Original subtitles

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

The battle began all over again.

Oh!

In our first semi-final...

Oh, no!

..Mount Midoriyama sends in this monster

in the toughest semi we've ever seen.

Oh!

Zak Stolz beat Rob Patterson on the all new Power Tower.

Zak's got it!

New champ!

He's now got a second chance if he falls in the grand final.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

This course is insane.

The semi-finals continue.

Deadly's coming at ya.

Can anyone slay the dragon?

Oh!

As more killer new obstacles continue to rock the ninjas.

Rat Daddy got to the grand final last year

and he's doing it again.

Ben Polson and Olivia Vivian

are looking to make it back to back grand finals.

I can do this.

But will the pressure be too much?

If you ask me do I believe I can do two years in a row,

the answer is yes.

They're not the only power couple in the mix.

Last year's grand finalists Eddie 'Buzzer' Burrill

and his girlfriend champion pole vaulter Lisa Campbell

are fighting it out for bragging rights.

I'm feel really confident, I'm so pumped.

The Koori Ninja Jessica Russell and boyfriend Travis Edwards,

they want to go all the way, too.

You can't deny the fire of the Koori Ninja.

If they want to make it to the Power Tower,

they'll need to smoke their way through this course.

(SLAM)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(FIREWORKS WHISTLE AND BANG)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Welcome back to Sydney Olympic Park

for the Australian Ninja Warrior semi-finals.

Good evening, Australia, I'm Ben Fordham.

Hello, everyone, I'm Bec Maddern.

Tonight, it is 24 of the best ninjas who have fought their way through

the qualifying heats to be here tonight in our second semi-final.

Only the eight furthest fastest in each semi

will progress to the grand final.

And Mount Midoriyama will be doing everything it can to stop them.

Only two ninjas made it through to the buzzer last night

and I can feel the mountain simmering again.

Will it be the course or the ninjas that will come out on top tonight?

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

For a shot at the Power Tower,

ninjas must conquer nine formidable obstacles.

First up:

Requiring speed, balance, and laser focus.

Then it's onto the fearsome:

It was a ninja killer last night

and it's sure to wipe out many more tonight.

Obstacle number three:

..is a brand-new addition to tonight's course

and it is designed to inflict maximum pain.

Ninjas move up a suspended ladder

until their weight tilts the structure downwards.

When they make it to the end,

there's a second ladder waiting for them to do it all over again.

Obstacle four:

..begins with an extreme test of finger strength.

But the most demanding manoeuvre is the second transition

when ninjas leap onto the corkscrew,

it spins violently as it plummets towards the water.

Then comes the most monstrous obstacle

ever devised for a semi-final.

The Dragon Back.

It's an upper body killer.

Our ninjas' muscles will be roaring

as they hop away along the rugged spine of this beast.

(CHEERS)

Next, it's the 4.35m:

Get to the top of that and the job is far from done.

That's right.

There are still another three gruelling obstacles

standing between our ninjas and the buzzer.

And finally...

The ninja who makes it to the top of that final obstacle

could get a crack at the Power Tower.

(BUZZER)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Because once again,

the Power Tower is offering one almighty advantage.

First to hit the buzzer will win a second chance in the grand final.

So that means that if you unexpectedly slip up

during your grand final run,

you can simply choose to rerun the course.

Not bad.

And watching from the stands tonight

are the four ninjas who won the Power Tower in their heats.

They've skipped the semis and are straight through to the grand final.

Hello Bryson Klein, Ashlin Herbert, Charlie Robbins,

and g'day Jimmy Burrow.

No wonder they're smiling.

Good luck, boys.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

OK, our first competitor tonight

must be feeling a bit unlucky not to be there with them.

It's our reigning champion who lost a thrilling Power Tower showdown

with Bryson Klein, but only by about a second.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give him a roar.

Last year's winner, Ben Polson.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Last year, reaching the top of Mount Midoriyama

and becoming Australia's first ever Ninja Warrior

was just absolutely phenomenal.

He's done it!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(GRAND MUSIC)

Unbelievable!

The first Australian Ninja Warrior is Ben Polson.

He's the Ninja Warrior Champion.

But this year...

The first Power Tower of season five.

Battle of epic proportions.

..to lose on the Power Tower in the heats...

Bryson Klein goes straight through to the grand final.

..I was disappointed in myself,

but it's just the first step of many to the final goal.

After winning Australian Ninja Warrior,

my goal is to come back and back it up.

If you ask me do I believe I can do it two years in a row,

the answer is yes, 100%.

No doubt in my mind.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

What a reception he's getting here at Sydney Olympic Park.

Shane Crawford's on the sideline.

SHANE: The king is in the building

and he's up there right now.

He is the king of Australian Ninja Warrior.

His name is Ben Polson.

You've got this!

And I can hear Olivia Vivian on the sidelines

going he is gonna crush this.

And I agree. I reckon he will.

And there's Olivia cheering him on.

We'll be seeing her on the course later.

But right now, it's up to Ben Polson to set the benchmark.

Ben was so close to winning that express to get to the grand final.

Now he's got to do it the hard way -

he's got a lot to prove here after the heats.

Alright, waiting for the buzzer.

(BUZZER)

And here he goes.

He's on the way - obstacle number one,

that big frame makes its way across.

Now for the Double Dipper.

This should be a formality you'd say for Ben Polson.

If you want to learn a little bit about technique,

have a look at the way this big fella goes about it.

Here he goes on the Double Dipper.

Oh, messy!

He's alright though. Glides across it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Not a worry in the world.

And now the double tilt ladder.

Straight up onto the third rung!

Ben Polson's flying.

He's being economic as he makes his way through.

Ben Polson's reach was just extraordinary on that obstacle.

And he is on and off and onto the next one in a flash.

That leaves him with lots of energy for what is to come.

Yeah, it's the Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

He makes that leap but this next one's going to be difficult, Bec,

for a big man like Ben Polson.

(CHEERS)

He's alright. He's safe.

It's like he put the brakes on that corkscrew.

The core strength you need to do something like that is next level.

I don't know how this is possible,

but Ben Polson looks more technically perfect than last year.

Is that your observation?

Well he's definitely quicker, Bec.

Ben Polson's flying through,

and this is shaping up to be a grand final performance.

Make sure you...

He's got to make it through this Dragon Back first though

and it's a real ninja killer.

Last night, half the ninjas who attempted this obstacle fell short.

OK, here we go.

He is now up on the Dragon Back.

Every time he moves that bar he lifts 85kg.

Oh, the little bit of a miss cue, but he corrects it.

No damage done.

And now the dipper.

He goes down onto the bungee.

And now for the mammoth task of climbing back up again.

Having trouble just moving that bar evenly.

Every time he has to make a correction

it is double the work and extra exertion on his body.

The crowd's on its feet right now

willing Ben Polson up the dragon spine.

They might sense that he's struggling.

CROWD: Oh!

ALL: Oh!

Oh, no, Ben Polson, he's off!

Ben Polson...

The Dragon Back.

..has just dropped out midway through his semi-final run.

Have a look at him, Bec.

Oh, my goodness.

I don't think we'll be seeing Ben Polson on the Power Tower

on the strength of that run.

But what's worrying me,

he's in danger of missing out on the grand finals altogether.

I can't believe it.

Everyone is stunned here, there is silence.

Look at the disappointment on Ben Polson's face.

Here comes Shane Crawford.

Ben Polson, what is going through your head right now?

You're looking at the Dragon Back. Yeah.

I'm... Look, it's obviously a tough obstacle.

I feel like I got here pretty fast, which was the game plan, but...

You did.

Just the biceps, Shane.

When I'm trying to be explosive through a lot of motions,

you use a lot of your biceps and your back muscles

and they fatigue much much faster than your forearms do.

So I was trying to be smart and not use it so much

and save it for this.

But obviously, I should have saved a little more, so.

We're going to have a look at the replay up on big screen there.

It looks like you were wrestling with it,

or you just weren't getting it sort of equal as you were going up.

Was that the case?

Yeah, it's hard to keep it equal.

And I was getting consistently my left side up,

but the right side was obviously a little sneaky bugger there.

Have you done enough to sneak your way into the grand final?

Do you think you've done enough?

Look, I cross my fingers at this point.

It's not a nice feeling being in this position

kind of playing the waiting game.

It's never nice.

But we've got a lot of really good competitors.

Good luck.

We hope you can sneak in.

Please put your hands together for the champ Ben Polson!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Good on you, mate.

For Ben Polson - it is... it is an a massive waiting game

for the defending champion now,

because there is still plenty more ninjas to compete tonight,

including seven former grand finalists.

Absolutely right, Bec.

Coming up, it's like a who's who of Ninja Warrior.

Athletes like Jake 'The Rat Man' Baker,

Eddie 'Buzzer' Burrill,

the Deadly Ninja Jack Wilson,

and of course, Ben's trailblazing girlfriend Olivia Vivian.

(APPLAUSE)

Last night, making it to the Dragon Back, well that was enough.

But with such a strong field it is not a guarantee tonight,

and it's very much touch and go

whether Ben Polson get another shot at the grand final

and Mount Midoriyama.

Well, what a shock.

Ben Polson and Olivia Vivian - ninja royalty.

Could a palace coup on the cards tonight?

Our next competitor is one half of an emerging power couple.

She's the second best performing female ninja from the heats.

A superb effort for a newcomer.

It's National pole vault champion Lisa Campbell.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

I'm a national pole vault champ.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

I started pole vaulting when I was about 21, 22.

Five years later I was at the Commonwealth Games.

(CHEERS)

Now I've started Ninja,

I'm so pumped to do something like new and different.

Eddie and I are a couple.

Eddie!

And watching Eddie last year...

You can do it! OK, take your time.

..it was really great,

'cause it really gave me a good foundation this year to prepare.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Yes, Lis, that's the way.

Eddie is my emotion support and my coach.

He's been helping me a lot.

The heat was actually really rough just like it to where I got to.

Won't surprise me if she gets to the bar hop or even further.

When I reached the same point as Eddie...

She's on it now, there is no turning back.

Transition one done.

..I was like, I'm gonna beat Eddie!

If she nails this, she's gonna beat her boyfriend.

Oh!

And then I didn't.

She landed it. Oh!

But she just couldn't hold it.

Tonight, this one's for you, Eddie.

I'm hitting that buzzer.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Didn't she knock the socks off just about everyone

when she turned up for her heat?

You got this!

Hard to believe that Lisa Campbell was on the sidelines last year.

Now she's knocking on the door of the grand final.

She did finish ahead of Olivia Vivian.

In terms of obstacles completed, yes, she did.

And there's her man on the sideline - Eddie 'Buzzer' Burrill.

Another top contender.

We'll be seeing him on the course a little bit later on tonight.

(BUZZER)

Here we go - Lisa Campbell across the Log Runner.

Can she do it?

Oh! No, yes, she's still alive.

Has to push up.

She's still alive.

It's a push up in the middle of the obstacle.

That's OK. And she can still do it!

(CHEERS)

And a frog jump across the line.

Oh, my goodness.

It doesn't matter how you do it, it matters that you do it.

Oh, my goodness. Oh, my god.

That's why she's a champion pole vaulter.

And the discipline of pole vaulting is the perfect set up

for this course.

It's one of the toughest disciplines to master.

Now for the Double Dipper.

Look at her now, just going through the paces.

This obstacle is twice as long as the Big Dipper

she encountered in the heats - it's a monster.

And that jump from the first to the second dipper

has to be perfectly timed.

No room for even the smallest miscalculation.

(CHEERS)

Here she goes. Lisa Campbell on the Double Dipper.

Flies, lache...

Missed the grip!

Lisa Campbell falls in the pool on obstacle number two.

It is going to be very difficult for Lisa Campbell to find a spot

in tonight's grand final.

Let's just have a look at the replay, Bec,

because she looked so solid on that first dipper.

Oh, I thought she was good!

Yeah, let's have a look here.

Lisa's hips are just a bit too high on the release,

so she didn't quite get the distance she needed.

She had to throw her shoulders ever so slightly forward

and she would have had it.

So close, but so far.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

First time on Australian Ninja Warrior,

you made the semi-finals, I know you wanted to go all the way,

I know you wanted to beat Eddie.

Um, was this the obstacle you thought you may go off on?

Um, no. (LAUGHS)

That was actually really quite fun.

I didn't think I'd go off on that one.

But yeah, I obviously just didn't quite get the position right

on my hands and hello water.

So yeah, it's quite disappointing.

But it is what it is.

Now we're devastated for you, but you've done such a wonderful effort,

so congratulations, great to have you a part of the show,

and I'm sure it's not the last time we see you.

Yeah, hopefully not, thank you.

Good on you. Put your hands together please. Lisa Campbell!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

On ya, Crawf.

First Ben Polson, now Lisa Campbell.

A little bit of deja vu here at Sydney Olympic Stadium.

Mount Midoriyama dominated the first semi-final

and it's flashing out ninjas here again tonight.

But our next competitor has beaten the course before

and has every chance of doing it again tonight.

Cheered on in the heats by his pet rats,

the self confessed geek thrilled us all

with that incredible 360 spin on the Walk Wall.

Here he is, the Rat Man himself, Jake Baker.

Heading into the semi-finals, I know I've got the rats

and I'm a dungeon master,

but I do want to show the other competitors that I am an athlete

and I can run these courses.

The Rat Man - will he get the cheese?

I could have been on the Power Tower in the heats.

Oh, look at this.

This is impressive stuff from Jake Baker.

Thinking back on it now I maybe wasted a little bit of time.

He's having a stretch of his hamstrings.

But I looked pretty good.

Jake Baker, unbelievable stuff.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

In the semi-finals, I'm getting serious,

I'm gonna just do my best to run straight through, no distractions.

Rat Daddy got to the grand final last year

and he's doing it again.

(MUSIC BUILDS)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Jake Baker watched on by his favourite rats -

Ratalie Portman and Elizabeth Warren.

(LAUGHS)

(BUZZER)

Jake 'Rat Man' Baker on the Log Runner.

Something his rats would really like to have a play on.

Jake Baker is through them no problem at all.

OK, Bec, now Double Dipper time.

He's looking pretty relaxed so far.

Oh!

Oh, shaky old start for Jake Baker, but he gets away with it.

(CHEERS)

Oh, I thought it was all over there for a minute,

but Jake survives and he's matching Ben Polson's time

as he moves on to the Double Tilt Ladder.

And look at that, he goes straight onto the fourth rung,

avoiding the ladder tilt completely.

Skips a rung on the second ladder, too.

He's racing through this obstacle.

There he goes - the lache.

Oh, my goodness.

Perfectly executed.

How is he looking from where you are, Crawf?

The rats are looking on.

The rats just had a little peek and said...

"Go, Jake!"

Onto the first set of parallel bars.

Oh! Whoa!

A bit of a miscalculation. He recovers though.

Straightens up now, gets the hips swinging.

Will make the first lache.

Nice work.

Moves the arms around,

gets a little bit of real estate until this corkscrew.

Here he comes. Hang on, hang on!

Oh! Oh... yes.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

It's interesting with that corkscrew,

you don't know until it's come to a stop

whether or not you've survived it.

He did and now he's almost finished this obstacle, Bec.

He is putting in a terrific performance here in the semi-final.

He is not showing any nerves indeed.

But he's just stepped up to the Dragon Back now.

Possibly the most difficult obstacle we've seen in semi-final history

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

The obstacle that took up Ben Polson, so it's got to be tough.

Up he goes, no hesitation.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Can the Rat Man Jake Baker slay the Dragon Back?

Judging from his performance in the heats,

there is a grand final spot waiting for him.

OK, he's at the top. Oh, the wheel's just come off the track slightly.

Corrects it, down he goes.

And now he's got to deal with this second assault.

Up he goes again, Bec.

Can he do it, Jake Baker?

Up he goes. Oh!

Nearly at the top.

Come on, Jake.

Come on, Jake!

And now this is hold on tight time.

Jake Baker - he's almost through the Dragon Back.

Lands it!

And at that point, he's overtaken Ben Polson.

He's in with a shot on the Power Tower, as well.

Grand final in his sights.

First, The Wall.

Beat the wall, they say.

CROWD CHANTS: Beat the wall!

And he just jogs his way up...

Will he do a trick? ..the extra high Warped Wall.

No. Perfectly done.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Jake Baker puts his hands up to the crowd,

and now he's two obstacles away from the Chimney Rope Climb.

But he's got to get past the Basket Toss.

There's 3.4m separating each basket.

He is on the first one, now getting the swing.

These baskets toss you around like you're in a washing machine.

Oh.

The problem is you need to go one way

and the basket tosses you the other.

There he goes though, absolutely not a problem at all for Jake Baker.

Here he goes on the Spider Jump.

You've got to be careful here - it's all about sticking this landing.

And you just don't want to risk all that hard work that's happened

up to this point.

The reason he's testing it, it's been such a short run-up.

We've had this obstacle in previous seasons,

but there's been a much longer run up.

Here he goes, sticks it.

Oh, yep, he's all good.

No problem for the Rat Man.

He will wriggle himself through this Spider Jump

and it will spit him out at the end.

And then he is at the final obstacle for this semi-final.

This is a fast time, Bec.

The Power Tower is in play.

Jake Baker, shakes out the hands, the 29-year-old,

he's up that chimney now.

Up he goes 3m,

he changes his technique so he is using his feet as well now.

Not the most conventional technique, but he's getting the job done.

6m, 7m.

He is almost there.

Come on, Jake, one last effort!

He gets to the top, the buzzer's waiting for him!

And... (BUZZER)

Yeah! Bam! Yes! Yes! Yes!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Oh, that must feel so good.

He has completed the semi final course, hit the buzzer.

He's on top.

Wow. Jake Baker with a look of relief on his face

has shown that he is a serious player in grand final contention for 2021.

And he's a very big chance to compete on the Power Tower, as well.

Let's take a look at the replay.

Jake attacked the obstacles with speed and brute force

rather than worrying about technique and efficiency.

He trusted his body to get him through,

and the strategy, it paid off.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

Jake, congratulations, that was amazing to watch, well done.

And some of the obstacles, especially the last couple,

it really was very much like a rat up a drainpipe.

You just flew straight through, knew exactly what to do.

Oh, it was smoke and mirrors.

(LAUGHS)

At the moment, and I know things can change,

'cause they're always changing on this show,

you're going to the Power Tower.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

You've dreamt of that, haven't you?

Yes.

In the heats I know I didn't run as fast as I could have,

but I was secretly hoping.

I'm really glad I get the chance to follow up on that.

Go and take in the crowd, they'd love to get behind you.

Please put your hands together for the machine right here, Jake Baker!

Well done, mate.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

It's a tidy effort from him, Crawf, he's beaten Ben Polson with ease.

That's not a good sign for last year's champ.

With so many ninjas still to come,

Ben Polson's grip on the top eight spot and a place in a grand final

is looking mighty shaky, Bec.

Time for a break,

but we'll be a back with more Australian Ninja Warrior

semi-final action right after this.

Coming up, some of the biggest names in Ninja,

Jordan Papandrea...

Speed is crucial tonight.

..Olivia Vivian...

I can do this.

..Jack Wilson...

I want it. It's mine.

..and some spectacular new talent.

David can beat Goliath.

As Mount Midoriyama unleashes its might...

This course is insane.

..everyone is gunning for the Power Tower

and that huge grand final advantage.

(THEME MUSIC)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior semi-finals

where a raging Mount Midoriyama has been

shredding some big-name reputations.

Last year's champion, Ben Polsen, has an anxious wait ahead

to find out if he's done enough to make the grand final.

And one of our most promising female competitors, Lisa Campbell,

almost certainly out of the competition.

Our next ninja has already felt the full wrath

of the mountain this year.

He came into this season as one of the favourites,

but he only just scraped in to the semi-final,

Determined not to slip up twice, welcome back, Jordan Papandrea.

(CROWD CHEERS)

Jordan is a three time grand finalist.

Will 2021 deliver him grand final number four?

Gymnastics is, it's very competitive.

You have to tick all the boxes and be perfect with everything.

In the heats I was far from that.

One, two, three, four, five, and through.

The first obstacle felt good.

Second felt great.

But the cyclone spinner...

A lot of ninjas have crashed out, so he wants to make sure...

..it was tough.

It's all about technique.

Come on mate, you can do this.

Ah, he's off.

No! Oh, no!

He made it.

The thing I hate, falling on something

that I know I can get through.

You know, that's only my third obstacle.

It went straight through my head that

my season coming to a halt right here.

That is shattering.

To be training so hard for something,

to not reach your goal, is quite devastating.

And when I found out I was in the semis,

I just thought, "great, another chance to prove myself.

"To get back up out there."

Going into it off a loss is a chance to come back and rise.

I've got to use that to my motivation

and use it to drive me to the semis.

Now Bec, it is known that you've got

a special soft spot for Jordan Papandrea.

So, if you could take me inside his mind at the moment,

he'd have to be nervous

based on the fact that he didn't do as well in the heats as he'd hoped.

Well it was one of the biggest shocks of the heats.

Jordan Papandrea out on just the third obstacle.

It's gotta be said, he is struggling with his confidence this year,

but he needs to put that mistake in the heats

in the back of his mind now.

He cannot relive that moment.

OK, come on, Jordan. It's now underway.

This is the time to shine.

Oh no! Aww!

Oh no.

Hang on somehow he's hung onto that log.

Oh, he's trying to get himself across.

What a save.

Oh my goodness, what is going on?

How did he get out of that?

I have no idea.

You're his spiritual leader.

I mean, tell me, what's going on in his mind?

He's got to get that out of his head.

I've got everything crossed now.

OK, here's the double-dipper.

Hold it, hold it.

Oh! No!

You're man Jordan.

He's in the water.

Jordan Papandrea.

After recovering on obstacle number one...

Yes, throws his hands up in the air.

He's getting some applause and he deserves it.

But he'll be gutted with that Rebecca Maddern.

You reckon he's gutted?

I'm gutted, Bed Fordham!

(LAUGHS) Alright, well don't watch the replay.

Here it goes.

Jordan, he just didn't look on his game tonight.

He faulted early on the log runner.

Only that strength and flexibility

allowed him to keep his legs out of the water.

Then on the double-dipper

he didn't lache at all off the second set of rails,

so instead of catching the cargo net, he caught the water.

Well I'm so sorry.

Ah, mate, you know what?

What can you do? You know.

Ah, this sucks again.

This year's not my year, hey.

I had you pencilled in going all the way tonight.

I just didn't feel myself. I don't know what it is.

Umm, but, you can't do anything about it.

Good on you. Put your hands together for Jordan Papandrea.

(CROWD CHEERS)

Good on you mate. Bad luck.

Ow, Jordan Papandrea and Ben Polson,

both capable of so much more than what we've witnessed tonight.

But their disappointment could open the door for

some talented new-comers.

Our next ninja definitely has the talent.

He's also one of the oldest competitors.

In the heats he out-performed ninjas half his age.

Please welcome, Trevor Salter.

My name is Trevor Salter, I'm 47-year-old.

I'm from Perth, Western Australia

and I am a parking services co-ordinator.

In the heats I was quite nervous.

I think he's gonna do it.

I was absolutely stoked to make it as far as I did.

Trevor Salter making it

really hard work for himself and he finds the pool.

(KLAXON BLARING)

Since the heats I've kept up my training,

doing some weights, keeping up the strength.

Really good exercise for controlling tendonitis.

I do have to train a lot differently to the younger crew.

I'm a little bit like a classic old muscle car.

You know, I've got to warm up for about a half an hour,

but then I go pretty well once I'm warm.

Well done Trevor Salter.

So, I'll be running the course tonight

for my family and particularly my brother.

And Ben's cheering him on at the moment.

He's got cerebral palsy.

So, he's had quite a tough life.

Still didn't let it hold him back.

And he's just such an inspiration to me being his, you know, big brother.

Oh, nice.

That's it. Slowly up.

Yeah.

You know, he's a beautiful person.

If I could make him proud, I'll be a happy brother.

(CROWD CHEERING)

And from here at Sydney Olympic Park

we also travel to Perth tonight via our big screen

because we know Trevor's greatest inspiration is his family.

His brother, Ben, wife, Rachel, and boys, Seth and Vane.

Hi gang, you must be excited?

Yes, we are.

Trevor looks in great shape tonight.

So, you sit back and relax.

We're full of confidence for him tonight.

Well this is it, semi-finals, big moment for Trevor.

Here he goes. Trevor Salter on the log runner.

Just keep in mind guys, this guy is 47 years of age.

Quite incredible, isn't it?

He looks in tip-top shape.

Here he is at the second obstacle.

Yeah, didn't miss a beat on that first obstacle.

Now this could be a real problem.

Look at him look left, look right, make sure of it.

And remember just moments ago took out Jordan Papandrea.

Oh, he gets across to the cargo net.

Don't look down what ever you do.

Whole family very nervous looking on.

Come on Trevor, you need to find the safety of the mat.

And he does.

The parking inspector gets through two obstacles.

The crowd like what they see.

He's now up on the rope.

For the double tilt ladder now.

This one can be dangerous as well.

Preparing for the tilt, down he goes.

The family watching on on the big screen at the moment.

They've got a front-row seat to a very nervous moment now for Trevor.

Look at the forearms.

Makes the transfer, swings, safe again.

Oh, and he's got his family riding the highs and lows of this

every step of the way.

Not just his relatives and friends.

Bec, look at this crowd, Crawf.

Have you ever heard a parking inspector get that much support?

I don't think so.

Now the flying shelf grab to corkscrew.

This is when you really know you're in the semi-finals.

Trevor needs fingertip precision to land this first jump.

Make no mistake, the arms are burning now.

Finding enough oxygen.

5Makes the leap. Nice one, Trevor.

Yeah, there's lots of pressure on the fingertips.

But, now, Bec, that corkscrew's in front of him.

Oh I'm nervous.

Not only have you got to catch it,

you've got to hold on when it twists and turns at the bottom.

You've got to go up.

Oh! No!

And Trevor splashes out on the corkscrew.

Our parking inspector, 47 years of age,

never been on the Australian Ninja Warrior course before this year.

That is a wonderful effort.

He can be proud of it, Bec.

He powered across the double tilt ladder,

he just didn't conserve enough energy.

I think by the time he hit the flying shelf grab to corkscrew

fatigue was hitting hard.

He did well to catch the corkscrew.

But not enough strength to engage his upper body and hold on.

That indeed was a very strong run.

It's early days yet, but the parking inspector may have just written

himself a ticket to the grand final.

Still to come,

on the night of the ninja power couples

exciting up and comers, Jessica 'the Koori Ninja' Russell

and her trainer boyfriend, Travis Edwards.

As they make their play for the ninja crown.

You can't deny the fire of the Koori Ninja.

And can Olivia Vivian avenge her partner Ben Polson's wash-out

on the drag and bag?

Oh no, Ben Polson.

It is definitely game on.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

We are at the semifinal stage of the competition.

With just eight of tonight's ninjas

progressing through to thre grand final.

And Bec, with so much at stake,

Mount Midoriyama is in a ruthless mood.

Only rap daddy Jake Baker has made it all the way to the buzzer.

(CHEERING)

Reigning champ Ben Polson

in danger of missing out on the grand final.

(BUZZER)

During the break, ninja after ninja capitulated

to our new and hellishly demanding semifinal course.

Koori Ninja, Jessica Russell, was struck by stagefright

at the starting line.

She's hesitant to go. When she flew across the log runner,

it looked like she had dusted off the nerves.

Yes! Oh, she makes it!

But came crashing back to earth on the Double Dipper.

Oh no. Oh no.

Leaving trainer and boyfriend, Travis Edwards,

the couple's only chance for grand final glory.

The Double Dipper also claimed the scalp

of ninja importer Jeffrey Mercado.

Oh! Well, I don't know if he meant to take off exactly there, but-

Oh no, he's in the pool.

Former grand finalist and proud Tully resident,

Justin Flegler, hoped it would be third time lucky

when he tackled the course.

Up the river!

Eyes ahead, doesn't want to make a mistake on the first obstacle.

He's a no-nonsense competitor.

But he wasn't expecting

the big kick-back on the Double Dipper.

So far so good.

Here he goes, nice-

Oh no! Oh!

Backflipped into the pool!

Yeah, just goes to show you how tough this course is.

But if anyone can take on the might of Mount Midoriyama,

it's our next competitor.

Well, what would a Ninja Warrior semifinal be

without this inspirational favourite?

Shooting for an astonishing fourth straight grand final.

It's the almighty Olivia Vivian.

Come on!

Here she goes for a second attempt! Yeah!

No, Olivia! Hold on! What?! What?! What?!

How the hell did that happen?

She grabs it, she gets it, she's there!

Oh, she's just done the splits!

She blows a kiss and backflips away up the wall.

What the hell is this move? CRAWF: Oh no, what are you doing?

This is the first time in five years

I haven't made it to the Warped Wall.

In the heats...

So classy in the air, isn't she, Olivia Vivian?

Oh no, oh no! Oh!

Oh no.

We have lost Olivia Vivian.

Unbelievable.

It is disappointing. And just by a centimeter.

You're in the water.

But it's not about how you fall.

It's how you get back up.

It is definitely game on.

You know, semis, I've experienced semis before.

It's not easy.

I'm gonna take it one obstacle at a time.

'Cause I really want that buzzer tonight.

And the queen arrives on the course.

And there's her boyfriend

and reigning champion, Ben Polson.

There on the sidelines.

He'll be nervous because he won't know for a little while yet

if he's made it into the grand final.

There's a good chance now

his girlfriend is about to push him down the rankings.

Ben Polson. He wants Olivia to do well

but he doesn't wanna miss out on his chance.

Olivia Vivian scraped through her heat.

She was disappointed with that performance, you'll remember,

so tonight she is focused on hitting that buzzer.

(BUZZER)

Speaking of buzzers.

Olivia Vivian absolutely nails the Log Runner

That was easy.

Double Dipper next.

This obstacle is long, super fast

and it has been a ninja killer tonight.

She's got that mixed grip.

Now she sets off, Olivia Vivian.

Come on, Olivia. Good catch.

Oh, she survived!

Oh, she's all good. She's all good.

Our girl is good.

So confident when she's got those feet hanging over the water.

And now look at this,

she's going backwards here up, look at that way.

A diffferent way of getting the momentum

to get up onto that first ladder.

So comfortable.

The Double Tilt Ladder now, down she goes, the first one.

She's so controlled. She's so precise.

So safe. So sweet. So Olivia Vivian.

We just love watching Olivia Vivian.

Come on, girl. Lands on the mat.

Three obstacles down now, Ben Fordham, she's on a roll.

It's now time for the flying shelf grab to corkscrew.

She may just be a little worried about this one.

Yeah, she just had a nice little nod there to Ben Polson,

as if to say "Yeah, I'm OK."

He's suggesting she just needs

to work her way through in her head

before she actually does it on the course.

You really need a strong game plan for this one.

She's thought about it, all she needs now is to execute it.

She has no problem there, grabbing on,

but this is the big one.

Oh, hold your breath everybody!

Spins around, she survives the corkscrew!

She was thrown around like a ragdoll there.

And now, look at her kick the legs up,

she'll have no issues here, Bec.

Olivia, despite her being really slight,

she's 166cm and only 60kg,

she is so good in the air.

Here she comes now, up the Dragon Back.

This obstacle is cruel, Ben.

It is a hard slog up the hill and a hard slog down.

Ben Polson giving her a piece of advice.

Rest the arms.

And he should know,

this is the obstacle that he went out on earlier.

Well, the last two obstacles

have really tested Olivia's forearms.

At this stage there's no doubt they'll be burning.

Does she have enough grip strength left to get across this obstacle?

She does not wanna end up in the water

like that man, Ben Polson.

Just have a look at how slight she is

compared to the massive obstacle in front of her.

Come on, we know how competitive she is.

She wants to beat it.

(CHEERING)

Nice. She's up.

She's up again. Great, great form.

She's not wasting any energy. She's on the top.

And she's down.

This is where it gets really hard though.

They've gotta go up the hill again.

Look at the focus.

She wants to make it to the grand final

for the fourth time.

Can she do it again tonight?

Oh my goodness!

Explosive energy from her, this is giving me chills!

Olivia Vivian flies through! Yes!

She's going to defeat the Dragon Back.

She has just done what her partner, Ben Polson, could not do!

And look at Ben!

She has completed the course yet

but this crowd has just erupted!

It's almost like she's gone up the Warped Wall.

Woohoo! Well, didn't go up the Warped Wall in her heat,

so she wants to rectify that right now.

Olivia has done this wall time and time again.

But this is higher than ever before.

Her arms are still stinging.

Go, go, go, go, push those arms.

Yes! Yeah!

She's not gonna do a trick, she's not gonna do a trick!

You can't do a trick in the semifinal!

Wow! Yes!

We love you, Olivia!

No time for chatting, get going! Yes!

That is the huge monkey off her back tonight,

she didn't get there in the heats

she's wanted that wall in the semifinal.

But just have a look over here, Bec, because it's not done yet.

She's gotta keep on going.

Three obstacles to go and they're brutal.

She's going to have to be completely on her game

to get through to the end.

She's taking quite some time to reset for this next obstacle.

The Basket Toss. And with good reason, it's hard.

She's also got that mini-tramp in front of her

she's had trouble with that before.

Up she goes.

OK, she's gonna feel those arms now,

but she's just gotta grate her teeth and get through this.

This is incredible stuff,

there's 3.4m between each of these baskets.

Olivia Vivian, she gets through it.

(CHEERING)

But now I get really scared,

because there is yet another mini-tramnp.

Yeah, she's had some problems on the Spider Jump before.

But let's not talk about that right now.

And this year the run up to the mini-tramp is a lot shorter,

she's going to have to hit that mini-tramp right in the middle.

Yeah, only Jake Baker has made it this far tonight,

if Olivia Vivian can get to the buzzer,

then there's a spot waiting for her on the Power Tower.

Go, jump!

Done it! Sticks it! Yes.

Here she goes.

Through the Spider Jump.

Oh, Olivia Vivian,

you are tearing up this course tonight!

Here she is, here's a future champion.

She gets straight into the Chimney Rope Climb.

And she's gotta pull her body all the way to the top.

She's already at level four, slowing down a little bit,

can she go back to back?

She's getting up to the six metre mark.

A few more to go Olivia, I know you're tiring!

Get up there! Get to the top!

Olivia Vivian books her spot in the 2021 grand final!

This woman is phenominal!

Olivia Vivian,

through to the grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

What a run!

And right now she is through to the Power Tower as well.

Olivia...

Much more like it!

Yes! (BEN LAUGHS)

I missed this!

Oh, it's so good to be at the end and talk to you guys.

I really did miss that in the heats.

Oh, we missed you in the heats.

How did you find this course tonight?

You look so good and particularly on the Dragon Back,

such a difficult obstacle, but you nailed it.

It is pumpy. Arm after arm after arm after arm.

It was all or nothin'.

All or nothin'.

Put your hands together for the one and only,

Olivia Vivian.

And what a way to hit back

after the disappointment of the heats.

Olivia Vivian didn't just make it to the top of the Warped Wall tonight,

she did it with her trademark trick.

Then, with her arm muscles screaming,

she slogged through the back end of the course.

She may have been exhausted,

but she executed each obstacle flawlessly.

And that is what makes a champion.

She gets a big hug now from Ben Polson.

And Olivia has pushed him down

to third position on the leaderboard.

And with so many more top-tier ninjas to come

his chances of making the grand final,

they've taken a big knock, Bec.

And as Olivia leaves the arena

she acknowledges her fellow grand finalists -

Bryson Klein, Ashlin Herbert, Charlie Robbins and Jimmy Burrow.

Coming up, the semifinal action returns

right after this.

Still to come...

The heavy-hitters of this ninja competition

take to the course.

I feel like I'm gonna hit that buzzer tonight.

Explosive newcomer Kayle Goldring.

I definitely feel like I've improved myself.

Three-time grand finalist Ryan Solomon.

My mission - be a four-time grand finalist.

And crowd favourite Jack Wilson.

You're gonna witness some greatness.

Can they knock our reigning champ out of grand final contention?

You better watch out.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

We are at the semifinal stage of the competition,

with just eight of tonight's ninjas

progressing through to the grand final.

So far, two have made it through the course -

geek athlete Jake Baker and ninja trailblazer Olivia Vivian,

but in the biggest shock of the night,

Olivia's boyfriend and last year's champion Ben Polson

is in danger of missing the cut.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

It all comes down to how well our remaining competitors perform.

This is the most treacherous course we've ever seen in a semifinal.

So, can a rookie triumph

where some of our biggest name ninjas have fallen short?

Our next competitor is new to ninja this year.

He rocked up to the heats with big brother Brayden,

but with Brayden crashing out early,

the family's hopes now rest with this bloke.

Here he is - Kayle Goldring.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on, Kayle! You got this, dude!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(DRIVING ROCK MUSIC)

I've honestly only stepped foot inside a ninja gym one time...

..but growing up,

I used to actually watch a lot of Ninja Warrior with my dad,

and my dad was, honestly, my idol.

(STIRRING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

My dad, Brian, has really overcome a lot.

Epilepsy, cancer, and now he's also got Parkinson's,

but he's always got a smile on his face.

So, beating this course and having him see me do that would be amazing.

So, we've got a little bit of news.

We actually applied to be on the show.

Yeah. And we've got in.

No, I'm very proud of you both.

Wow, thanks, Dad. Thanks.

Having watched the show together, growing up,

to have an opportunity to actually go and compete,

it's, yeah, it's a dream come true.

Who is this fella?

REBECCA: He's showing really good form for a first-time ninja.

I don't want to sound too arrogant,

but I did feel like I was gonna do well.

Great work, Kayle Goldring.

I know if I'd made that last catch on the beehive,

I would have been up that wall and hitting that buzzer.

Ohh! Oh!

Tonight, this course is insane.

It's twice the length of the original heat.

So, I have to give it my all, 120%.

I want to be in the top spot and I want to make my dad proud.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

We say hello to Brian via the big screen tonight.

Hi!

Give him a big wave, Kayle. Hi, Kayle.

Hi, Brayden.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Dad's sitting here, just so proud of you, mate.

Yeah, just wanna see you do your best.

Dad, are you feeling nervous?

I'm more nervous than him, I think.

(LAUGHTER)

You can do it, mate. You can do it. Whoo! Come on, Kayle!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Off he goes. (CHIME SOUNDS)

Kayle Goldring on the Log Runner,

and the rookie picks up where he left off in the heats.

Ohh, that was flawless.

Yes, yes, yes! Now for the Double Dipper.

Now, this obstacle has torpedoed so many ninjas tonight.

It looks like Kayle is going for an overhand grip on the bar.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here we go. Launches himself. Oh, nice work!

Catches it, and off.

Yeah, terrific... oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Phew. OK.

He went backwards on the cargo net there.

Lucky he didn't take a dip.

Good start. He's neck and neck with Ben Polson's time right now.

How's he doing down there, Crawf?

Looks in great control.

He's got perfect form so far.

He's got his core engaged. Arms are bent.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Moving well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Look at the muscles in the back.

Reminds me of myself.

And how he's gotta find his way off.

And the release! And he does it.

We're away!

Yee-haw! Go, Kayle! Yes!

And now for the Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

Kayle has plenty of upper body strength,

but that last obstacle certainly would have drained his energy.

Kayle Goldring goes up the pole,

gets his way onto the monkey bars.

Now he's gotta transition to this shelf.

Left hand and right hand. Launches himself.

Yeah, OK.

This is the tricky bit - it's the corkscrew.

Looks... oh!

Ohh!

No way!

This is a beautiful swing he's got. Great catch.

And he holds on to the next shelf.

Oh, great form on the corkscrew!

Again, engaging his core and arms,

which allows him to control that spin.

Oh! Yes, Kayle! Go, go!

Taking it easy, Kayle!

This is an extraordinary performance for a first-time ninja.

Now he's up against the Dragonback.

This is the obstacle, Bec, that brought Ben Polson undone.

Speaking of Ben Polson, Kayle is 36 seconds than Ben right now,

but if he gets through this obstacle, that will not matter.

He'll edge ahead of the reigning champ.

A little miscue. Oooh, he corrects it.

He'll be alright, Ben.

Onto that second descent.

Up he goes. This is where it gets really tough.

The arms are burning. The stomach's hurting.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on, Kayle. You gotta keep...

Ohh! Oh!

He had just one more rung to go,

and instead of sliding down the dragon's neck,

he's gone feet first into the pool.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Great effort, though, Kayle.

Remember, this is a newbie ninja,

and he has made it to the Dragonback.

Oh, so close, though.

Ben Polson will be breathing a giant sigh of relief.

Let's have a look at the replay.

For a bloke who's brand-new to the competition,

Kayle displayed exceptional control and awareness

as he made his way through,

but unfortunately, a pause to change grip on the Dragonback

stopped him in his tracks.

Lights out.

Kayle, what is it?

You see the Warped Wall and you wanna jump off all the time.

In your heats, you were almost there.

In the semifinals.

Look, I wanted that Warped Wall so bad today, man.

You know, like, I had my dad watching.

So, I let you down, Dad.

Gets you on the forearms, man. Like, it really does.

As you said, you had your dad on the sidelines.

You've got your brother as well. Great support crew.

Yeah, no, definitely.

I mean, having them there, having my dad be able to watch,

means, like, absolutely everything.

I was almost getting into tears, actually at the start,

but you know, it definitely gave me that little push I need.

I wish I'd just been able to hold on.

I think I tried to change my grip, which probably wasn't the best idea,

but, yeah, no, having their support is amazing.

Hey, congratulations. Well done. Thanks so much.

Super effort. Put your hands together!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yeah, Crawf, it was a super effort indeed,

and you've gotta wonder, where did this guy come from?

I think we're gonna be seeing a lot more of Kayle Goldring,

and maybe even in the grand final.

Well, Bec, he finds himself

in fourth position.

Just two ninjas have made it

through all nine obstacles

to hit the buzzer.

So, Jake 'Rat Daddy' Baker

and Olivia Vivian.

They're on the Power Tower

at this stage.

Olivia's boyfriend

and reigning champion Ben Polson

is clinging on to third spot,

but with so many top shelf ninjas

waiting to compete,

Ben knows his name will start

slipping down that leaderboard.

It's semifinal night on Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Still to come, Olivia Vivian avenged the shock fall of her boyfriend

with a perfect run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Can Eddie Burrill and Travis Edwards do the same for their partners?

Flies, lache. Oh, missed the grip!

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you.

There she goes. Ohh!

It is going to be very difficult

to find a spot in tonight's grand final.

Jess, I'm doing this for you.

And the race is on.

Who has what it takes to compete on the Power Tower

for the game-changing grand final advantage?

(KLAXON BLARES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Welcome back to semifinal night on Australian Ninja Warrior,

where Mount Midoriyama has been merciless,

despatching ninja after ninja from the course.

REBECCA: So far, just two competitors

have made it past the halfway mark.

Jake Baker and Olivia Vivian went on to hit the buzzer.

That puts them in the box seat

to compete on the Power Tower

for that critical second chance advantage in the grand final.

Only eight athletes from tonight's semi

will make it through to the grand final.

And on the course now is a ninja who could very well be one of them.

Of course, Travis Edwards has some extra motivation.

He wants to avenge girlfriend Jessica Russell,

who crashed out of the course earlier tonight.

This is gonna be a big test, though.

This obstacle is cruel!

The Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

Next is this corkscrew. Look at him eyeballing it.

Hold your breath, everybody. This is nasty!

Snatches it.

Not only have you gotta hit it, you've gotta hold it.

Is he gonna hold on when the screw twists him and turns him

and twists him and turns him?

Ohh! Well done!

He's going quickly as well, Bec.

How's he comparing now?

Right now neck and neck with Ben Polson's time.

The crowd's roaring. He's flying!

This guy is putting in an electric performance.

But now he stands before the dreaded Dragonback.

I'm not calm. Are you? (LAUGHS) No!

(LAUGHTER)

OK, come on!

Travis has gotta make his way up there.

A slight correction.

Nearly at the top. He'll go for a slippery dip down.

Now he's gotta go back up.

Well done!

Oh, the arms are burning at this point.

Ohh, can he correct it?

Yes, he does!

Travis! Ohh! Ohh!

He can't keep that bar straight.

Come on, Travis! You're burning energy and you're burning time.

He's just hanging in there at this point.

Oh, no! Ohh!

Ohh!

Oh, Travis!

He's still happy with it, and so he should be,

and Jessica, she'll be proud as well.

Didn't he give it absolutely everything he could?

He had a couple of slip-ups, a couple of miscalculations,

and I think he probably spent one too many of those mistakes.

In the end, the last one just cost him.

The bar stayed up, but Travis Edwards came down.

How's he doing down there, Crawf?

Travis, that was fast. That was very fast to watch.

Thank you. I don't think you took a breath.

No, that was not the plan at the time,

but I probably should have.

I just wanted to keep a consistent pace.

So, that's alright. Next time.

Hey, with only eight people going through to the grand final,

have you done enough to make it?

See how we go. It'll be a first for me, so, definitely fingers crossed.

But got the girlfriend on the sideline.

I feel very lucky, that's for sure.

Very lucky, and very, very supportive.

Yes, that's exactly right.

Congratulations. Please put your hands together for Travis!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Shake that hair. Shake that hair.

Arggh! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, that was a brilliant performance,

but has Travis Edwards done enough

to guarantee himself a spot in the grand final?

It will all come down to time.

Yeah, that's crucial.

Bec, let's have a look at the leaderboard now.

There's Ben Polson slipping down

to fourth position.

Rat man Jake Baker is on top,

then Olivia Vivian,

and Travis Edwards.

Our next competitor has the resume

to suggest he'll be knocking Ben down another peg.

He made his ninja debut last year.

He powered all the way to the grand final,

and hit plenty of buzzers along the way.

Please put your hands together for Eddie Burrell.

MAN: The semis, I've been training all year for this,

straight up to this moment.

I wanna be in that top two, make the Power Tower.

Last year was my first time in Ninja Warrior.

Made it all the way to the grand final.

He's moving faster than some of the ninja veterans.

He's grinding his way.

Hitting that buzzer at the top of those rings -

best feeling in the world.

This guy's heading to the grand final.

And he posts the second-fastest time of the night.

Looking to do that again this year.

Eddie Burrell is setting a cracking pace.

My heat run made a bit of a statement with the speed.

Look at this - no break.

Oh, absolutely no break!

But, yeah, obviously a little slip-up.

Oh, no!

A kiss for his fiancee, Lisa Campbell, over the sideline.

Tonight, I wanna make it all the way.

I'm really gunning down some buzzers.

I didn't hit one in the heats.

I am going to hit one in the semis.

This year, I've got my sights on Mount Midoriyama.

He's confident, the hipster barista!

He got a taste of grand final action last year.

He'd love to be there again.

He's even trimmed his beard!

He is certainly one of our 2021 frontrunners,

and he's a big chance

of leapfrogging reigning champion Ben Polson,

who's clinging on to fourth place right now.

Eddie's fiancee, Lisa Campbell. There she is.

She made a shock exit earlier,

but he's gotta put that out of his mind.

This is your chance to shine, Eddie.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

This bloke's a real shot to go all the way to Mount Midoriyama...

Ohhh, no! He's in the water.

He tried his best to hang on, but he's out.

Eddie Burrill, grand finalist from last year,

has splashed out on the first obstacle.

How can this happen?

I'm not sure I'm the man to answer the question.

I thought he was going all the way,

but the replay shows, yes, the third log -

he slipped off it, then hit the fourth,

and crashed straight into the fifth.

Eddie 'Buzza' Burrill nowhere near the buzzer.

Ben, it's hard to comprehend that a grand finalist from last season

crashes out on the first obstacle in the semifinal in 2021,

but that, sadly, is how it goes on ninja.

All it takes - the tiniest lapse in concentration and it's goodnight.

So much hard work.

Support from Lisa for Eddie.

Let's hope we see him back here. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Time for a break, but we'll be back

with more Australian semifinal action right after this.

Coming up...

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

..everyone wants to knock Jake and Olivia off the Power Tower

and get that second chance run in the grand final...

Deadly's coming at you.

..and, boy, have we saved some of the best till last.

Whoo! Let's go!

BEN: Tonight's top two furthest fastest ninjas

will face off on the all-new Power Tower

for a game-changing second chance in the grand final,

all thanks to Energizer.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back.

It's semifinal night of Australian Ninja Warrior,

here from the Olympic Stadium, in Sydney,

and Mount Midoriyama,

it is causing all sorts of headaches for our ninjas tonight.

REBECCA: During the break,

three-time grand finalist Ryan Solomon had plenty to prove

after a disappointing performance in the heats.

Yes!

Then he was back to his best,

as he powered through the Double Dipper...

Makes it!

..and the Double Tilt Ladder.

Here he goes.

But his hopes of a fourth grand final appearance

spiralled on the corkscrew.

Can he do it? Watch his body! Watch his body!

No! Oh, no!

(APPLAUSE)

Newcomer David Lack backed up his impressive form in the heats,

becoming just the fifth ninja tonight

to make it to the Dragonback.

Here he goes - David Lack.

But as he worked his way up the dragon spine,

it was his muscles that were breathing fire.

He couldn't quite make it.

Can he be one of the few ninjas... oh!

David Lack is in the pool. (BUZZER SOUNDS)

Will loser? Lose am Will.

Jarryd's on my sideline and he's keeping it chill, yeah!

Will Kelly has always been more comedian than competitor,

but he jettisoned his joker image

to make a serious assault on the course.

With best mate and ninja twin Jarryd Sutton

screaming advice from the sideline,

Will looked bound for the Power Tower,

as he surged up the Dragonback.

He is looking so good right now!

Unlike so many others,

he made it to the top of the second set of stairs...

Oh, he's half-up, half-down.

..but he didn't have the grip strength he needed

to make the final leap to safety,

and he ended up a wet Willy.

The G-force hits like a ton of bricks.

Well, our last three ninjas didn't make it past the Dragonback,

which means we will be seeing

last year's champion Ben Polson

compete in his fifth grand final.

He'll be feeling mighty relieved

about that, I would imagine.

But, Bec, are we gonna get another ninja

to the end of this semifinal course?

Let's find out.

Our next competitor just keeps on getting better.

He crashed out in the heats in season three,

and then took two years off to prepare for his ninja return.

All his hard work paid off,

with an impressive performance in this year's heats.

He's an all-round good bloke.

Please welcome Khaled Mahmoud.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MAN: My name is Khaled Mahmoud.

In my family, we currently have...

..eight siblings - nine kids, including myself -

and since my parents have divorced,

as the oldest sibling, I've become the man of the house.

It does not matter where you come from. Everyone belongs...

I have a lot of responsibility now,

especially with my sister, Aaliyah, who was born with Down syndrome.

Go! Pull up!

The passion I have for Ninja Warrior

has definitely reflected over to them.

They love it.

My brothers and sisters look up to me.

Careful, bro! (LAUGHS)

Yeah! Good job! (CLAPPING)

That's why I'm back here - back to get my revenge.

He's backwards! Ohh!

Arggh! Ohh!

If he'd pulled that off,

that would have been the greatest move we've ever seen.

I really want to show them that I have the strength,

the focus, the visualisation, to go to grand finals.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Khaled's family would not miss this for the world.

Eight siblings! Look at them all!

There's a lot of support there.

Yes! No!

What a moment for them, and what a moment for Khaled.

Reminder - $200,000 on the line.

Here he goes - Khaled on the Log Runner.

Does... oh, and a somersault at the end! (LAUGHS)

A little bit of trouble on that fifth one,

but that's all gone now.

He needs to focus on the Double Dipper.

Arms up in the air. Taking a deep breath. Here he goes.

First dip, first catch!

Nicely! Perfect!

Cargo net. Oh! Ohh!

Oh, the family are gonna be proud.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Double tilt ladder time now.

This is the first real test

of that upper body strength on the semifinal course.

First ladder.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Nice work. Oh, oh, oh!

That's not a nice feeling when it does that, is it?

No, well, it looks relatively easy

compared to other equipment that they're on,

but just have a look.

When this jolts, when it moves down...

Nasty! You wanna have a full grip, don't you, Ben?

Yeah, Khaled is making it look easy, Bec.

Saving lots of energy by using an easy looping swing to reach each bar.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He needs to conserve his strength,

because he's for the Flying Shelf to Corkscrew next.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ahh, nice work!

This next, obstacle, though, is one of the toughest - we know that.

He's gotta get through this.

Khaled - halfway home.

I can't believe he's smiling.

Does he have no idea what's coming his way, Bec.

(LAUGHS) He should. I wouldn't be smiling if I was him.

Khaled has three very tricky jumps ahead of him.

First, he's gotta make that on to the Flying Shelf.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

There's one.

Come on! This is pretty special right now.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on, here we go. Khaled, the corkscrew awaits.

Get ready! And look at this lache.

Ohh! Oh, off he goes!

Khaled has come off on the Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

Oh, what a way to lose a ninja - on the corkscrew!

He's still smiling.

Let's check it out on the replay, and I think...

..yeah, his hands landed so close together,

it meant that the corkscrew spun so fast

and just tossed him away.

Now, this will be interesting.

We'll have to see how the rest of the night pans out

to see if Khaled has done enough

to make it through to the grand final.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I know his family are desperate to see him in the grand final.

Let's check out the leaderboard,

because at the moment, it's a tight race.

The top eight going through

to the grand final,

and the top two on the Power Tower.

Can Olivia Vivian hang on

to that Power Tower position?

And there he is at the moment -

Khaled sliding into number eight.

The semifinal action returns right after this.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Coming up next, there's just one ninja left to run.

Jack's back from a broken back.

After his miracle return in the heats...

He's extraordinary in every sense of the word.

..can the 'Deadly Ninja' Jack Wilson

knock Olivia Vivian off the Power Tower?

Let's get deadly.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where, tonight, Mount Midoriyama has unleashed absolute hell.

BEN: This latest course has been an absolute giant killer,

with some of our most celebrated ninjas

falling by the wayside heartbreakingly early.

In fact, only two have made it all the way to the buzzer tonight.

Jake Baker is now guaranteed a spot on the Power Tower.

Olivia Vivian sits in second at the moment,

and there's just one ninja left to challenge her.

OK, let's get ready, because right now,

we have one of our most loved and inspiring ninjas.

This time last year, he was down for the count with a broken back,

but now he's in the semis.

Make some noise, Australia, for the Deadly Ninja Jack Wilson!

CROWD: Jack is back! Jack is back!

One of our most popular ninjas ever returns.

Jack is back.

This ninja means business!

He just wants to be bigger, better, stronger.

He is fit as a fiddle.

Up, up, up, up! And he's away!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What an athlete!

Ohh, Jack Wilson on fire!

Jack Wilson, we have been waiting for you.

It's been a while.

Season four,

I actually broke my back one month out.

(SIREN WAILS)

You just never think it's gonna happen to you,

and it took me a long time to heal.

This year, in the heats, standing on the start line,

very nervous.

Lots of pressure.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I just didn't know if I'd be able to do these sorts of things again.

(DRIVING ROCK MUSIC)

But when I hit the course,

it was like time was nothing in that moment.

He's loving being back.

I just wanted to prove that anything is possible.

He's extraordinary in every sense of the word.

For me to make it through to the grand finals

would mean resilience and strength.

Rumbling and holding on!

Showing even when you're faced with such adversity,

you can get up and keep moving forward, and achieve.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I want that Power Tower tonight, and I'm gonna get it.

(ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

There is nothing not to love about this guy, Jack Wilson.

He blasted on to the scene

in Australian Ninja Warrior season one,

was the favourite, loved all around Australia,

and he is back, and what a horrific 12 months he's had.

I mean, how does someone come back from a broken back like that,

and not just come back, but be, tonight, in peak physical condition?

I mean, just look at this bloke.

Yeah, he's ready.

He's got his brother, Michael, on the sideline.

There's Candice, Jack's new bride.

They're all urging him on, and those two met last year.

They married eight months later. (CHIME SOUNDS)

He's fast, Jack Wilson!

Now, just watch how quickly he does this - one, two, three, four, five.

So certain about each footstep.

(LAUGHS) So good!

On the Double Dipper.

Come on! You got it!

Candice screaming her lungs out, as he goes the forward grip.

Come on, Jack!

Here he goes - flying through the air!

Makes the transition. Nicely done, Jack Wilson!

Beautiful!

He is looking in great form this year for the semifinals.

Now, remember, Jack did not hit the buzzer in the heat.

He will be wanting to change all that tonight.

Only 30 seconds in. Look at that!

He just goes straight into the middle of that ladder.

He's got his eyes focused on the prize.

Swings across to the next one.

Oh, wow! He's so light. He's so trim.

So good!

Oh, he is in full flight. This is special to watch.

He's so quick too.

Right now, he's within a few seconds of Jake Baker's time.

He is approaching this course tonight with such control.

He's just going along for that beautiful ride.

Now he comes on to the Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew,

the fourth obstacle.

He's almost halfway through the course.

Come on, Jack! Snatches it.

This bit makes me nervous, Ben.

Every single time, I hold my breath.

Well, just watch - when you catch it, you spin and spin and spin.

Here's Jack! Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack!

Oh, whoa!

When you've got your legs just flying through the air,

you really can't do much, can you?

You've just gotta hang on and wait for it to stop.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here he goes on the Flying Shelf Grab.

It's a big lache. He nails it perfectly!

My gosh, he looks good!

And you've gotta keep in mind here

this bloke had a broken back not so long ago.

This is the Dragonback.

This is the third obstacle in a row that's gonna burn your forearms.

They wanna grip, trust me,

but sometimes your hands just won't do it

because your forearms are burning too much.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Only two ninja have got through this obstacle so far tonight.

Come on, Jack.

Here he goes on the ride down to the bungee.

Hits that bungee in the middle.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Yes!

And his supporters are saying, "Get up, get up, get up!"

He's yelling too.

It's not the get-up part that's gonna be the challenge,

it's the sliding down and whether he can hold,

but he's got two more steps, Bec.

Yes, Jack, come on - straight it up.

Oh, he's gotta dig deep now! He does it. One more.

Can he please... get it, get it, get it!

He holds it! Oh, he holds it!

He holds it! Amazing stuff!

Oh, yes! From Jack Wilson!

He has held it! Absolutely incredible!

Celebrates with that traditional kangaroo.

Alright, hop yourself up that Warped Wall, Jack Wilson.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

That was his biggest challenge. Whoa!

Now he'll just waltz his way up the Warped Wall.

No! Hang on a moment. OK.

Yeah, the back will be a little bit of a question mark here,

and that would have put some strain on it when he was on the corkscrew.

Wiping his feet, getting set for another attempt at the Warped Wall.

Time is looking OK.

He's still in contention for a shot at the Power Tower.

This is strike two.

Come on, Jack! Up you go! Up you go!

He's got it! Yes!

He's done it! He's done it!

You bet he's done it! OK, Jack! Time!

Come on, Jack Wilson! Australia, get on your feet!

He's got three obstacles to go!

He's done enough to guarantee a spot in the grand final.

He's travelling two minutes faster than Olivia Vivian.

If he can survive through to the buzzer,

he's on the Power Tower.

OK, here we go on the Basket Toss.

Jack Wilson launches himself.

Up he goes on to the first basket. Nice swing.

Watch his body when he makes the transfer to the second.

The problem is your body is going one way.

When you land on the second basket,

it's a nasty jolt back to the other.

There we go!

See, he swings his body all the way around.

But there's another basket to go

and he's only got a certain amount of time

if he wants to finish in the top two.

This is a big one, Bec! Ohh!

Nicely done, Jack Wilson.

Made the grand final in seasons one and two,

and he is making the grand final in season five.

Here we are at the Spider Jump.

Lands it! Got it.

Nice work!

It's hard to believe the man you're looking at

was laying in bed with a broken back, Rebecca Maddern!

Has he got enough left in the tank?

He's got one more obstacle to go! One more obstacle to go!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And once again, Jack Wilson says to everyone here

outside the Olympic Stadium, "Help me up!"

Yes, he's asking for one more big effort,

not only from himself, but also from the crowd.

He needs the crowd to get him up.

Here he goes - underway.

Jack is ahead of Olivia Vivian's time.

He's gotta make it up the chimney rope.

What a comeback, Rebecca Maddern!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Lying in his hospital bed,

this is exactly what Jack Wilson was dreaming of -

being in the grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior once again,

and the only question right now -

can he make it onto the Power Tower?

He's struggling a little bit.

Look at the pain on his face at the moment.

Come on, Jack! You can do it!

Go, Jack! Come on, Jack!

You've got it, you've got it!

He's only got a few metres to go!

Almost there!

Through the circle! Come on, Jack. Push!

He's there! This is his dream!

He has won a place on the Power Tower!

The champion, Jack Wilson!

It is great to have you back!

He's through to the grand final!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And not only that, he beats Olivia Vivian's time by more than a minute.

Jack Wilson is on the Power Tower!

What a finish, and what a story!

The bloke who turned up on this competition -

everyone fell in love with him.

We missed him last year because of the broken back.

He is on top of the world!

What a performance! Whoo!

So, let's take a look at the Deadly Ninja's killer run.

Jack powered through the first half of this course.

Fatigue started to set in a little on the Basket Toss there.

Just taking his time, the huge laches, but he nailed it.

His slow and steady approach.

There he goes - up the chimney.

Straggling a little bit, but what a moment!

Jack is back on Australian Ninja Warrior!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

That was a near perfect run, Jack!

Did you ever think you'd be up here again, mate?

I was laying on my back, horizontal, February last year,

coming into season four, and my mind was going AWOL,

and look now.

You can overcome anything.

Resilience will get you there, your heart will get you there.

What now? Which way? Same way! Deadly!

(LAUGHTER)

It's that way - Mount Midoriyama!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

How much do we love Jack Wilson?

Ohh! Whoo!

Congratulations.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He is such a loved figure in this competition,

because he is always so positive, Ben.

He is awesome.

I think he can go all the way, Bec. Yeah.

He knows, in his heart of hearts, that he can be there as well,

and if there's going to be one who's going to make it this year,

he wants it to be him.

I think it can be him.

There's no reason Jack Wilson can't take out the competition

and $200,000 this year.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

But that means Olivia Vivian's

Power Tower dream ends right here.

It is Jake Baker and Jack Wilson

who will be fighting it out tonight.

Yeah, the cut-off for the grand final

was the Dragonback.

So, 2020 champion Ben Polson

is through,

but former grand finalist

Jordan Papandrea

and Ryan Solomon are out.

Congratulations, Jake and Jack.

You're off to the Power Tower, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, remember, the ninja who smashes that button first

gets a second chance advantage in the grand final -

a second chance to run the course in the grand final

if they make a mistake.

So, will it be Jake or Jack to take that advantage?

The answer lies at the very top of that Power Tower -

coming up very soon.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

It's the semifinal showdown on the Power Tower,

and now it's the 'Rat Daddy'

Jake Baker

up against the 'Deadly Ninja'

Jake Wilson.

REBECCA: And the stakes are huge tonight.

The winner of the Power Tower

will get that second chance advantage in the grand final,

and that could be the difference

between having a crack at Mount Midoriyama or not!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And they are tense!

The crowd is as well,

and we're not gonna make it easy for them.

The Power Tower starts like this.

First of all, our ninjas race out of the gates.

They've gotta go up five oversized steps.

Once they do, they've gotta leap 2.35 metres to a fire pole.

Once they're down the fire pole, it's on to the cliffhanger boards.

From there it's a climb up the cargo nets,

then four dropping shelves are in front of them,

before finally a lache to the platform and the buzzer.

(KLAXON BLARES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And have a look at this!

Look who's scoping out the competition.

It is a who's who of 2021 ninjas.

They know one of these guys is about to get a second chance

in the grand final,

and that makes either Jack or Jake a huge threat

to make it up Mount Midoriyama.

What an incredible top two ninjas who conquered the course tonight.

We have the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson,

who'll be taking on Rat Dad, Jake Baker.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This is a semifinal Power Tower you want wanna miss!

Let's get ready to go!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Are we ready to go? It's on! Let's do it!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHIME SOUNDS)

And Jake and Jack are off in the semifinal Power Tower challenge!

Jake's got a good start.

I think he's got a bit of a lead on Jack at the moment.

Let's see how they fare at the top.

Here we go - they're even, neck and neck.

Down the fire pole. They are neck and neck!

Jack maybe just a little bit ahead,

but there is absolutely nothing in this.

It's gonna come down to the net climb and the dropping shelves.

I reckon Jake Baker's taken the lead by maybe one or two inches!

Not much in it!

OK, Jack just made the transfer to the cargo net.

This will not be pretty!

In fact, Jake not even bothering with his feet!

Good form!

But here comes Jack! He's got so much heart, so much ticker!

On the dropping shelves now! Who will get there first?

Two to go - Jake and Jack! Oh, Jake goes ahead!

I think it's gonna be Jake!

But Jack's only a swing behind!

Can he move forward? Jake, swing, boy!

Jake's got it! Jake's got it! Jake has done it!

(KLAXON BLARES)

Jake Baker beats Jack Wilson!

And, Bec, I don't think we've seen

a closer challenge on the Power Tower.

Ben, they were neck and neck on most of the Power Tower, weren't they?

You couldn't split them. Well done, Jake Baker!

And well done to Jack Wilson.

Didn't get the buzzer, but what a comeback in season five.

It doesn't get any closer than that, Bec.

Jake began to hit his straps on the net climb.

He relied on his arm strength to pull himself up,

but where he won the race was on the final dropping shelf.

Jack took an extra backswing to get to the platform.

Jake relied on momentum,

and that was all that separated these two superb ninjas.

(KLAXON BLARES)

Jake Baker, congratulations. Thanks very much, Shane.

Unbelievable effort. Oh, man.

How's it feeling? It's such a tight race.

Oh, it was incredible.

I felt him on my tail the whole time.

A couple of times I glanced over and he wasn't on my tail -

he was beside me.

First time on the Power Tower. That is special!

Yeah, completely unlike running in the heats or semifinals.

It's... it's its own thing.

It feels like a different sport.

Hey, yeah, absolutely.

Can't wait to see you in the grand final.

Congratulations. Thanks.

Jake Baker! Thanks, Shane.

Good on you, mate! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What an epic finish to another sensational semifinal.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The good news is Jack Wilson and Jake Baker

are both through to the grand final -

that was always going to be,

but it's Jake Baker who gets the second chance advantage in the GF.

It's a huge advantage, isn't it, Ben?

And that's all we have time for tonight.

Make sure you join us on Sunday night

for the last semifinal.

It's gonna be the biggest week in ninja history,

right here from Sydney Olympic Park.

Whatever you do, don't miss a moment on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Goodnight! Goodnight!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Sunday night...

WOMAN: Heading into the semifinal,

I'm gonna be sizzling on that course.

(MIMICS SIZZLING)

In our final semi...

This is the hardest semi I've ever seen.

..it's a night of true superstars, as Nick Kyrgios returns...

I've never run this much in a tennis match.

..along with not one, not two,

but 12 former grand finalists.

It's gonna be a dogfight.

MAN: This is where we dig.

You gotta find that bit of extra

that sets you apart from the rest of the ninjas.

With only eight grand final spots

and the last Power Tower advantage on offer,

it's going to be a desperate fight to the end.

MAN: To get that Power Tower

to actually have an additional life in the grand final

would be amazing!

And the mountain will do everything in its power to stop them.

I wanna give it my best shot and do it for the girls.