daunting Basket Toss.

Athletes need strength and control

to lache between three off-set baskets.

The Tyre Swing is new to the heats.

It's another big test of grip strength.

And finally, 4.2m of hopes and dreams.

Reach the top of the Warped Wall... (BUZZ!)

..and you're done.

Well, let's not hold back the tide any longer.

Let's bring out our first ninja.

He is one half of one of the great sibling rivalries from last season,

when he lost out to his big brother.

He is Nathaniel Irving.

NATHANIEL: I'm competing for all the younger brothers out there

that have something to prove,

that have to try and beat their elder brother.

You fell twice, didn't you, last year?

BEN: Oh! Whoops.

You fell twice, I'm pretty sure.

NATHANIEL: It was also the cones

but just a bit of hand-eye coordination.

BEC: Bounce... Oh!

He's my little brother. He's always been second, you know.

Second born...

He's always got my hand-me-down clothes,

so I can't let him... I can't let him beat me in this competition.

After the Spider Wall... I'm not too sure -

how come you just decided to jump off and get disqualified?

BEN: Oh, hang on a moment.

BEC: Dear me.

FREDDIE: "At least I beat my brother."

(LAUGHS) Oh...

Because Jayden actually beat me last year,

I've actually been doing some secret training.

Secret training, Jayden. I'm gonna beat you.

Back at home, on the beach, just going to random playgrounds,

just mucking around,

doing, like, a little fitness course, a little fitness test,

just so I can beat my brother.

Ninja bros are back, back to beat Mount Midoriyama.

And anything or anyone in our way.

Are you flexing? You gotta flex.

(LAUGHS)

FREDDIE: Plenty to play for for this young lad.

Nothing like sibling rivalries.

BEN: That's true. There's Jayden on the sideline.

And dad Stuart, girlfriend Mel.

JAYDEN: Come on!

(DING) OK. Here we go.

Last night we saw an incredible 15 ninjas complete the course.

But as always tonight, there's a new set of obstacles,

so there will be different challenges.

Come on! Good work! Easy!

BEC: And the first really big test comes on the Pole Rider, Ben.

Obstacle two has been really tough all season.

OK. He takes off. Jolt one, jolt two, onto the platform...

No, he's back over the water.

He missed the dismount. MAN: Push.

He's got a fight on his hands. ONLOOKERS: Push!

FREDDIE: Oh, no, Nathaniel. Gotta get that pole moving.

Oh, interesting technique but it's working.

It's almost like a backwards rugby tackle.

BEC: Come on, Nathaniel. Go, go!

Oh, it is really hard to hold on here.

You can see he's slipping down the pole.

Hang on, he's bringing himself back up.

He's going back up the pole. Don't give up!

FREDDIE: Clinging on. Don't give up now, Nathaniel.

Don't give up. Keep going!

Keep pushing up. Come on, Nathaniel.

That's it. Keep going!

Still managing to... Oh, no, his feet are wet. His feet are wet.

Bad luck, Nathaniel.

No! Almost.

That's a surprise.

There are no tricks there. Just hold on tight.

But watch as Nathaniel hits the jolts.

He's fighting just to stay on the pole.

That puts him off the dismount

and in the end he battled hard but the little bro was in the drink.

Nathaniel, what's it gonna be like speaking to Jayden now?

It was a stupid mistake. But that's alright, we learn our lessons.

You did some secret training as well, hadn't you?

Is this gonna be your year to beat him, finally beat your brother?

I had to pass that. You can't really train for that, you know.

There's no gym, you know, anywhere

that actually has the sausage, you know.

The sausage? It's a Pole Rider. It's not a sausage.

Anyway, great effort tonight, Nathaniel.

Ladies and gentlemen, one big round of applause for Nathaniel!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well done, Nathaniel!

BEN: So it's a no for the ninja bro, Nathaniel. Jayden's up soon.

Well done, champ. That was awesome.

Good work. Good work. Good work, champ.

BEC: But up next, our first new competitor for the night,

a determined young mum

who loves nothing more than defying expectations.

Gabrielle Diab, everyone!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WOMAN: I am Gab Diab.

I'm 30 years old

and an aerial instructor from Melbourne.

Hold on.

The father of my children, James, we've been together

since we were about 15.

We did the deb together.

So I was 18 when I fell pregnant. I was in a school at the time.

Unfortunately, we separated for four years.

I had a lot of people around me telling me how hard it was gonna be,

that I wouldn't be able to do it

and I just decided to ignore all of that.

Funny enough, you know, four years later, we're back together,

stronger than ever

and it's just, you know, true fairytale ending for us.

Ninja Warrior means a lot to me.

Last season, me and the kids would watch it from home religiously

and they were, like, "Mum, you've got to do this."

CHILD: Three, two, one. Go!

I love proving people wrong. I'm gonna get up that wall.

Australian Ninja Warrior, 2018!

(CHANTING) Gabrielle!

BEC: There's Gab's family, young Sebastian, Natalia and hubby James,

all dressed up.

Wait for the buzzer.

(DING)

BEN: (LAUGHS) OK. What about the support?

We are underway.

Taking a very careful approach across these.

And that's not a bad approach.

It's easy to get caught up thinking

that you've got all these obstacles ahead

and you can just afford to skip through this one.

It's not the case.

Pole Rider time.

BEC: It is. Now, Gab's an aerial artist.

You can see, just looking at her, she's got great core strength.

That'll help her hold on here, you'd imagine.

Hold on tight! Yes!

That's good advice from James on the sideline.

Hold on for dear life and make sure you get off, please!

Oh! She's got a chance here.

Gee, it's so hard. That pole just stops swinging.

Mum, come on! Climb up! Climb up! Climb up!

Climb up! Come on, Mum.

She needs a miracle to get off this.

Crowd's behind her. She can do it. She can do it.

Push off, Gabrielle. Come on, Gabrielle.

Everyone's behind you. The crowd urging her!

Just slipping lower.

Here we go. Come on, get them feet up.

One more, one more. Here we go, Gabrielle.

Come on. Here we go. One more, one more.

She can do this. Yes!

Come on, Gabrielle! Oh, wow!

She gave every single bit of herself but in the end it just wasn't enough.

There might be more to this Pole Rider than there seems.

Like, Nathaniel, it's everything Gab can do to hold on

through those two jolts

and she misses the release.

Gab fought all the way back to the mat, then just overbalanced.

So close.

Gabrielle, that was an amazing effort.

We thought you got it back.

GABRIELLE: Nearly had it.

I think I need to fly a little bit more across, though.

A little bit further. Great effort. Get back to your friends and family.

Ladies and gentlemen, Gabrielle!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Good job! (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

It's OK. I don't really care!

BEN: No joy for Gabrielle, then,

and it's two up and two down for the Pole Rider.

Let's see the older of the 'Ninja Bros'

and whether he can do any better.

Can he beat his brother for the second time?

Jayden Irving!

Looking forward to this guy.

Jayden made the grand final last season.

To beat Nathaniel, he needs to get past the Pole Rider.

(DING)

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Jayden! Jayden! Jayden!

Here we go. Patting the heart as he begins on the Quintuple Steps.

Taking it nice and slowly.

Don't want to make any mistakes at this point.

(CHEERING) OK. One down.

Pole Rider now. Show us how it's done, Jayden.

Ah, but look at that. He's gripping it lower.

That is a very different tactic. We'll see if it works.

Oh, it does! Well done, Jayden Irving!

Well, he's beaten his little brother already.

Can he beat the Bridge of Blades?

Go, Jay!

Yes. Straight through it.

(CHEERING)

And isn't he feeling the energy from that crowd!

Test the mini tramp. Test it, test it, test it, test it.

Now the Basket Toss. Wants to get some height on this trampoline.

Just checking it out.

Jayden's a stuntman. He should be familiar with the mini tramp.

Here he goes. Oh...

And a refusal. Onto the second.

His arms will be burning now. The shoulders will be pumping.

Using all the strength in them biceps.

Safely through!

The Tyre Swing. Three big swings.

The third one's tricky because you must go the underhand grip

on the third tyre.

Oh, he just got a knock on the head. He did want that for the first tyre.

No, no... I think we'll have to have a stewards' inquiry on that.

I think his foot touched the water.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

And that is a big shock for Jayden Irving.

But his foot touched the water.

He's up the wall

but I think you'll find the judges will go back to that moment.

(BUZZ!)

When he was coming off, as you said, Bec,

he had a bit of a head bump...

He did.

..and the next thing you know, there was a foot that touched the water,

unless I'm mistaken.

I was on the sidelines here.

Just as he was trying to get out of the water,

I think he did disturb the pool.

No, he didn't!

So we're gonna look at the video ref.

Yes, here it is, Freddie.

You can see Jayden slips off that last tyre

and as he lands, his foot hits below the black pad.

But word is coming through -

he's hit the pool liner, not the water.

The impact on the plastic made that ripple.

Video ref says he's OK. Jayden...

You've done it.

..you made it up the Warped Wall and you are through to the semis.

You are not disqualified. You are through.

(ROARS) (LAUGHS)

Phew!

Is that relief or what? How's the head?

Oh... Yeah, head's a little bit sore but, yeah, through, so I'm pumped.

There you go. Well done, mate.

Well done. Whoo!

What an incredible run. Jayden Irving comes out on top again.

There's plenty more to come right after this

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Ahead, perhaps the biggest star from season one -

the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson,

the man with the inspirational message.

If I can change someone's life... ALL: Deadly Ninja!

..through something that I've achieved, I'll keep doing that.

She's fond of an F-bomb.

What went on?

(SCREAMS) (BLEEP)

But will Sheena Steinert's potty mouth hit her in the pocket again?

We donated $100 for every swear word that I said on national TV.

This guy's got an excuse for that.

Yeah! Whoo!

(BLEEP) (ROARS)

James Sayers battles his Tourette's syndrome

with high-octane exercise.

My way of dealing with Tourette's

has always been anything to get the adrenaline going.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where Jayden Irving has just survived

the closest of scrapes with the water.

While over in the warm-up area,

witness warrior Sheena Steinert is getting ready for her run.

I've trained hard, I've made sacrifices

and this year I'm just gonna absolutely not hold back.

But up first is a guy you might just recognise.

He appeared on 'Big Brother' a couple of years back

but there's more to him than meets the eye.

He is Max Filippi.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MAX: I was in the army.

I joined the army when I was 19 and I was deployed to Iraq in 2006

and Afghanistan in 2007.

It was the best experience I could've ever had

but it was so full-on at the same time.

After I got back from Afghanistan with the army,

it made me realise a lot things in life

and you've got to just make the most of it and enjoy it as well.

Jump! Whoo-hoo! Hey!

So, every day, I'm in the water, surfing.

Everything in my life is pretty much around that.

In 2013, I was on 'Big Brother'.

MAN: Big Brother would like to set you a very simple task.

All you have to do is build a house of cards.

Yep. Good stuff.

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

I thought I'd just come in just to vent a little bit.

Obviously, sitting in a house, you're doing nothing.

This is completely different.

I'm looking forward to showing people what I've got.

So today I'm stepping up on the Ninja Warrior course.

Hardest obstacle in the world. In my boardies and nothing else.

I'm in these all day, I surf in them, so why not?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) I love it.

The mad-keen surfer wearing the board shorts.

And wife Emma and dad Stef with the 'Surfing Ninja' T-shirts.

(DING)

Matt Filippi. MAN: That's it.

Getting through the Quintuple Steps nice and easy. Bouncing through.

Up the ramp now...

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

..as he comes onto the Pole Rider.

This is the one all the ninjas are talking about backstage.

Fast ride down. Now the dismount. Oh, Matt!

Oh, it's a good push, though. He is still in this.

Come on... There he is. He's got it.

(CHEERING)

What a great save.

Look at that relief. He's through the Pole Rider.

But there is a long, long way to go. Come on, babe!

Now the Bridge of Blades.

(CHEERING) Booms through it.

Well done. A good leap at the end.

Round the corner to the Basket Toss.

Come on, babe! Come on, Matthew!

Doesn't he look strong? Athletic build. 82 kilos. 5'10".

He looks like a contender.

But these next obstacles will test him.

(CHEERING)

FREDDIE: Here he is, on the Basket Toss.

Oh, OK. Where's he going? He's getting high.

High on the basket.

Now, a big leap off. Yes, Matt Filippi!

Pulls his shorts up. Don't want anything hanging out.

I like what I'm seeing.

He's burning a little bit at the moment.

You can tell that just by the big, deep breaths

that he's sucking in.

(LAUGHS) Now onto the tyres.

Overhand to the first one, swinging across.

Just the first time... Struggling a little bit, arms fatiguing.

Tiring a little bit. He's a big, strong man.

Plenty of weight to shift across this course.

Come on, Matt. Underhand grip.

Now, pull across. Oh! No!

That's one of the biggest splashes we've seen tonight.

And I had a feeling, if he got through that,

he was gonna get up the Warped Wall.

This third tyre nearly brought Jayden Irving unstuck

and it's nailed Matt here.

See the top is covered? You've got to grab it underneath.

And when your grip's tired,

it's easy to slip off as you swing through.

Talk about a wipeout!

Matt, you're a surfie. You're used to the water.

But didn't want to be in it tonight.

No, I don't want to be in this chlorine.

I just stick to the salt water, mate.

You've still got a shot of getting to the semifinal, but great effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Filippi!

Well done, pal. Great effort. Thanks, mate. Yeah.

Good job, babe! Proud of you!

BEN: Remember, only the top 20 ninjas make the semis.

And after missing out last year,

our next competitor swears she'll go through this time.

Well, everyone, get excited, because it is time to unleash

the 'Fitness Warrior', Sheena Steinert.

She is real, she is raw

and she's been inspiring an army of female warriors.

Welcome back Sheena!

(ROARS)

From what I gather, I was a little controversial from season one.

(YELPS) (BLEEP)

Sorry. (LAUGHS)

I don't (BLEEP) know. (YELPS)

No regrets. I was myself.

I like to live on the edge

and I like to be brave and make brave moves.

(ROARS)

Probably the most amazing thing that came from it, though,

was all the many more women that I was able to reach out to

and inspire.

Are we ready? OTHERS: Yeah!

Had people from all over Australia reaching out, saying,

"I want you to help me find my balls."

So I feel like there's people out there needing that,

so that's always my goal,

is to inspire women that are needing it.

(ALL SQUEAL)

This is for all the warrior women out there

that are dreaming of some kind of greatness.

(WAILS)

FREDDIE: I tell you what, the word 'intense'

does not begin to describe this girl.

Now, there's Dad, right on the sideline,

along with Mum, Auntie and her boyfriend Nathan.

Go, Sheena!

(CHEERING) (DING)

Go, Sheena!

BEN: Huge support here for Sheena.

She's a big character.

And she only got to the second obstacle last year.

BEC: She's been training for 12 months for this moment

and it is now... finally arrived.

She should take her time up the Quintuple Steps.

(CHEERING)

Once again, screams at the crowd.

I think she uses that energy, really, to project her confidence

to everyone watching on

but also to get some of that energy back from the people around her.

She points up as if to say, "What's this thing?"

Come on, Sheena! Up high!

Well, this thing is trouble, Ben. It's taken out two already tonight.

FREDDIE: Just eyeing it up,

thinking about how she's gonna get through this one.

Come on, Sheena. You can do this.

Here we go. Taking her time, making sure she gets through this.

She's away. Needs to take that momentum.

She slides through. Oh, no, Sheena! Sheena's gone!

She's not gonna be happy with that.

I'm not sure if I want to interview her. She's gonna be angry.

You might be in trouble, Freddie.

Sheena's obstacle two blues continue.

If you hold on tight, you can ride the pole to the platform

but Sheena's struggling for grip here and barely using her legs

and her desperate dive comes up short.

Oh, you're smiling at least. You're smiling.

Oh... Thank god for that.

I thought you was gonna shout at me again.

No.

Obviously it's pretty shit... Oh...

..when you go down.

It's better than the F-bomb.

But, you know what, of course it's devastating

but I'm all about, you know, inspiring people, women

to aim high and go for things that scare them

and you can't let fear get in the way of that.

Amen to that, Sheena! Amen! Ladies and gentlemen, Sheena!

Sheena! And thanks for not shouting at me.

I wanna be friends. (LAUGHS)

There you go. Take your towel.

Pole Rider claims another victim tonight.

BEN: Who's gonna beat it?

We'll find out soon when we return on Ninja Island.

Coming up...

A little kid saw me the other day and went,

"Oh, my god! You're the snake lady!"

..after falling early last season,

Jolene Kelly has muscled up for another shot.

I'm, like, beasty.

They call him 'Twitch'.

James Sayers taking on Tourette's and the Ninja Warrior course.

I'm Rocky. I'm gonna win.

Sports nut Emma Wade spends 9:00 to 5:00 in a business suit

and every other second, she's doing this.

My ninja name's 'The Fox'

because I'm smart, I'm cunning, I'm deceptive.

And coming up, the season's oldest woman,

56-year-old Kim Knott

and she's competing against her son.

It's good that you're here again, mate.

I know! Whoo!

I'm pretty stoked. I can't wait to get out on that course.

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where tonight's competitors are doing it tough.

Last night, 15 ninjas completed the course

but so far tonight, just the one.

Jayden Irving - he's up the wall.

Over the break, three more came up short.

There wan an intriguing mother-versus-son competition.

FREDDIE: Jump up! Oh, nearly!

Whoa... MAN: And again.

This season's oldest woman, 56-year-old Kim Knott,

became yet another victim of the Pole Rider...

Oh, Kim.

..while son Mitch nearly did the same.

Oh, no, Mitchell! Oh, he's just recovered!

But a great fightback saw him through to the Basket Toss.

BEN: The legs hit the tramp and, no, the body hits the water.

And Grant Barker was sporting budgie smugglers and a topknot.

Oh, that's a view and a half from here. (LAUGHS)

He was hoping to meet someone special on Ninja Island...

Oh, no, he's in the water!

..but the Pole Rider ended that search early.

The water's cold, alright? (FREDDIE LAUGHS)

Now on the starting line is all-round athlete Emma Wade.

Emma works in HR with the Sydney Roosters rugby league team.

She calls herself 'The Fox' because she's fast, smart and agile.

She's got a very big mob of fans here tonight in 'Fox' T-shirts.

In the testing, she was one of the fastest female ninjas.

She gets up at 5am to train every morning.

But there's no training you can do for this next obstacle.

Big crowd support here for Emma on the sidelines and in the stands.

No female competitor tonight has gone past the Pole Rider.

Can Emma Wade be the first? Yes, she can!

Yes, Emma! Yes, she can!

Go, the girls! How good's Emma!

She defeats the Pole Rider! (LAUGHS)

And with her speed, she'll tear this one up.

Nail the Bridge of Blades for us.

Oooh, what about that technique!

She got one blade she was through.

OK. She now sizes up the next set of obstacles.

Focus, baby! You can do it!

(CHEERING)

The crowd on its feet. Just testing the tramp.

Emma is not tall - 5'3" -

so it's gonna be a big stretch between those baskets.

Oh, this is so exciting for the crowd here on Ninja Island.

Oooh.

The wingspan is gonna be tough.

Oh, she did so well, Emma Wade.

And the crowd really appreciates her achievement.

Let's take a look at the replay.

What Emma lacks in size, she makes up for in heart,

nailing the perfect dismount on the Pole Rider

and throwing caution to the wind on the Bridge of Blades.

Sadly, that second basket was just beyond her reach.

FREDDIE: Emma, that was amazing. Oh...

You're the furthest girl competitor of the evening.

And you could see the excitement

with every obstacle you went through.

Wow. (WOMEN LAUGH)

Thank you so much for everyone. Thank you.

Hopefully you get through to the semifinal.

But congratulations, Emma. Well done.

Thank you so much.

Whoo! (WHISTLES) (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEC: A great run from Emma

but we're still waiting for another ninja to get up the Warped Wall.

Could it be our next competitor?

He's a panel beater, a drummer and he suffers Tourette's syndrome.

He is the amazing, inspiring James Sayers.

(TOOL WHINES)

Hi, I'm James. I'm a 27-year-old panel beater from Melbourne.

Yeah, whoo! Oh... (BLEEP)

Too much energy for my own good.

Bitch! Oh, and I have Tourette's syndrome.

I was diagnosed with Tourette's when I was four.

My friends like to refer to me as 'Twitch'.

Apart from panel beating, I coach gymnastics

and I play in a metal band.

(HEAVY METAL PLAYS)

My way of dealing with Tourette's

has always been anything to get the adrenaline going,

anything that's scary or anything that you shouldn't do.

Oh... (MAN LAUGHS)

Tourette's is my sidekick. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I embrace it. It's a part of me.

Bitch! Yeah.

But I will show you that, Tourette's or not,

you can get to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Now, do you hear that? "Twitch, Twitch, Twitch!"

That's his nickname - affectionately known as Twitch.

His family and friends are here. There's all the T-shirts.

His best mate Miki on the sideline. Twitch! Twitch! Twitch!

FREDDIE: James Sayers on the start. He's fearless.

(DING)

Come on, James!

Righto, James.

He reckons he's been a daredevil since the moment he could walk.

Loves the adrenaline... (MAN LAUGHS)

..and it helps him control his Tourette's.

Come on, mate!

Getting ready now. Wiping his feet.

Wiping his hands before he steps onto the Pole Rider.

Needs maximum grip.

Come on, James. You can get through it.

Oh, even the daredevil looks nervous about this one, though.

Here he goes, away down. Needs to get off there as quick as he can.

Oh, great style from James!

Safe landing. Oh, yeah! Oh, he's a showman.

He's a showman, alright.

Wide on your feet! You've got this!

Now he takes on the Bridge of Blades.

Speed is of the essence here.

Onto the first, then jump off the third.

Like a sprinter racing, all grimace in the face.

Oh, easily done. Look at that, he's nearly jumped off the course!

Yes. Yes!

Oh, this guy is good!

Now the Basket Toss. Eyes on the baskets.

He goes from all serious to taking a break to smile at the crowd

and now composes himself.

Three obstacles to go, James.

Oh, isn't he just feeding off the crowd?

Come on, James. Bounces up. Yes, easily onto the first basket.

Look at those long legs!

Look at that wingspan. That is incredible.

Go, Twitch.

And he does have one of those body types, Bec,

that we saw in season one... Oooh!

Oh, that was a moment. Oooh.

A moment where it looked like he might have just...

Oh! Gee!

He's being quite reckless on these basket...

Oh, he knows it too. (LAUGHS)

Just like monkey bars. Just monkey bars.

Tyre Swing now. It's caught out a couple of ninjas tonight.

He'll need to be very careful through here.

Get a good swing!

PEOPLE: Twitch! Twitch! Twitch! Good swing, James. Good swing.

Twitch! Twitch! Twitch! Twitch! He's got the crowd behind him.

FREDDIE: Onto the first tyre. Overhand grip on the first one.

Keep it moving, James.

As he reaches for the second overhand. Underhand for the third.

Then off as quick as he can.

He is getting through this course on adrenaline, I reckon.

Oooh! Oh, wow!

All of a sudden... No!

..it's over.

James is an instant fan favourite but fell victim to that third tyre.

See the underhand grip?

He put one hand on top of the other, it just slipped off

and the daredevil's run was over.

James, amazing effort. It was looking so good.

Just lost grip on that last one. What happened?

You know, just... I think I started celebrating a little bit too early

and I just slipped and... No!

Well, mate, all the crowd were right behind you.

Everyone, give a big round of applause for James!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) What an incredible run.

Let's take a look at the leader board.

With a bit of luck, that won't be the last we see of James.

He is currently sitting third behind the night's only finisher so far,

Jayden Irving, and Matt Filippi.

Emma Wade is in fifth.

Still to come, 'The Enforcer', Riot Squad cop Jeffrey Merc.

I know what it's like to look in the eyes of evil.

Son of celebrity parents Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons,

Louis FitzSimons, looks to make his own mark.

Although I am my parents' son, I am my own man

and I'm here to prove that today.

And Jack Gooch lives life on the edge.

He's survived a heart attack, a car wreck.

Now he's ready for Ninja Island.

I'm feeling super pumped and ready tonight.

The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

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

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, where the course is playing tough -

just one ninja up the Warped Wall so far.

Our next competitor aims to change all that.

Harley Kay is a surfer who says he owes everything to his mum.

HARLEY: I started surfing when I was 12.

The first time I ever got up on a wave, I was freaking out.

Honestly, it was the best feeling ever.

Just sliding on top of water - I'd never experienced that before.

That just made me happy.

I wouldn't be where I am today without this beautiful woman.

I love him to death. (LAUGHS)

We lived at Narang, out west,

away from the coast, too far to go

because the kids would want to surf early hours.

Yeah, we moved close to the beach

to let them have the life that they want.

And it wasn't until I got older

that I realised how much she actually gave up to give us a chance

of chasing what we really wanted to do.

People love him because he is so big-hearted.

I got from you, Ma. (LAUGHS)

Yeah, I watched every episode last year.

It's a dream of mine to be able to actually take on the course.

My family, the people that have always been there for me,

I really want to make them proud.

Oh, I'll be there, running up and down the sideline,

screaming and... (LAUGHS)

Yeah. I can't be quiet. It's not in me. (LAUGHS)

(CHANTING)

BEC: As good as her word, there is Harley's mum Cheryl,

along with dad Tony and girlfriend Crystal.

Big support in the stands too.

(DING)

Looks up to the skies. And here he goes. He sets off.

He is physically really suited to this course, isn't he, Ben?

Well, have a look at the shape, have a look at the size. 6'3". 80kg.

But this has been the one so far tonight. The Pole Rider.

The one which claimed so many. Is Harley gonna be another victim?

I hope not. Everyone is holding their breath.

Here he goes. Gripping on for dear life.

Getting that momentum in. He pushes. Here he goes.

He's gripping. Oh... Oh, Harley, mind your feet.

Look at the swing of the feet.

Wow! (CHEERING)

(BOTH SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT)

Is he going to? No!

He's got a big push here. He's gonna get away with it!

He's up... No!

He's down... He's back up.. Oh!

Oh! He's finished!

I thought that was gonna be the most amazing recovery we'd ever seen.

Oh, Mum is shattered.

Harley's shattered. We are all shattered.

Look at this - there was just a centimetre or two in it.

If he had have been able to get

just a bit more of his weight over the platform,

he would have been home and hosed.

As it was, a foot in the water, game over for yet another top contender.

Come in, Mum. Come in, Mum. I saw him before he started.

He was looking over at you.

You was jumping up and down, clapping your hands.

You've got to be proud of the big lad.

Oh, you bet. He's just amazing.

You're amazing, darling. Love you, Mama.

(LAUGHS) Baby...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) There we go. Beautiful.

You've got to say, it's one of those nights.

These are top athletes, all being undone by the smallest of errors.

Our next ninja might break the drought.

At 24, he's had his fair share of good luck,

cheating death not once but twice.

He is Jack Gooch.

WOMAN: Relax. Nice.

MAN: My name's Jack Gooch and I'm from Perth, Western Australia.

Yep. Nice.

My hobbies include rock climbing and slack-lining.

I just like flying. I don't think I'm ever gonna grow up.

Yow... Yew!

So, in November 2012, I had a heart attack

and I was in hospital for... the intensive care unit

for over three weeks.

And it turns out my artery,

instead of my left and right

coming both off of the left and right side of the heart,

they both come off the left and it wraps around it.

The blood gets stuck.

And then, six weeks after that, I was in a car crash

and it was an absolute miracle that I survived.

Nobody else in the car would've lived.

After having my heart attack and then my car crash straight after,

it really forced me to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Now I have to eat really well. I train well.

It's a big wake-up call to adjust my life.

When my heart starts pumping tonight, it's gonna be ready to go.

I'm fit and healthy now and I'm gonna take on the course.

BEC: We know he's a fighter.

Please give it up for Jack Gooch.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And there's two women who know just how much he's been through.

On the left is mum Leanne. Alongside is aunt Christine.

(DING) (CHEERING)

BEN: And for the record, Jack has dealt with those serious heart issues

and he's as fit as any of our ninjas.

So, not a problem tonight.

Go! Yes!

This one could be a problem, though, Ben.

Obstacle two, it is not playing nice.

Focus!

Everyone hoping he's not gonna be another victim of the Pole Rider.

As he comes... Good momentum. Oh, just slipping back.

Come on, Jack.

Get up, Jack. Australia's behind you, Jack.

Get up, Jack. Arch the back if you can.

(EXCLAIMS)

He's going for another swing. Back over the water.

Come on, Jack! Come on, Jack!

Yes, Jacky boy! (CHEERING)

Yes! That's got to be the save of the night!

Go, Jack! Wow!

As he comes down to the Bridge of Blades... He's relentless!

There's no time to relax, no time to switch off.

Well, if you can beat the Pole Rider,

you can dominate the Bridge of Blades.

And he does.

(CHEERING)

Yes, Jacky boy! He barely touched it, Bec.

Oh, he comes round the corner, onto the Basket Toss.

He's got great upper-body strength.

(CHEERING) Yeah, what is he, 70 kilos?

And he's very well built in the upper-body region,

which will really help him on this next obstacle.

A great big leap on the tramp.

Not a tall bloke. Only 5'7".

OK. Move. WOMAN: Go, Jack.

Oooh! Double-handed.

He needs momentum here, Bec. Come on, Jack.

You can do it. CROWD MEMBERS: Oh!

Oh, no! Jack Gooch...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Let's have a look at the replay

and what a competitor Jack Gooch has turned out to be.

He fought with every fibre to get himself up and off that Pole Rider.

It was simply the greatest escape.

Unfortunately, no such luck on that third basket,

but an unforgettable run.

So, so close, Jack. It was. (LAUGHS)

I got a little bit too excited.

I should have taken one more swing. I jumped too early.

Talk us through the Pole Rider.

That's one of the best saves I've ever seen on that apparatus.

That was just willpower. (LAUGHS) Had a bit of luck.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Gooch!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: You're watching Australian Ninja Warrior.

We'll take a short break and be back soon.

Still to come, student Matt Tsang out to prove good things come

in small packages.

So I've been told that I'm the lightest male Ninja Warrior

for this season.

The Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson, begins his campaign.

And up next, we've got three cops on Ninja Island.

I'm an Australian Federal Police officer.

I'm a police detective from Cairns.

I'm actually a law enforcement officer in the Riot Squad.

Who will lay down the law?

If I had a ninja name, it will have to be 'The Enforcer Ninja'.

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where so far only Jayden Irving has managed to complete the course.

Over the break, Tourette's sufferer James Sayers' best mate Miki

took on the Pole Rider.

Oh, dude! Baby, push!

But like so many tonight, he came off second best.

BEN: Oh, Miki. Oh, Miki, Miki, Miki, Miki.

Miki.

Detective Zoe Goodall from Cairns investigated it closely.

Once again, it evaded arrest.

Oh! And she's straight in the drink.

And a similar story for dog handler Simon Innes.

(WOMAN EXCLAIMS)

He and best mate Jock work at Brisbane Airport

but sadly tonight, neither got a sniff of Mount Midoriyama.

FREDDIE: Oh, no! Simon face-plants into the water!

Oh, he was lost without his dog Jock.

Next to take the course is our third police officer, Jeffrey Merc.

He's with the Riot Squad which attended the Lindt Cafe siege.

He calls himself 'The Enforcer'.

Give it up for Jethro!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

If I had a ninja name, it will have to be 'The Enforcer Ninja'.

I'm a senior constable in the Riot Squad.

MAN: Go!

Fitness is very big to me.

It's also survival.

I'm expected to be strong.

Push, push, push, push, push.

There will be situations where you just never know

when you're gonna be battling for your life.

(STRAINS)

I know what it's like to look in the eyes of evil.

I have been involved in so many high-profile jobs.

The Riot Squad are the first crew on the scene.

I would put my life on the line for the Australian people.

Yeah, I owe a lot to this country.

When I was around nine years old,

my mum made the sacrifice to leave the Philippines

to find an opportunity here in Australia.

I want to do my family proud,

especially the hardship that my mum went through.

I want to be on TV to compete in the hardest obstacle on the planet,

you know, Australian Ninja Warrior - come on.

Just thanks to Mum.

(CHEERING)

He has a support crew here tonight

like I have never seen before for an individual competitor.

He's got two whole stadiums full of supporters

with massive T-shirts.

BEN: And, of course, there's mum Feliciana on the right,

sister Jennifer.

Big energy for this bloke. (DING)

And here we go on the Quintuple Steps.

As you'd expect for a Riot Squad cop, he ain't small - 6'1", 84 kilos.

But he's moving well.

(CHEERING)

Oh, listen to that crowd. And isn't he loving it!

Come on, Jeffrey Merc. Come on, Enforcer.

FREDDIE: His mum clapping on the side, so proud of her young man,

as he's weighing it up, methodical in his approach,

not wanting to make a mistake at this point.

He comes sliding down, swings through, easily through!

And he's pretty pleased and pumped as well.

(CHEERING)

OK. Time for the Bridge of Blades. Look at him stare this obstacle down.

And this is right in front of his support crew, Bec.

The heart must be pumping.

All about speed here.

Oh! Here we go! Come on, Jethro!

Hang on a minute. Look at that.

How athletic is this guy, particularly for such a big bloke.

Oh, I've got a good feeling about Jethro, Ben.

There's something about police officers, Ben.

I mean, they're used to dealing with all kinds of situations.

OK, now, this obstacle calls for extreme upper-body strength

and timing.

Great leap off the trampoline. Needs to get that arm out. He does.

Straight onto the third one... Oh, yeah.

..and tosses the basket!

(LAUGHS) He's through!

Both arms up in the air.

(CHEERING)

So he's got the rope. This is the Tyre Swing.

Jeff's just the fourth ninja to get this far

and that last tyre has been trouble for the other three.

Onto the second one.

Now the underhand grip. Yes, he's got it. Well done.

He's just the second ninja tonight to make it this far.

Oh, Freddie...

I reckon Freddie's got the same feeling that we do up here.

The Enforcer, standing in front of the Warped Wall.

He's gonna run and he's gonna take it on.

He's gonna beat the wall. The crowd are chanting. The crowd wants it.

Everybody wanting it.

And what about the big deep breath as he eyes off the prize!

Up, up, up and home!

He's up! Yes, sir!

The Enforcer shows that he means business

on the top of the Warped Wall.

Wow. That was awesome.

You're through to the semis, my friend.

And look at the fans - the whole force has turned out. They love it.

Let's have a look at the slo-mo.

You can see Jeff was textbook-perfect on the Pole Rider,

using his momentum to easily reach the platform.

From there, he never faltered

as he carried his big frame through the course

and up the Warped Wall.

Jethro, come in, mate. Come in, mate. Come and join the family.

How was that for you? That was a lot of fun, eh?

That was awesome. I had a great time.

Do it again. Thanks for the crowd.

(CHEERING) And you got your mum here.

How proud are you of Jeffrey? Very, very proud.

I'm so happy.

Well, give him a hug, then! Let him know!

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Jeff!

I'm gonna get involved in this. Can I come in?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: What an incredible run.

Let's take a look at the leader board.

Jayden Irving remains in top spot,

with Jeffrey 'The Enforcer' Merc just behind.

Big Brother Matt Filippi is third, ahead of James Sayers.

Emma Wade is in sixth and Nathaniel Irving is in ninth spot.

But there are plenty of ninjas still to run.

This is what happened to 'The Snake Lady' Jolene Kelly last year.

BEC AND BEN: Oh!

After 12 months of hard work, she's bigger and stronger.

My strength has 100% gone through the roof.

And out in the warm-up area, this season's lightest male ninja,

Matt Tsang.

Underestimate him at your peril.

Welcome back.

Last night, we saw 15 ninjas make it up the Warped Wall,

including a history-making three women.

Yes!

Oh, grab it, grab it... You ripper!

(BUZZER BLARES) I can't believe it!

But tonight the course is playing tough.

Just two ninjas have finished it.

Shows that he means business.

Can our next competitor be the third?

You'll know her as 'The Snake Lady'. She's Jolene Kelly.

JOLENE: Ninja Warrior last season was the best experience of my life.

I got to the second obstacle in the heats,

which was the Propeller to the Bungee Squid

and that took me down.

HOSTS: Oh!

I'm the snake charmer, so me and my now beautiful seven-year-old python,

Stanley - he became... a bit of my mascot last year.

I think that's how people remember me.

A little kid saw me the other day and went,

"Oh, my god, you're the snake lady!"

Yeah, that was really cool. (LAUGHS)

My strength has 100% gone through the roof with my upper body.

I'm, like, beasty.

(LAUGHS) I'm, like, "The bigger, the better. Let's go."

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!

BEN: No sign of Stanley the snake

but Jolene's brought a lot of extra muscle.

She's added two kilos of it to help her get through this course.

Jolene! Jolene! (DING)

Jolene! Alright.

She's doing exactly what she did in season one

and that is being very cautious over the Quintuple Steps.

Jolene! Jolene!

I said it earlier, Bec, but it's smart to be careful through here.

Doesn't she look athletic? Doesn't she look strong?

Oh, just a little bit of a slip.

She's back on track. She's coming back up the ramp.

It was almost a very short experience for her.

Remember, she came off at obstacle two last season.

But I reckon she's done a million chin-ups since then.

Here she goes. Coming down. Plenty of speed.

Has she got the landing? OK. Oh!

Well, she tries to get her hand on there.

But now she's hanging onto that pole for dear life.

We know she's really strong. Super-strong.

She's just got to hang in there.

She's got to figure out a way to get that pole swinging.

We know it can be done, Bec. We've seen it already tonight.

Jack Gooch muscled his way out of trouble.

Jolene! Jolene!

She still looks composed and the crowd is right behind her.

I'm just wondering how long she can hang there for.

It's been over 30 seconds already. She's got to get that thing swinging.

The crowd knows it. Freddie, you know it.

Easy from the sidelines. The crowd are saying, "Swing."

Easier said than done.

Come on, Jolene. Don't give up. You can get there.

Oh, look at her face. She's starting to hurt.

Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!

Jolene! Oh, no!

And that's it for Jolene.

(CHEERING)

And it's another fail at obstacle two for Jolene,

despite those 12 months of hard work.

The Pole Rider claims another victim but not without one heck of a fight.

There's a towel, Jolene. JOLENE: Thank you.

Last year you got stuck

and it seemed to happen again this time round.

Bit of deja vu.

I thought I'd get some redemption this year

but looks like I'm gonna have to do it again next year.

(CHEERING)

And the crowd love you too. Cheers, Jolene.

Ladies and gentlemen, big round of applause for Jolene!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Jolene becomes Pole Rider victim number ten tonight.

Our next ninja will be hoping to avoid being number 11.

He's the season's lightest male but he's got strength to burn.

He's Matt Tsang.

I'm around 165cm tall, 166 on a good day

and I weigh around 57 kilos.

So I've been told that I'm the lightest male Ninja Warrior.

Up until, I think, Year Ten, when I was under, like, 144cm,

I think that's the height you have to be

to ride all the rollercoasters, I was, sadly, shorter than that.

As a climber, I've got a lot of grip strength, naturally,

as well as the fact that I'm quite light.

That gives me a lot of power-to-body-weight ratio.

A lot of people don't believe me but I can do a one-finger chin-up.

I can actually do quite a few of them.

So I want to do the best that I can

and I want to prove that you can't always underestimate the little guy.

(CHEERING)

He's fit. And his friends won't underestimate him.

Zoe, Samantha, Caitlin and Jag - there they are.

Come on, Matt! (DING)

BEC: As always, we start with the Quintuple Steps.

He's 5'5" in the old scale. 57 kilos.

Matt's not just our lightest male competitor,

he's one of the shortest too

and that lack of reach might cause him some trouble later on.

FREDDIE: High hopes for this lad

but I'm sure the Pole Rider wants another victim.

WOMEN: Go, Matt!

I think everyone's nervous. One bump, two bump...

That's how you do it! (CHEERING)

Allows himself a little wave to the crowd. He's happy with that.

Now he'll be looking to rush through BOB.

I don't think he's gonna hang around.

He's gonna attack. He's gonna be fast.

Barely moves the blades! (CHEERING)

Too good!

But this next obstacle is where his lack of reach might come into play.

Up on the tramp. He looks like he's in fine form.

He's doing it one arm, one hand at a time.

He's making it look easy. Isn't he?

And Mum and Dad up there in the stands, even they look surprised.

He's neck-and-neck with Jayden Irving at this point.

1:27 the time to beat.

He doesn't even know the crowd's there.

He's blocked almost everything out and he is just focusing on now -

this tyre to this tyre.

The man looks like a robot, the way he goes through that.

Easing through the Australian Ninja Warrior course! No problems.

Now just the Warped Wall to go

and would not back against this young man.

Now, this is the obstacle that will be challenge for him

because of his height.

But here comes Matt Tsang. Push, push, push, push!

He won't be stopped! (LAUGHS)

He's not going to allow his short stature

to stop him from getting all the way up the wall.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

At just 5'5", Matt Tsang has shown the field how it's done.

Athleticism and strength more than compensated for a lack of wingspan

as he floated his way through the baskets.

Then this short, light guy reduced the towering Warped Wall to rubble.

(WOMAN EXCLAIMS)

Matt, when you're finished hugging everyone...

Maybe not yet, then. (LAUGHS)

Come on, then. Let's have one. Good on Matt Tsang.

Was that just too easy? MATT: Oh, it wasn't easy.

But I've been training a lot with climbing and stuff like that,

done a lot of body weight exercises.

So I just felt confident coming in here,

as long as I executed correctly.

Go and join your mates. Unbelievable!

(CHEERING) Matt Tsang!

BEN: Our lightest male ninja making light work of the course.

Still to come, who can forget this.

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.

We're expecting even bigger things this time

from the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

Ow! Yes!

Louis FitzSimons,

son of Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons,

not your average ninja.

It's everything and nothing to me at the same moment.

I just want to do the absolute best that I can.

And stuntman Masa Yamaguchi ready to put his body on the line.

Mount Midoriyama. Coming for you.

You're gonna be cold. Are you cold? I'm alright.

Mwah. I love you so much. Love you.

Love you, girls. BOTH: Bye!

You're watching Australian Ninja Warrior.

We'll take a short break and be back soon.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Over the break, Emma O'Keeffe stepped up.

Go, hon!

She's a former fitness aerobic world champion

but was left breathless by the Pole Rider.

Oh, there was a back splash.

Hollywood stuntman Masa Yamaguchi fought Hugh Jackman in 'Wolverine'.

Go, Daddy! Come on!

But he lost his battle with the course.

FREDDIE: Falls into the pool. Oh, no.

And Lismore truckie Tom Hazell made the grand final last year...

and showed experience counts.

He's eyeballing it. Is he in trouble?

No, he's alright.

On a night when success is hard to come by,

he powered through the course...

Easily done, Tom Hazell! Oh, the crowd are loving it!

..and became just the heat's fourth finisher.

And he's having a shot straight away! Yes!

And he does it straight away!

Tom Hazell, from East Lismore, is up the Warped Wall!

Ladies and gentlemen, you may have noticed

a couple of famous faces in the crowd tonight -

Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons.

However, tonight they are just two proud parents.

Please welcome Louis FitzSimons! WOMAN: Go, Louis!

MEN: Go, Louis!

Go, Louis! PETER: Go!

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Louis! Louis! Louis!

My name's Louis FitzSimons. I'm 22 years of age.

I'm a psychology student. I've always...

You know, I found myself to be very strange going through high school

and always really wanted to wonder why.

Just a bit of a strange guy. And I love a good hug.

My parents are Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons.

My dad basically asked me,

when we were watching the finale of Ninja Warrior Australia,

"Do you reckon you could do that?"

and thinking it over for a second, I honestly think, "Yeah, I can."

I always enjoy the weird, the wonderful and the impossible.

But Australia Ninja Warrior sounds like a very good way

to give myself every chance I can to give Australia a show, I guess.

Now, for those who don't know,

Peter FitzSimons - there he is, the big fella -

he represented Australia in rugby union.

These days, he's a writer and he's famous for that red bandanna

so Louis' picked up the habit.

Sister Billi there as well and other brother Jake.

FREDDIE: And the crowd getting into him straight away, chanting.

Louis talking to himself, psyching himself up.

Come on, Louis. You got this, son. You can do this.

Oh, he's gone... Let's go, Louis!

Hang on, Louis. Louis, Louis, Louis, you gotta wait for the buzzer.

You're a bit too keen there.

(CHEERING)

He is really psyching himself up.

I wonder what he's saying to himself.

(DING) Here comes the buzzer.

Go, Louis!

OK. 22 years of age. Louis FitzSimons.

He hits the Quintuple Steps. And he seems to be scrambling a bit.

Go, Louis! Come on, Lou!

He is through the Quintuple Steps.

But this is no place to relax, though, Ben,

with the Pole Rider in front of you.

Come on! You've got this!

FREDDIE: Coming down now, the Pole Rider.

Get the momentum. Louis! Yes, Louis! Go on, Louis!

(CHEERING) He's done it.

And he's still pumping himself up. (SPEAKS INAUDIBLY)

Bridge of Blades... Oh, that's a head-on crash!

Oooh. He just spun and it took him out.

WOMAN: Great job, Louis!

It looked like he went head on into one of those blades.

No doubt about it, Louis' a big guy, 89 kilos,

and that weight gets the bridge spinning early.

He needed to be a lot faster to beat that last blade

but he just didn't have the pace to sneak past it.

We'll get Freddie to ask.

FREDDIE: Louis, can I ask you one thing?

On the start line, you was talking to yourself.

Can you repeat what you were saying?

It will be nonsense to you.

It's like a prayer or a mantra

or just nonsense words that give me strength.

But they give me the best possible reasons to complete this course.

Can you tell me what they were?

Love, fear and aspiration.

The words were, "A heart of fire, a mind of chaos, a body unbroken.

"Melody manifest destiny. I am the mad prophet."

Louis, you are the mad prophet.

Well done tonight, mate. The crowd love you. Well done, mate.

(CHEERING)

Well, after that, let's take a look at the leader board.

Stuntman Jayden Irving still leads the way at the top,

from newcomer Matt Tsang,

the Enforcer, Jeffrey Merc, in fourth.

The Twitch Ninja, James Sayers, is sixth.

Over the page, Jack Gooch in 12th.

Louis FitzSimons finds himself in 14th.

And Nathaniel Irving is hanging in there

ahead of the Dog Squad's Simon Innes.

We're gonna take a quick break

and then the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson,

makes his return to Ninja Island.

Ben, he's in the warm-up area right now and, boy, is he pumped!

WILSON: I've got too much passion, too much drive,

so I think this is the year.

This is the year for me.

Welcome back.

After a tough night on Ninja Island,

we have just one more competitor to run

but what a competitor he is.

And the crowd is erupting, and this is the reason why.

This is the moment we've all been waiting for.

It is time for Jack Wilson, the Deadly Ninja.

His motivation for competing last season

was to inspire Indigenous men, women and children

to strive for their goals.

Well, Jack, you've not only done that, you've inspired a nation.

Jack Wilson!

(CHEERING)

JACK: You know, it's good to be back and I'm very grateful to be back.

Come on, Jack. Come on, Jack.

BEN: Up, up, up and he's away!

He did it! He did it!

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

And a dance to boot!

Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Wilson,

the first ninja on the top of the Warped Wall!

You know, the whole Ninja community has changed my life

and it's changing many others as well.

One... ALL: Deadly Ninja!

Whoo!

I went on with a purpose and with a message

to send out to Indigenous communities and Indigenous people.

If I can inspire people through something I love,

that's my job done.

I do have visions, to this day, and I have all year

of getting to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

I'm waking up at 4am in the morning, just shooting out of bed.

I'm going to sleep at night wanting the morning to be there

so I can get up and go to train.

(LAUGHS) That's a pretty sick obsession, don't you think?

Well, what a smile. What a man.

And what about the pressure on this young bloke.

12 months ago, he was unknown when he stepped up to have a crack.

Now the expectations are sky-high.

All the way, dog! Yeah, boss!

I don't know how this is possible

but Jack looks fitter than last season.

(DING) (CHEERING)

FREDDIE: Oh, the crowd are right behind him.

Starts on the Quintuple Steps, just easing through.

There'll be no dramas at this stage for Jack.

A face of concentration as he comes to the Pole Rider.

Look at him, eyes fixed.

It's been a ninja killer, but not Jack Wilson.

There he is. Too good, this bloke. All the experience in the world.

And now he points and gets ready to shoot.

And straight through the Bridge of Blades!

Oh, so, so quick! Go, Jack!

He strongly believes that he can win season two

and so far, based on what we've seen, it's hard to argue with that.

(MAN CALLS OUT)

Oh, the crowd loves him here on Ninja Island.

The whole of Australia loves this man.

(YELPS) Easy, easy.

He is so fit, he is so wonderful to watch

and his message is sensational.

Stay, Jack! Oooh!

Oh! (LAUGHS) He's toying with us.

He's toying with us, Ben.

He's toying with the clock too.

Half a second faster than Jayden Irving at this point.

He's got his game face on.

FREDDIE: Here we go. He's got the tyres now.

Loses a little bit of momentum.

And he gets swinging. He's off again.

Going for the overhand grip. Pulls back.

Watch this one. Now onto the final tyre.

That's all. That's all. Springs off onto the platform!

And the Warped Wall is gonna be no dramas for this lad.

Listen to the crowd. Listen to his family.

Come on, Jack.

He yells out to his family and says, "Here we go."

And here we go alright!

Jack Wilson, the Deadly Ninja! (BUZZER BLARES)

He's back, baby!

Yes! (CHEERING)

You're here again, Jack. You're here again.

Let's go, champ.

Champ mode activated.

Can you go all the way in season two?

Let's go, champ. Let's go.

Mate, I don't know if this is possible

but Bec reckons you look fitter this year.

Yes. I've waited 12 months for this moment.

You know, I've hit another gear that I didn't know I had.

And it's the people that give me that energy.

Was there ever any doubt?

Jack Wilson, first ninja up the wall in season one,

one of the stars of the season one grand final.

Smooth and composed through every single obstacle,

this bloke is poetry in motion,

cruising home in the second fastest time of the night.

Well done, Jack Wilson.

Jack, how was that?

JACK: Mate, that was incredible.

I feel incredible, I'm looking incredible

and that was just amazing.

You do look incredible, if you don't mind saying so yourself.

You've had a busy year, though, haven't you?

Yeah, mate. Yep, very busy year off the back of last Ninja Warrior.

It's really catapulted me and it's really got my message out there

for the communities and for people in Australia.

And I'm using that energy. I can feel it.

Do you think you can go one step further this time

and get to the top of Mount Midoriyama?

Oh, I've visualised it every night before I go to sleep

and every day I wake up in the morning.

I've done it in my head,

so it's just time to wait for you guys to wait and see.

(CHEERING)

Jack Wilson showing he's still got it

and he's got Mount Midoriyama in his sights.

Who will join him in the semifinals?

Let's take a look at the leader board.

The elder Irving brother Jayden wins the heat by six seconds

from Jack 'The Deadly Ninja' Wilson.

Just three other finishers tonight -

Matt Tsang, truckie Tom Hazell and the Enforcer, Jeffrey Merc.

Twitch Ninja James Sayers finished seventh,

while Emma Wade flies the female ninja flag in 12th.

James's best buddy Miki will also be back for the semifinals.

And given the high number of fails on the Pole Rider,

little bro Nathaniel Irving snuck into the last qualifying spot.

No doubt, the Performance of the Night belongs to Jayden Irving,

the elder of the two brothers -

a high-class run of endurance and speed

on a very challenging course.

Another great performance from the professional stuntman.

Now let's take a look at tomorrow's final heat.

Tomorrow night, the sixth and final qualifying heat

and just 20 more ninjas can make it to the semifinals.

I might only be 18 but I'm gonna slam-dunk this course.

Hoping to stake their claim, the original Aussie Bachelor

Tim Robards...

I'm back this year because I know I can do it.

..the 'Robot Warrior', Rob Patterson, who took fifth last year

but is determined to go further.

Man, it's gonna be so much fun.

And Bronson Norrish...

I'm 120 kilos.

..our heaviest ninja ever.

Here to prove that big boys can fly.

Plus, back at last, season one's juggernauts,

the Blue Mountains rock climbers.

We're back to conquer Mount Midoriyama.

The Cossey brothers, Lee and Ben,

the unbelievable Tom O'Halloran

and the legend that is Andrea Hah.

Last year, I was the only female to make it up the Warped Wall.

Can she write history again?

That's tomorrow night on Australia Ninja Warrior.

You won't want to miss a minute.

We'll see you then, here on Ninja Island.

As the quest continues to conquer Mount Midoriyama

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Goodnight!