Original subtitles

Oh! He's out. Eddie Burrell.

Our toughest semi-finals ever, began.

Oh!

And our most terrifying obstacle yet claimed ninja...

Oh, no, Ben Poulson is off.

..after ninja.

Oh, no!

Zak Stolz and Jake Baker stole the show

and a grand final advantage.

Heading into the semi-finals I'm going to be sizzling on that course.

(HISSES)

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 going to be a dogfight.

This is where we dig.

You've got to 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.

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 want to give it my best shot and do it for the girls.

(CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Welcome back to the semi-finals of Australian Ninja Warrior

coming to you from the home of heroes, Sydney Olympic Park.

Hello everyone, I'm Bec Maddern.

Good evening, Australia. I'm Ben Fordham.

Tonight the most spectacular line-up of heavyweight ninjas ever

will battle it out for the last grand final spots.

Of the 24 starters, 12 are previous grand finalists. Incredible.

But only the eight furthest fastest will qualify for the grand final,

meaning some of the biggest names will miss out.

Joining us tonight again, Aussie tennis ace Nick Kyrgios.

Now Nick, are you pumped for the semi-finals?

Well, I had so much fun in the heats

and I honestly just wanted to come back so much to see

these ninjas do their thing again.

And the course as a whole looks incredibly tough

so I'm just super excited to be here with Crawf again.

Thanks, Nick.

Hey, this course is testing the ninjas like never before

and I tell you what,

they may be struggling at times but it is providing plenty of gold.

Thank you very much, guys.

Looking forward to hearing from you throughout the evening.

Alright, let's find out what the angry Mount Midoriyama

has in store for our ninjas tonight.

The Log Runner is a tricky start.

Four logs to cross.

And it's followed straight away

by the Double Dipper

which knocked down plenty of ninjas in the first two semi-finals.

Obstacle three, the Pipe Climber

is new to tonight's course.

After climbing the first pipe,

ninjas reach two more suspended pipes

that they must cross by supporting their entire body weight,

before a very tricky reverse dismount.

Then two of the most extreme obstacles ever seen back to back.

The Flying Shelf Grab To Corkscrew.

Three extreme upper body challenges combined is followed by the ultimate

body shredder, the muscle-burning and strength-sapping Dragon Back.

Obstacle six is the 4.35m Warped Wall.

And over the other side, another new obstacle,

the perilous Spinball Wizard,

one of the most challenging ever seen on a Ninja course.

It demands extreme core control and agility.

Ninjas lache across three unstable spinning handles.

The Spider Jump can bring

even the best ninjas crashing down.

The ninth and final challenge

is the gruelling 8m Chimney Rope Climb to the buzzer

where a place in the grand final awaits.

(KLAXON SOUNDS) (CHEERING)

The two furthest fastest ninjas will

go head-to-head on one final obstacle, the 12m high Power Tower.

We love it, it's ninja versus ninja with nowhere to hide.

At stake, a huge advantage.

It's a second chance run in the grand finals.

That means if you splash out early you get to go again.

The stakes are high so who will rise to this epic semi-final course?

OK, are you ready? Bring it on.

Let's bring out our first ninja.

(CHEERING)

He is the first to go in this superstar semi-final.

Two-time grand finalist who

unleashed beast mode to finish fourth in his heat.

Zed Colback.

Let's go, Zed. Come on, buddy.

(CHEERING)

I've felt better than ever this year, not just because

I've been training and keeping fit

but I just feel like a different person.

Leaving it out all out there.

Like, not worrying about what it might look like.

And that's why when I got to the end in the heats

I was just so ecstatic and super amped.

Top of the Warped Wall!

Yeah! Whoa!

'Cause I just allowed myself to be who I really am.

But hey, that's what I'm feeling so I'm just going to let it out.

Yeah!

He's on fire!

You know, show people that side of me that's a little bit raw.

I might be crazy but it's me.

Yeah! (LAUGHTER)

So, going into the semi-finals, the

Power Tower is definitely something I've got my eye on.

Having that second chance in the grand final

has me really thinking OK, I'm not going to mask this feeling,

I'm going to unleash it and I'm not gonna hold back.

I'm just to smash it and hopefully get on that Tower.

Yeah! Whoa!

Yeah! Whoa.

Yeah!

NICK: Unleash the beast. CRAWF: That's right.

Zed Colback, in his run, unleashed the beast.

Have you ever unleashed the beast? All the time.

(LAUGHTER)

OK well, Zed Colback is from WA.

And of course we are in Sydney.

So we are Skyping in his loved ones via the big screen.

They're up and about just like Zed.

We've got wife Nicole there,

Lisa and Phil-Mum and Dad,

and Zed's sisters.

Hello, gang. How do you think he's gonna go tonight?

Awesome! Amazing.

Alright, that's gonna pump him up.

Sending his family kisses.

That's good, Zed. Come on, Zed. In the zone. Let's go.

There's brother-in-law Sam Goodall on the side-line.

Another of the 12 former grand finalists in this semi.

He'll be on course later.

This is a brand-new Zed Colback. (STARTER BELL CHIMES)

I don't know what's happened in the last 12 months.

It's fired him up. Here he goes.

Dancing across the Log Runner.

On to the Double Dipper.

This has taken out 11 ninjas in the previous two semis

so Zed needs to be careful here.

Yeah, that's right, Bec.

He's got to ride down two rollercoaster tracks

with a big gap in the middle then get on the cargo net.

Yes, yes, yes.

Nice.

Perfect. Certainly was.

He looks in the mood.

We know he's got the skills and the speed to go all the way

but can he keep it up over nine obstacles?

This is three, the Pipe Climber.

Three pipes to cross holding all your body weight on your arms.

Mmm. Finished fourth in his heats in 2021.

(CHEERING)

Made the grand final in Season 4 and the grand final in Season 2.

Very experienced ninja.

But he has come back this year with

an attitude and determination we have never seen before.

He is moving on to the second pipe now. It's suspended by chains.

Shimmying along this takes it out of you.

The difference with Zed this year,

he's running on adrenaline, raw emotion.

He's fired up.

He is onto the last pipe now.

Reaching for the bar now to make his dismount.

Gets himself set.

That's it. Nicely done.

Nicely done. Zed Colback, 2.0. He's bringing it.

He has never looked better through the first three obstacles.

The Power Tower is on.

Wow. Now we get serious though.

The Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

Two shelves to lache onto with only tiny ledges to land on.

And in the middle is a spinning corkscrew that drops right down.

Here is the first lache.

Gets it. Nice.

I always have a little jump on that spot.

It's the Corkscrew next.

It might take a few swings to work out how to attack this.

But not Zed. Oh!

That looked close. He was so close to letting go.

That looked close. Oh, no.

I thought poor old Zed might have been dead there for a moment.

But Zed's not dead baby, he's alive.

I'm just taking a good look at Sam Goodall's face

because he knows his brother-in-law really well.

Almost as well as himself, to be honest.

And Sam Goodall at this stage looks calm

which means Zed Colback is just putting into practice

all of that training.

Make sure you've got plenty in the tank.

It's going to tax more than you expect.

Sam Goodall giving coaching on the side-line

saying this takes so much out of you, be very careful.

Don't take too long.

Now this is an upper body killer, the Dragon Back.

Zed has an uphill salmon ladder

then a slide down to a bungee rope then another uphill climb.

Talk about crazy. Eugh!

Yeah! He's unleashing the beast now.

And there comes the roar.

Goodness.

Up... He is angrier than the dragon!

..and over.

And ready to go down.

Oh! Ooh!

It's got a bit of everything, doesn't it?

It's got the steps, it's got the slide, it's got the bungee.

Up. Up.

And this exit is one of the trickiest ones on Ninja Warrior.

He is half-half. Corrects it.

This will be crucial for Zed. He's nearly there.

He hangs it.

Oh, great work, Zed Colback.

Well done. Absolutely brilliant.

Celebrates that moment and so you should, Zed Colback.

Here we go, straight up the Warped Wall.

He's going. The beast! Oh, easy.

Mate, he's a beast unleashed. He's crushing the course.

The first ninja of this superstar semi-final

is putting on a show for this crowd.

Six obstacles down, three more to come.

Just over five minutes gone and that

shows this course is going to be a real test of endurance.

Obstacle seven, new in this semi, the Spinball Wizard.

Three handles to lache across.

They all spin and twist

and Zed is going to feel the burn on his arms.

Here he goes.

It's the third last obstacle.

He makes that giant leap to the first one.

If he can let go at the right time...

It's all about timing. ..and grab hold of the next set.

Ooh. How did he catch that?

Oh, he does it but I'll tell you what,

he has only just managed to hit the grip.

But the main thing is he did it. Come on, Zed.

Just get the timing right.

Don't rush it. This is it.

Oh, no! Zed Colback!

No!

Look at Sam Goodall, look at his family.

Can't believe that.

Zed Colback, oh, my goodness.

Sam is gutted.

Zed is furious at himself

and he has fallen short in the most heartbreaking way.

Such a cruel way to go out.

Zed really struggled trying to keep the handles from spinning around.

Trying to straighten them up

he'd burned through the little energy he had left

and on the final lache,

maybe just misjudged the placement on his left hand there.

Didn't have good enough grip.

Couldn't save himself.

(CHEERING)

Well done, Zed.

And now a big hug coming from Sam Goodall.

The pressure of the occasion, it might have been too much.

The last eight grand final spots are up for grabs. Will that be enough?

We will wait and find out.

First blood to Mount Midoriyama on

what is the toughest course we've ever seen.

Tonight our ninjas will have to

leave everything out there if they hope to qualify for the grand final.

And after three previous semi-final exits,

our next ninja is hoping she

can join Olivia Vivian representing women in the grand final this year.

Here she is, Celeste Dixon.

(CHEERING)

I wonder whether Dad has managed to make it out on course.

Are you kidding!

No-one is gonna look at bacon ever

again without thinking about you, Celeste!

Dad would not miss this for the world.

I'm stoked to be at the semi-finals.

It's absolutely amazing to know that I've made it through four times now.

And I'm just so proud of myself.

I've trained a lot for this moment

so I'm going to give it my all and if it's good enough

then hopefully I can prove myself in the grand final this year.

This semi-final is completely stacked.

I mean, you've got 12 grand finalists from

the past seasons and they are only going to take eight.

So there is a lot of pressure on me tonight

being one of the top-performing females to make it through.

But the 12 grand finalists

do not have my Dad dressed as a rasher of bacon, cheering me on.

(LAUGHS)

Yeah!

That's what I'm talking about!

Bring home the bacon!

Everyone asks me, is your dad like that when he's at home

and I'm like mm-hm.

Yeah!

There is no change. It is not for the cameras.

That is just him.

Sizzle, sizzle, bacon on the griddle!

I'm onboard, Nick. I'm onboard.

Oh, for goodness' sake.

Bring home the bacon.

I know you want one of these. Bring home the bacon.

I actually do. Can I wear it?

I'll sign it and give it to you later.

Alright, thank you.

(STARTER BELL CHIMES)

Here she goes.

Here is the buzzer for Celeste Dixon.

Come on, Celeste. I was chatting to Celeste backstage.

It is quite incredible how tiny this woman is. She is so petite.

Ooh, a little trip but she's OK.

58kg, just 163cm.

She is the shortest ninja in the semi-finals tonight.

But she's so strong, isn't she. She's got all the skills.

One of a select group of female ninjas to make it

to the top of the Warped Wall.

And she was just one lache away from taking it on again in the heats.

No pressure! Come on!

Ah, Dad knows how to fire up this crowd.

Bring home the bacon.

Come on.

The Double Dipper, it has been a ninja killer in the other semis.

We know Celeste is worried about her reach too.

Here we go. Off you go.

Oh, no. Oh, no!

My heart breaks for these athletes.

They have trained.

Rain, hail, and shine they are out there.

And then it's all over in a semi-final.

Celeste, I jumped onboard.

I love it. That's so good.

A bit porky, mate, come on.

Hey, I know.

So, take us through. What went wrong?

Oh. Hey look, to lache and catch something,

it was a big stretch for me.

Don't worry about being small.

I tell you what, you pack a big punch.

I know it wasn't your year this year but semi-finals, very proud.

Good on you. Congratulations.

And bring home the bacon!

Put your hands together for Celeste!

Celeste just falling short at the semi-final stage again.

Bring home the bacon!

But Dad is still as loud and proud as ever.

(CHEERING)

It's time for another of our terrific 12 ninja superstars.

And it's time for the Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason.

Daniel Mason, you little ripper!

In the grand final two years ago he

was just one step away from Mount Midoriyama.

There's hardly anything for you to grip on.

Daniel Mason falls backwards.

But after a shock exit in last year's semi-finals...

Oh, no!

..he is back to put the record straight.

My goal this year again is to get up Mount Midoriyama

but I feel like I've got something to prove.

Getting through to Stage 3 of the grand final in Series 3

but then missing out last year so yeah, another

year of not making it past the semis would be pretty horrible for me.

I think the semi-finals are going to

be quite a lot harder this year but I also think the harder the better.

I want to take on those new challenges.

I want the course to challenge everyone else as well

and show that hopefully I can be one of the few that gets through it

and to the top of that tower.

(CHEERING)

The Barefoot Ninja,

he is one of the fastest ninjas we've got and he's one of the best.

And we're not only going for a buzzer,

we're going for the Power Tower tonight.

Well, I think I'd rather see you do the course

so hopefully he has a bit of a hiccup.

If he doesn't hit a buzzer and head to the Power Tower,

I'll do the course, no worries.

Yeah, whatever you reckon, boys. Whatever you reckon.

OK. This is a big moment for him.

And with little Andy so young,

Daniel's wife couldn't be with us but there she is on the big screen.

Maddi is there cheering you on, mate.

And how are you feeling, Maddi?

Nervous. (LAUGHTER)

Confident?

Yeah. I think he can do it.

Let's give him a fire up.

(CHEERING)

Whoo!

Go, Dan!

(STARTER BELL CHIMES) Here he goes. Daniel Mason.

Front on with the Log Runner.

Oh, geez, he's fast. He's fast.

He is very quick.

Runs on to the Double Dipper.

Organises his hands into a mixed grip and he's ready to go.

Good take-off.

Yes, the landing.

Pretty good, boys. Mate, he's a gun.

He flies through the air, doesn't he.

He's like a fruit bat, just glides.

He is, Crawf.

He was hugely disappointed to go out at this stage last season.

So he wants to improve on his efforts last year with

a grand final berth this year in 2021.

Halfway through the Pipe Climber now.

There are three pipes, he is on the second.

Makes the transfer to the third.

Oh, a little slip.

And then needs to get off.

Look at him go. He wants the time.

He wants not only to finish and hit that buzzer,

he wants to go the Power Tower.

He's looking good, crawl.

Twenty seconds faster than Zed Colback

to the Flying Shelf Grab To Corkscrew.

And he's got so much talent.

It is amazing that Daniel Mason has

only been to the grand final on one occasion.

The semis have been a bit of a stumbling block for him, I guess.

He has got to balance speed with caution.

Come on, Dan.

You got this.

And Ben, it's going to be hard to get a place in the top eight tonight

because we have never had a semi-final

so stacked with champion ninjas before.

But he's really stepping up right now.

Corkscrew.

Look at the upper body strength!

He is so strong. He is so light too. Only 65kg.

One of our smaller ninjas. Only stands at 166cm tall.

He's got all the gears.

He's got the speed, he's got the strength, he's got the flexibility.

He's a minute quicker than Zed Colback to this point now.

Can he slay the Dragon Back?

This is obstacle five, Bec.

Four more to come after this.

If he can keep this up, he is not only heading to the grand final

but most likely the Power Tower too.

He looks good. Great form, great technique.

Ooh! Really strong.

Already down the slide. Just gotta go up another...

Oh!

Oh, no! Oh, no.

Daniel Mason. He's gone.

He just rushed that move

and now all of a sudden there's going to be a serious question mark

over whether he goes through to the grand final.

Ben, I've got a terrible feeling

that Daniel Mason may not have done enough.

Nice, Dan. Well done, Dan.

I know there's a little smile there

but I know you are absolutely shattered.

Yeah.

It's not what I wanted at all.

I don't know.

I really wanted to prove that I can make the grand final again

after last year but just got a little caught up on that bungee.

I think I moved the bar a bit too far to the side

and tried to correct and overdid it.

I was bit worried I was going to get a bit jammed.

(SIGHS) Yeah.

It's just silly mistakes again.

This one I think has been a big ninja killer and it got me today.

Put your hands together for the Barefoot Ninja.

Congratulations. Well done. Cheers.

One of the very best ninjas ever out on obstacle five in the semi-final.

With only eight guaranteed grand final spots,

the pressure is really telling out there on

the course and it certainly got to Daniel Mason on the Dragon Back.

And that may well be the end of his 2021 season.

We'll be right back after this.

Coming up, a field stacked with ninja grand finalists.

Almost everyone here is a grand finalist or returning ninja.

It is out of control.

But only eight can go through to this year's grand final.

It's going to be a dogfight.

Standing in their way, our toughest course ever.

We've got proper boss obstacles.

They're not out there to make friends,

they're out there to put you in the water.

No.

And the Shaky Ninja, a rookie in top form.

Being up against the big guns, it makes me feel excited.

I've got my eye on the prize and I want that buzzer.

And later, the battle for the Power Tower

and that incredible second chance grand final advantage.

The Power Tower is putting on a show

and it rewards you like never before.

So get the medics ready 'cause I'm going out guns blazing. Let's do it.

(THEME MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back. We're at Sydney Olympic Stadium.

It's a big night, Bec Maddern.

Some massive names. It's a semi-final time on Ninja.

BEC: Tonight the last eight grand final spots are up for grabs

and with so many ninja heavyweights still to come in this semi-final,

whoever does make it will be among the favourites for the competition.

Especially if they can win that

amazing second chance advantage on the Power Tower later.

Stepping up to the starting gate right now,

from WA, the Tradie Ninja is here.

Come on mate, come on.

Sam Goodall is one of the very best.

One of 12 ninjas to compete in all five seasons

of Australian Ninja Warrior

and he is a four-time grand finalist.

Sam's wife Rachel and brother-in-law Zed Colback on the side-line.

Sam wanting to go one better than Zed earlier.

There is baby Delta.

And Delta Goodrem,

if you're watching tonight, as I'm sure you are,

no, sadly, Delta is not named after you.

Unbelievably.

Named after his motorbike. His motorbike!

(STARTER BELL CHIMES)

Sam Goodall, your semi-final starts now.

Straight across the Log Runner P one, three, four, five.

Now the Double Dipper.

He sprints to get there but you can't rush this one.

This obstacle has taken out many ninjas across the three semi-finals.

Here he goes.

Careful, Sam.

Oh, he's a pro. Just like a pro.

He is so good, Sam Goodall.

I think he's going to make it tonight.

I've got a feeling about this one.

I mean, he has given us some heart-stopping moments,

probably more so than any other ninja.

Anything can happen.

We've been on a wild ride with Sam Goodall and so have you.

How do you do this?

Just get the hands around and hold on, get the legs up.

He's moving fast, Crawf.

Already on the second pipe on the Pipe Climber.

The legs off momentarily, gets them back on.

Make it smooth.

The best ninjas trying to use their legs here

to try and buy a little bit of a break for the next two obstacles...

Light work. Oh, flawless.

..because the Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew

followed by the Dragon Back will zap their arms.

As our ninjas say,

they are two obstacles that they refer to as real pumpers.

Pumpers, OK. That's the terminology.

Here he is, he's on the pole now.

Getting ready to reach out on the parallel bars.

He's got to make this first lache,

survive the Corkscrew,

then get back up on the last shelf.

Yes, good stuff.

Now get ready for the spin. Hold on, you're going for a ride.

We're going for a ride.

Oh! (CHEERING)

He's just done a lot of washing up there. Goodness me.

The challenge will come after he completes this jump.

Alright, he's hurting a little.

Yes. Grips it.

Good man, Sam.

Blowing a bit now.

WA, get on your feet.

Your man the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall, about to

take on the Dragon Back.

Up he goes.

One, two.

Got that bar nice and even. Great work, Sam.

Three.

Yeah. Four.

Now he'll come down.

Oh, hang on. It's a bit... Oh!

It's a bit rusty so far but he's working through.

Well, he's still up there.

Here we go. Sam Goodall is on the climb.

Up he goes.

Ooh, he's a bit crooked.

Needs to correct. He does.

Just gotta go down.

Hang on now, this is dangerous.

This is a dangerous bit. That's experience.

He's going to take his time with it.

Yes! And he does it.

Finds the safety of the mat, Sam Goodall.

Well done.

No time, straight up the Warped Wall.

Yes, Sam Goodall.

He is on the way, Bec.

Three obstacles to go

and he'll find himself in the 2021 grand final.

And he has been here so many times before, a four-time grand finalist.

He is about to face the obstacle

that took out his brother-in-law Zed Colback earlier tonight.

And Sam, he looks exhausted.

This is where you feel like a pie and a nice choccy milk.

And your arms are weighing about 50kg each.

Ooh.

This is a short run-up as well. Mmm. Very short.

Sam Goodall, not liking what he sees in front of him.

It's called the Spinball Wizard. Deep breath for Sam.

You have to hit the mini tramp right in the middle

like he does just there.

Perfect execution, Sam Goodall.

Watch these handlebars, can they stay straight?

So far yes. Now.

Oh!

You'll see him starting to go sideways.

This is not the situation you want to be in.

No. He's straightening up now.

Oh, he's back around again.

He's sideways. He's backwards. Oh, no!

He's left, he's right, he's all over the shop.

You've got to hang in there.

Is he going to wait to straighten up perfectly before he gets it.

He didn't go. He's got to go.

(CHEERING) Ooh!

Yes, Sam Goodall gets it.

The problem is now, he has another mini tramp.

Yes. Safe. Ooh!

Dear me, he was really low there, Ben.

And watch the bird's-eye view.

After the tramp jump he has to stick like a spider

along the insides of this tunnel.

7.6m long.

One slip from either the hands or the feet and he is in the water

and his semi-final effort will come to an end.

He's OK. And nearly there.

The final obstacle, the Chimney Rope Climb.

8m straight up to the buzzer.

Now, two years ago he missed out in the grand final on the Chimney.

Now he has got to dig really deep.

Here he goes, Sam Goodall.

He is up, level 5, level 6. Keep pushing, Sam!

Sam Goodall is almost at the top.

The clock is ticking on him. He's staring down the buzzer.

Hit that buzzer, Sam!

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

Yes! (CHEERING)

Boom!

All that hard work has paid off for Sam Goodall.

He crushed that semi-final tonight.

He didn't do it easily, did he, but he is there.

You legend!

Baby Delta has got no idea.

She's fast asleep but Daddy, that was amazing.

Talk us through this course though.

What did you find the most challenging?

Oh, pretty much the beginning, the middle, and the end

was all pretty tough.

But that was probably the best semi-final course

I think Australia has ever seen.

You know, this game just keeps

getting harder and harder every year.

You look back to Season 1,

the grand final probably looked like this.

And that just goes to show how much better all the ninjas are getting

and the whole ninja spirit is just growing

and it's beautiful to see us all going ahead together.

Put your hands together for the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

What a rollercoaster that was.

You said it, Bec, anything can happen on a Sam Goodall run.

He was up, he was down,

he had the fight of his life with the Spinball Wizard.

But somehow he settled the score with the Chimney Rope Climb.

What a champion,

what an effort,

what a semi-final.

That was a hell of a run

and the Tradie Ninja is heading to his fifth grand final.

But didn't he have to fight to get there.

I think we are going to take a little breather now.

We need one.

We're going to take a break but we're going to have

much more Ninja Warrior coming for you right after this.

Still to come, a field chock-full of ninja superstars.

There are some pretty strong contenders tonight.

But who will score a spot in this year's grand final?

The fact that only eight go through to the grand final

does add pressure.

Will it be ninja veterans like Josh O'Sullivan?

I wouldn't be here if I didn't think

I could achieve the glory of holding the crown.

Alex Bigg?

This year I've got a completely different mindset.

I'm out here tonight to go all the way.

Or is it ninja nerd Todd Smith's year to finally tame the Mountain?

I've got the speed, I'm coming.

In their way, Midoriyama's toughest challenge ever.

This is the hardest semi I've ever seen, period.

(THEME MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEC: Welcome back, Australia.

You are watching Australian Ninja Warrior.

BEN: And it's the all-important last semi-final of the competition with

only the top eight winning a spot in tomorrow night's grand final.

And remember, tonight's top two

will meet later on in the Power Tower to try to claim

that crucial second chance advantage for the grand final.

Our next Ninja was disappointed when she crashed out early in Season 2.

Since then she has come back

stronger than ever and was the furthest fastest female in her heat.

Here to try to reach the grand final for the first time,

it is Katie Sparrow.

(CHEERING)

I'm pretty chuffed how I went in my heat, coming 10th.

First step, nice.

Yes, she's home.

I was pretty stoked to get through 3.5 obstacles

and I do have a lot of natural upper body strength

which definitely helped.

So yeah, might bring on semis now.

As a personal trainer I train a variety of people from old to young

to fit to not fit

and I've got a very special client call Nina.

She has cerebral palsy.

Yay. Awesome, Nina.

The way that Nina has upped her quality of life

and achieved fitness goals that

she would have thought never possible has

actually inspired me to achieve ones that I may have thought not possible

like getting to the finals of Ninja Warrior.

Getting to the grand finals would prove to me that

if you have the right attitude you can achieve anything.

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

(CHEERING)

Katie Sparrow, she is doing this run

for all the girls out there.

How far is she going to get? All the way.

She is going all the way. Then she's going to the grand final.

Well, Katie Sparrow comes into the semis as the third strongest female.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for

Katie Sparrow to make it through to the grand final.

Yeah, it certainly would be.

She is another of these female ninjas inspired by Olivia Vivian

who has already stepped it up.

In fact, Katie beat Olivia in their heat.

Can she follow in that superstar's footsteps and reach the grand final?

Oh, have a look at the support crew.

They're going nuts on the side-line.

Come on, Katie, here we come.

This course is brutal... (STARTER BELL CHIMES)

..so we're going to cheer you through, Katie.

But you've got to move those legs.

Go! One, two, three, four, five.

Makes it.

Next up is the Double Dipper

and we know this has been a problem in the other semi-finals.

It's all about a smooth ride

and timing that leap in the middle and the one at the end.

She's just moving the step out of the way. She doesn't need it.

She is 169cm tall, 56.6kg,

so she's just a sparrow.

OK, here she goes. Fly and grab, Katie.

Oh! Oh, no!

Didn't get near that second bar.

She's in shock.

She just didn't know what happened.

Her support crew says it doesn't matter,

you made it here, through to the semi-finals.

We are very proud of you all the same.

Yet another victim of the Double Dipper, Bec.

Katie just dropped down the platform instead of a smooth push off.

As her legs came through the bar wobbled on the track.

She couldn't get the momentum

she needed to carry her onto the next bar.

She dropped like a stone.

(CHEERING)

Not to be for Katie Sparrow but she made the semi-finals this year.

No doubt she'll be back to push it even further next time round.

This course is an absolute ninja killer

and with so many heavyweight names fighting for the top eight spots,

only the very best will make it through.

Over five seasons this veteran ninja

has seen heats, semis, and grand finals.

Tonight he is gunning for grand final number three.

He's the one and only Josh O'Sullivan.

I've been to the top...

Oh, wow. Yes!

..and I've been at the bottom.

He has never fallen in a heat or in the semi-finals.

Oh, no!

Falling in the heats last year, not making it through to the semis,

was pretty big for me.

That's a big shock.

Kind of made me re-evaluate everything.

Straight up the Warped Wall. First attempt.

So, to finally hit a buzzer in the heats is relieving.

But this semi-final is no coast.

There are a lot of big names here

which means that the level is going to be a lot faster.

Finishing may not be enough.

It kind of feels like the grand finals, to be honest.

To be back for Season 5, that

means a lot to me, and I wouldn't be here if I didn't think

I could achieve the glory of being at the top and holding the crown.

Well, this is a big moment for Josh. (CHEERING)

He knows how tough it's going to be

to make the top eight.

He also knows this course takes no prisoners.

Can he recapture that form that took

him to grand finals in Seasons 2 and 3?

Josh O'Sullivan, I'll tell you what, he's one to watch.

And I've got a feeling we're going to see him go a long way tonight.

(STARTER BELL CHIMES)

Here he goes on the Log Runner.

Looking in great form so far.

Yes, nice!

Only obstacle one though.

Here he goes, up on the rope.

Prepares himself for the Double Dipper.

And now dries off the hands. Josh O'Sullivan.

With a grand final spot up for grabs,

he needs to make this work.

Go.

He's got it.

All good. Yeah, he's looking sharp, Bec.

Very sharp.

That is a frightening one

for girlfriend Alice to witness on the side-line

because they are flying through the air at a record speed.

Look at him climb up this pipe.

Interesting technique as well.

A lot of the ninjas have gone on top.

Josh O'Sullivan has decided to go underneath.

He is also going at a pace that we

have not seen so far on the Pipe Climber.

He will be the fastest contestant of all night really.

Geez, he's moving.

It's done. It's over.

Applause for Josh from four ninjas who have already

booked their place in the grand final P Ashlin Herbert with

the newbie Jimmy Burrow next to him,

Charlie Robbins, and Bryson Klein.

Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew.

We'll see how quickly he gets through this obstacle.

Obstacle number four in the semi-finals 2021.

I am no body language expert, Bec,

but if you have a look at the smile on Alice's face,

it's like she already knows her boyfriend

is going to complete this semi-final course and go into the grand final.

He's in a really good place this year, Josh O'Sullivan, and yes, this

ninja course tests our athletes' abilities but it's also a mind game.

Great control. Good landing on the Corkscrew.

And you're right, it is a mind game and Josh has only got

one thing on his mind this year, that's getting back into the GF.

He feels he belongs there.

Here he goes on the last lache.

And nails it.

Wow, well done. He's smashing it.

And looking at that time, he is a minute faster

than Sam Goodall to this obstacle the Dragon Back, number five.

No signs of slowing down.

Josh O'Sullivan wants to make a statement.

He wants the Power Tower, Bec.

Come on, babe, you've got this.

And here he goes on the Dragon back.

(ALL EXCLAIM)

Just leapt up to the top with one.

Did you see that?

He just bunny-hopped the whole thing.

Oh, my goodness! He is muscling it.

Oh, my goodness! We're going to the Warped Wall!

Oh, my goodness. He's through.

That was incredible.

And here he goes up the Warped Wall. Straight up.

Made that look easy.

My god, I've never run this much in a tennis match. Geez.

Mate, it was like he was standing still.

He just went woosh! I know.

This guy is a freak.

He's a freak alright. Just look at this.

What a fearless way to slay the Dragon.

And look at the jump.

He skipped all of the steps.

We're already at obstacle seven, the Spinball Wizard.

Over 1.5 minutes faster than anyone else tonight.

Can he keep it up on this unpredictable obstacle?

He shakes out the arms. Three obstacles left.

OK, he can't rush this one though.

The only way he can get through this is if he actually stays front on.

But this nasty obstacle likes to thrash you side to side instead.

Spinball Wizard, you've got to launch yourself from that mini tramp

and stay as square-on as you possibly can.

Up he comes, Josh O'Sullivan. Not a bad start.

He has got two catches to decide his fate.

Hang on a moment. Oh.

He's twisting and turning. He's the wrong way round.

Oh. Oh, wow. That was easy.

Good clearance.

He is alive. One more to go. (CHEERING)

Now he kicks up the legs all he's gotta do is...

Oh! No!

No, no, no!

Oh, I thought he recovered but no, Josh O'Sullivan is in the pool.

He will be shattered.

And this obstacle is another reason why the course is so brutal tonight.

It's just so hard to keep the handles straight on.

Josh was fighting the spin but just couldn't get comfortable.

In the end he snatched at the jump to the final handles

and his left hand, it just slipped off as his body weight came through.

Josh, super effort. Well done. Thanks very much.

That's a wet one now, eh.

You are moving so fast along the course

so that was obviously in your mind.

I know you wanted to the buzzer but time is so crucial, isn't it?

It's very crucial, especially at this point with

such a high level calibre of ninjas around.

So we'll see what happens.

Put your hands together for Josh O'Sullivan.

(CHEERING) Well done.

Great stuff from Josh.

He'll be disappointed not to go all the way

but his speed over the course should

put him in with a decent chance at making his third grand final.

Don't go anywhere.

We'll be back with more semi-final action on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Coming up, the ninja superstars just keep on coming.

There are a lot of big-name ninjas tonight.

Big guns all round.

One of the toughest semis you've ever seen.

We've been calling it the death semi.

All with their eye on the Power Tower

and the ultimate grand final boost.

Getting a second shot in the finals would be absolutely dreamy

so I am going to get on that Power Tower.

(THEME MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior semi-finals.

Tonight the last eight spots in the grand final are up for grabs

but a furious Mount Midoriyama is churning through our ninjas.

While you were away three more big-name ninjas took on the course.

Lifesaver Peter Day is an F45 world champion

so he knows what it takes to win.

He put on a gold medal performance through the first three obstacles.

Ooh, he only just got it.

But at the Flying Shelf Grab his podium chances were dashed.

He starts kicking the legs, swinging the hips.

Oh, no, misses the shelf.

Crowd favourite Stewart 'The Furbinator' Furze

recently had a 'Back to the Future' wedding

but trying to beat the clock on the Spinball Wizard

was never going to have a happy ending.

Troy 'Dirt' Cullen dusted off some great moves...

Oh!

And cleaned up the course in a blistering time.

Until he too fell victim to the Spinball Wizard.

Oh, no!

Dirt, one handle, couldn't get the other hand on.

What about the splash?

Well, Dirt's time was good enough to earn him a spot in the top three

behind fellow former grand finalist Josh O'Sullivan

and Sam Goodall who's still

the only ninja to complete this brutal semi-final course.

Meanwhile Daniel Mason has slipped to sixth

and with so many heavyweights still to come,

it doesn't look good for the Barefoot Ninja.

(CHEERING)

And speaking of big names, they

don't get much bigger than our next ninja.

Last year a grand finalist, this year a splash-out in his heat.

But if Ninja Warrior is a rollercoaster

then this guy is ready to hit another peak.

It is Alex Bigg.

My Ninja journey has been a rollercoaster the whole time.

Going from grand finalist to 10th in the heat.

It's just a constant reminder to just respect the obstacles.

Like, they're not out there to make friends,

they're out there to put you in the water.

No. Oh, he missed it.

That's why it's such a challenge.

My little fellow Arlo, he loves Ninja.

I am the big ninja.

Go the big ninja!

Arlo is 3.5 years old now

and he has been with me since the very beginning of my ninja journey.

This is my son, Arlo.

Arlo has always been my biggest fan.

Right through my five seasons.

It's the whole reason I do ninja.

He loves it, I love it.

It's just something that we bond over.

So thanks, Ninja. Thanks, Arlo.

High five, mate.

I've told that little fella that I won't touch the water tonight,

so I made a promise to a little man and I want to keep that.

So, I'm out here tonight to go all the way.

Ninja Warrior, gonna come back!

Ninja Warrior, we're coming back.

(CHEERING)

And it was tough to get the family, the young family,

of Alex Bigg here tonight, so they join us via the big screen.

Alex, there's your wife, Amy.

Hello, Arlo! Hello!

You better give him a big cheer. He's on the start line, ready to go.

Go, Daddy!

Yeah, he's pumped, he's so excited to see his family.

During the heats, Alex found out how tough this course is, and now

he's gonna lift and take it to the next level during the Semi Finals.

Who is he? The Bigg Ninja.

(BUZZER TONE)

There goes the buzzer, and here comes Alex Bigg.

This is a big frame to carry across these five logs.

One, two, three, four, perfect.

Alex Bigg, the second-heaviest in the Semi Finals this year at 87kg.

That will be tested on the Double Dipper.

OK, this is a lot of muscle, a lot of weight going through.

Off he goes, sliding,

makes the transfer down the rope... Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

..onto the cargo net.

Swing the legs, Alex.

You gotta get to safety.

You don't want to be hanging on that cargo net for too long.

Here he goes on the Pipe Climber.

Three pipes.

Climb up the first pipe at a 40-degree angle.

We haven't lost a ninja so far on the Pipe Climber.

Careful, Ben, careful.

Fair point, yeah, the moment you start thinking that everything's

gonna be OK, you realise one little slip and everything can come undone.

Now he transitions, and just keep in mind,

the longer you're holding on, the more you fatigue.

How's he looking, Nick?

You can see he's finding this one a bit tougher.

Tense down there watching this as he crawls his way along the final pipe.

This is the difficulty here.

You've gotta get to the bar and you're backwards,

and then you've gotta dismount.

So, you do it backwards. (BEC GROANS)

Oh, that was like a superhero landing.

The Bigg Ninja.

No rest in between, either. He's going straight into it.

We're going for time tonight,

we're going for Power Tower and we're going for the Final.

These are the two toughest obstacles because they're back to back,

and they require the same part of your body,

and it's all in the forearms and the fingertips.

Alex Bigg on the first flying shelf,

ready to make that transfer from the bars to the first flying shelf.

Will he go?

He's gotta catch 87kg. He'll go this time. Yes.

OK, now, I'm very nervous about Alex Bigg

and this corkscrew 'cause this is gonna throw his body around!

Hold onto it, hold onto it - he does.

The pressure on the arms must be intense now.

He's gotta find the energy to go back up to that final shelf.

This is a crucial moment for Alex Bigg.

He gets it. Ooh.

Qualified tenth in his heat to make it through to the Semi Final.

Failed on the second-last obstacle before the Warped Wall, the Beehive.

That took a lot of our good ninjas out.

But here he is now, four obstacles down, and onto the Dragonback.

This is gonna be a big ask for Alex Bigg.

I'm not saying he can't do it

but it's going to require everything he has trained for.

Shakes out those arms.

He's had his ups and downs, Alex Bigg, in this competition

and we wondered which version of Alex Bigg is gonna turn up tonight.

Here we go.

We find out now on ferocious obstacle number five.

This is a big test for him.

Nice.

Yes, well done, this is awesome, go.

Oh, he's doing two at once.

Yep, Nick, just like Josh O'Sullivan,

he is slaying this dragon two steps at a time.

Yeah, he's done it again. Oh, my goodness.

And the crowd responds with oohs and aahs.

Oh, he's missing them! He's skipping steps.

Oh, goodness!

Alex Bigg. Oh, my lord.

I apologise.

I thought that was gonna be a struggle for Alex Bigg,

but that was a powerful performance on the Dragonback.

Up he goes. Straight up the Warped Wall.

I'm telling you right now Alex Bigg has never looked so good.

He's a man on a mission,

and that mission now sends him down the final straight.

He's got the Spinball Wizard, have a look at it, then the Spider Jump,

and waiting for him at the end is the Chimney Rope Climb.

If he can do all three, he'll be in the Grand Final

with a good chance of the Power Tower, too.

And take a look at the time, Ben.

Alex is well over a minute faster than Sam Goodall

to the Spinball Wizard, so he's on track to top the leaderboard.

Here we go, up he goes.

Alex Bigg on the first set of handlebars.

OK... And now watch this thing swing.

It's so complicated. It's so challenging.

It's hard to know whether to get off as soon as you can.

Yes!

Struggling to keep it straight.

Now, if he can finish this obstacle, he'll move above Josh O'Sullivan.

You don't want to go when you're sideways

because that's when you'll make that fatal mistake.

He just needs to transfer onto the very last handlebar,

but having trouble.

Look at him having a look at it.

Oh, gosh, straighten up. Will he go now? No.

There's the direction he needs to be in.

He's gotta go now. Yes, lands it. He sticks it.

Oh, my goodness. Mate.

Wow.

Now, Bec, the run-up to the Spider Jump is shorter than ever before.

Hey, unbelievable.

Come on, mate.

Yes, mate, that is unbelievable so far.

Alex Bigg has gotta hold up 87kg of rock-hard human muscle.

Spread the legs! Oh, sticks it!

Oh, there he goes and he's set a pretty good pace going through.

He's going fast, as well. Sure is, Nick.

He's through the Spider Jump in the fastest time tonight.

Here he comes now on the Chimney Rope Climb.

You can't push off on the side of the chimney with your feet.

Eight metres straight up.

It's all arms and rope.

Here he goes.

Here he goes, he's at level three already.

Come on, Alex Bigg, pump those arms.

Heading towards halfway now, Alex Bigg.

This is a chance to get in the Grand Final.

Absolutely, he knows what this means.

He was in the Grand Final last year.

Now he gets to the roof.

The buzzer's waiting. Hit it, hit it, hit it.

Yes! Alex Bigg! Whoo!

Good... oh, oh!

I thought he was gonna leave me hanging.

Oh, Alex Bigg sets the fastest time tonight.

What a phenomenal effort.

Crushed this course tonight,

and he could be headed for a Power Tower showdown with Sam Goodall.

Wow, look out!

That was a fabulous effort.

That was all for you, Arlo.

Didn't hit the water and I got the buzzer.

Love you, Dadda.

Love you, too, mate.

What did we think of that, Australia?

Thank you!

The Bigg Ninja, only the second to make it to the buzzer.

Unbelievable strength and determination,

and what about the technique here on the Dragonback.

He gave it everything he had,

and now he's got one foot in the Grand Final,

and maybe on the Power Tower, too,

where he could win that second-chance pass.

What a performance, Alex Bigg.

Coming up...

I'm an underground miner from WA.

I'm the Shaky Ninja.

The Shaky Ninja, a rookie who plans to blow this competition apart.

Being up against some of these big-name ninjas,

it's terrifying and electrifying.

His sights are set on the top eight.

I want to be up with the best,

and I've got what it takes to make it to the Grand Final.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior

on a night of explosive Semi Final action.

The Bigg Ninja, Alex Bigg, the furthest fastest so far,

one of only two ninjas to complete all nine obstacles

and hit the buzzer.

Yes! Alex Bigg! Yes, yes!

That's right, Ben, Alex and the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall,

sit on top of the leaderboard

and currently these two are heading for the Power Tower to battle it out

for an amazing second-chance pass in the Grand Final.

But our next ninja proved in the heats

that he has all the skills, and his sights are set on the top eight.

He's out on the course now.

His name's Jeremy Soffe, an underground miner from WA

who calls himself the Shaky Ninja

because he has an involuntary shake in his hands.

Come on, Jems! Whoo!

He's on the Dragonback now and he is setting a cracking pace.

Jeremy's a rookie ninja.

In his heats, he placed ninth, making it all the way to Clockwork.

Now he's a Semi Finalist.

He's on the cusp of making the Grand Final in his first season.

He says his shake gets worse when he gets nervous.

Well, it doesn't get more nerve-racking

than your first Semi Final.

Let's hope he can keep it under control.

It's off-kilter now.

He needs to reset.

That takes a lot of energy.

He won't want to do that again.

One more and then he's down the slippery slope of the dragon's neck.

He's gotta try and hang onto his body weight and does.

Oh, very skilful, Jeremy Soffe, very skilful, indeed.

Get off the dragon.

Oh! Oh, he's just made it.

Oh, my goodness! He's just made it.

He looked up as if to say, "Hail Mary."

Right, Jeremy Soffe, this is the Warped Wall.

You saw it in the heats.

After this, you are just three obstacles from the buzzer.

Here he comes, Jeremy.

Here he goes, here he goes, here he goes!

And he gets it - yes, yes, yes, yes. No.

Nice work, Jeremy Soffe.

He is a first-time ninja,

never done this before and, at the moment, he is crushing the course.

Mate, shaky hands, doesn't seem like it.

No way.

What about the atmosphere here... Oh, it is electric tonight.

..at the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

It is coming alive for the Semi Finals of Ninja Warrior.

Now, Ben, we need to take this Spinball Wizard

very, very seriously.

It's a beast of an obstacle.

It looks simple but it's difficult.

They've got two bars to hold but they're very little handles.

Can he seal his place in his first ever Grand Final?

Here he goes.

Up the mini tramp... Oh!

Didn't even get the grip.

Great effort, though, it's a great effort.

Unbelievable.

(CHEERING)

Whoo! Just didn't get the bounce, hey?

Oh, Crawf, he was so close.

I think he almost had it.

We need to check on the replay.

You can see from the short run-up,

he just didn't get enough power through his legs onto the mini tramp

which meant he just couldn't find the height

to comfortably reach for the handles on the way down.

What an effort from a rookie ninja.

He's mixing it with the elite tonight and holding his own.

And at this moment he's coming fifth,

putting himself in a good spot to claim a Grand Final position.

Alex Bigg and Sam Goodall still out in front.

They're heading to the Power Tower as things stand.

Down at the other end,

there are three former Grand Finalists in trouble.

The Furbinator and Zed Colback are on the slide in sixth and seventh,

and the Barefoot Ninja is now clinging onto his Grand Final hopes.

He's in eighth position which is the final qualifying spot.

Well, Jeremy's run will give hope

to our next ninja that he can reach his first Grand Final.

He hit a buzzer for the first time in the heats,

and it marked a very special reunion.

He is Chris White.

Oh, the heats was incredible.

Beat the wall!

To finally see the buzzer in real life,

when I got to hit it, I was ecstatic.

(KLAXON BLARES)

It was kind of, like, everything I'd visualised and dreamed of

and it all actually came to fruition.

You did it!

When I was about ten years old,

I lost my father, who had, sort of, mental health problems.

Then, I lost my brother when I was about 20 years old.

He had his mental issues, as well.

I was staying with my friend, Ben, in Sydney,

and then I found out my brother died,

and I was with Ben at the time and we had a big hug, and...

Sorry, I get a bit emotional thinking about it.

My proudest moment in the heat

was actually when I was finished and I was walking down the track

and all the crowd were cheering, and I caught my friend, Ben.

So, that was the first time I'd seen him since that moment,

and it was a hug again, and this hug was, like, totally the opposite.

So, last time was as low as you could feel,

and then this time was, like, elation, so...

It was... yeah, it was a really special moment.

Just, yeah, being in an environment like Ninja Warrior,

training with weapons, it's just so good for your mental health.

(CHEERING)

41 years old.

He's been to hell and back, Chris White,

and what a moment in the heats when he reunited with that man, Ben,

after 20 years.

Good to see him here back tonight.

That's Jet and Van and his wife, Sarah.

Great haircuts, boys, great haircuts.

I wonder who's their inspo. (BOTH CHUCKLE)

(BUZZER TONE) And that is the buzzer.

Chris White, your Semi Final time is now.

Good start. Come on! Good start, great start.

He is from Perth in Western Australia.

The second-oldest competitor in our Semi Final tonight.

Now just making sure he gets that bar on track.

His hands are in the mixed grip.

We know how unforgiving this obstacle can be.

Steady she goes.

Let's watch the dip. Oh, I didn't like the start.

It's a good dip, it's a good dip.

Oh! Yes, what a save.

Ooh, how fast was he going.

Ooh!

It's OK, Bec.

Oh, I just thought it looked a bit wonky at the start.

Oh!

OK, he's on the Pipe Climber now. This one also makes me nervous.

Well, Ninja Warrior's had a big impact

on the lives of a lot of our competitors,

and Chris White reckons his love of Ninja

is part of his whole mantra of taking on all challenges,

anything that life throws up.

He's open about the mental health issues

that his father and brother faced,

and now he campaigns for mental health awareness,

and this is his way of leading by example.

Absolutely, Ben.

Chris says he sees Ninja as a vehicle to stay healthy,

happy and connected and, you know what, he's not the only one.

Oh, backwards!

Look at him go, look at him go.

Mate, you can see his muscles from a mile away.

But this is trouble time. Yeah.

You talk about challenges,

and Chris White has had some of them in his life,

and he's helped some of his mates

through some of their challenges, too.

Go, Ben! Go, Ben!

Here he is on the pole and on the bars, ready to make his first lache.

Look at the big kick.

Springs the legs open, makes the jump.

Here comes the corkscrew.

As soon as he gets to it, it'll drop down

and throw him around like a ragdoll.

Here he goes, hangs on, gritting his teeth.

Go, Dad!

Ooh, that's taken some out of him. Yeah, it has, it has.

Look at the boys on the sideline.

Giving him a big cheer! Big leap.

He's killin' it.

Just the dismount now for Chris. Yes!

Look at him getting the crowd involved.

That's an army roll!

Come on, mate.

And his best mate, Ben, is loving every bit of it.

He's asking the crowd to pump him up before he takes on the Dragonback.

If Chris can get past this obstacle,

he'll be inside the top eight and on track to his first-ever Grand Final.

The dragon gets angry already.

Up he goes.

It's like the Salmon Ladder but you're also going up a hill.

Takes an extreme amount of energy

from all the way to the hips to the shoulders to the hands.

It's worth mentioning his weight

because this does come into play here.

Oh, great hold. He's 71kg, so...

Looking good. ..he's one of our lighter ninjas.

That'll help on this downward slide. Oh!

Can he hold himself? He does. Yes!

That time that he took really paid off.

Almost there.

No! Hits the water!

No! How can that happen?

Oh, no, Chris!

We had you home.

He was so close.

He made the landing. Oh!

He just needed a little bit more explosive power from the hips,

and he would've made that mat.

Sorry, boys.

Oh, it was a great effort, Chris, but I know you'll be shattered.

Chris, mate, bad luck. Oh, bro.

What happened out there?

Oh, just underestimated the distance to the end,

and then, when I launched, I was getting pretty tired.

I thought I was home, to be honest, and then...

Mate, I thought you were gonna go all the way.

Do you think you had it? Do you think you had it in you tonight?

Would've given it a shot.

Mate, I got mad respect for you guys.

I've also got great respect for you, brother, so...

Mate, I swing around a 300gm racquet, mate.

Doesn't compare to what you do out here.

Keep your head up. It was awesome.

Cheers, bro, thanks very much. No worries.

Love your work. Take it easy.

Yeah, Nick, he's earned everyone's respect this year, Chris White,

unfortunately falling just short of making his first Grand Final.

Well, we keep saying it, this is the toughest Semi Final we've ever seen.

Not just the course, which is unbelievable,

but the depth of Ninja talent

trying to force their way into those top eight places.

Some of our favourites are going to miss out.

More Australian Ninja Warrior right after the break.

Mount Midoriyama certainly taking revenge...

Oh, no! Oh, no, third...!

..but two Ninja favourites are ready to take it to the mountain.

Stuntman Mike Snow wants redemption.

Last year, I had a little bit of a brain fart so I got DQ'ed.

Oh, no.

So, I spent two weeks in iso to be here.

Stunty Snow is ready to rip it up tonight.

And Ninja nerd Todd Smith's out for back-to-back Grand Finals.

To get to the Grand Final for a second year would be amazing.

I feel really strong, I feel mentally ready.

I know I am one of the best ninjas.

I know that I can go the whole way.

Who can topple Sam Goodall and Alex Bigg from the Power Tower tonight?

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.

Welcome back to Semi Final 3 of Australian Ninja Warrior

here at Sydney Olympic Park.

Well, how good's the action been so far, Bec.

We've seen some stunning performances so far tonight.

And while you were away, there were more former Grand Finalists

putting it all on the line to try and get in the top eight.

It's go-for-broke time.

Le Hua made the Season 3 Grand Final,

but last year he was disqualified in the heats.

Oh, no, he's hit the pylon. Ouch!

His 2021 quest for redemption got off to a flyer...

Oh, yes!

..until the Spinball Wizard cast a spell on him.

Oh, no, no! Oh!

It comes with its very own buzzer. Feels good.

Ninja nerd and board game fanatic Nathan Burley

had all the moves early on as he rolled the dice

to try to make it to his first Grand Final.

On Dragonback, though, he sunk like a battleship.

Oh! No!

Just as I said it was good.

And Sunshine Coast twin Luke Filippi is used to riding big waves,

but, when it came to the Double Dipper...

Oh! Oh...

Just went too high.

..it was a wipe-out. Not happy.

The top eight qualifiers look like this at the moment.

Alex Bigg and Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall,

the only ninjas to complete the whole course.

The rest have crashed out on obstacle seven, the Spinball Wizard.

It's been a nightmare tonight.

And confirmation the Barefoot Ninja Dan Mason

misses out on the Season 5 Grand Final.

Another heavyweight bites the dust.

(CHEERING)

Speaking of heavyweights, Ben, on course now is ninja nerd Todd Smith.

In his heat, he placed third, just missing a shot at the Power Tower.

He's on fire. Yeah, he is, Nick.

He really wants it tonight and setting a cracking pace.

Just makes his way up now, looking really strong and really controlled.

Just a misstep there.

Will correct it OK.

A Season 3 Semi Finalist and, last year, he was a Grand Finalist.

He holds it.

He's getting better every year.

He believes he can go all the way.

Push! Big one, come on, babe.

He's got the ability.

Really want to get off now. He's got the landing!

Oh!

Look how pumped he is.

Come on, mate.

Beat the wall!

One of the smaller ninjas.

The Warped Wall, he'll probably nail it the first go!

Ninja Toddles!

Here he goes, Todd Smith! Yes, he does.

He got it. Let's go.

On we go.

And I love the confidence.

Fellow Ninja nerd Nathan Burley and Todd's wife, Michaela,

with him every step of the way.

Come on, babe.

You can do this. This is you.

The 24-year-old carpenter from Brisbane a minute quicker than

Sam Goodall to the Spinball Wizard, and on track for the Power Tower.

Oh!

Yes, he's got it there,

and now he's just got to get this one done to get in the Grand Final.

He's in reverse, though, back into drive - sticks it!

That's right, Ben.

With so many ninjas falling to this point,

Todd has guaranteed himself a place in the Grand Final.

He's making great time and I reckon,

if he can finish these next two obstacles,

he's headed for the Power Tower.

It's not over yet, though, Ninja Toddles.

Come on, Todd!

Spider Jump, spread the legs, nice landing.

He will shimmy his body through the tunnel.

He'll do it nice and quickly, as well, Bec.

Look how high he is!

And then, any moment now, he'll be at the bottom

of the Chimney Rope Climb, facing an 8-metre climb up to that red buzzer.

He's already in the Grand Final.

You can sense the relief,

but he wants a Power Tower spot and that second-chance advantage.

Here he goes. Come on, mate.

Here we go, mate, he's revving the crowd up.

Here he goes.

One massive effort. Can he get the most out of himself?

It's a struggle.

You've gotta fight it the whole way.

Remember, you can't touch the sides on the way.

Look at the struggle.

Everything's burning.

Dig deep!

Fight, fight, fight!

Come on, mate!

You've got four metres to go and then

you've got a red buzzer waiting and that's a ticket into the GF!

Don't muck it up now!

Come on, we're willing you, we're behind you,

Ninja Toddles, you can do it!

He's gonna do it!

It's buzzer time!

Australia, get on your feet and welcome Todd Smith

into the Grand Final of Australian Ninja Warrior!

(WILD CHEERING)

Whoo!

The nerd ninja, Ninja Toddles to the top.

Look at this guy. Whoo!

You look absolutely gassed

but it must be a great feeling to hit that buzzer.

Best feeling, once again.

Two from two now, so...

And the good news just keeps on coming, Todd,

because you have posted the second-fastest time of the night!

Yes!

At this moment, you have booked your place on the Power Tower.

Yes!

I was so close in the heats, coming third place,

so it's gonna be awesome.

Let's give him a massive roar.

Outside the Olympic Stadium here in Sydney,

the 2021 Grand Finalist, Todd Smith.

Congratulations.

Just the third ninja to complete this course,

Todd Smith put in his best run of his Ninja career.

The second-youngest ninja showing unbelievable energy,

finishing up over a minute faster than Sam Goodall

to grab his Power Tower spot.

That was a hell of a run and then had to work hard, Bec.

Those who've finished the Semi Final course

have had to give every single ounce of their energy.

Well, there's still one former Grand Finalist left to compete,

and he knows all about getting to the buzzer.

He's travelled halfway across the globe for redemption,

and he's got his eye firmly fixed on that Power Tower.

He is, of course, stuntman and Ninja superstar Mike Snow,

and he's coming up on Australian Ninja Warrior right after the break.

Welcome back to Sydney Olympic Park

and the toughest Ninja Warrior Semi Final ever.

Mount Midoriyama has thrown everything at our ninjas,

and we've seen some shock exits.

Oh, no!

Oh, gone!

He's gone!

Some incredible performances.

Oh! No!

Into the Grand Final!

Now just one more ninja remains and, when we talk about heavyweights,

this guy is one of the biggest and strongest.

He's overcome London lockdown, hotel quarantine,

he wanted to be back home with his mum, and this is a big challenge.

From Melbourne, the Ninja stuntman, the one and only...

BOTH: Mike Snow.

Since the heats, I've been training and not pushing myself to exhaustion

or burning out, just kind of

checking in on how I feel on my log hops and pull-ups

and hangs and things like that, but without pushing it.

It's awesome to catch up with Mum.

Obviously, I spend most of my time overseas,

so just gotta savour whatever bits I can, hanging out with the family.

It's been nine months since I've seen him,

so it's been lovely to have him here again.

Mike? Yep.

Can I have a cup of tea, please? No worries.

I try to be helpful around the house.

I do what I can.

You're not too bad when he's not on his PlayStation.

I don't know what you're talking about.

There you go. Thank you.

A bit over 20 years ago,

Mum got very sick with pneumonia and septicaemia,

which led to the amputation of both legs below the knee,

her right fingers and her left arm below the elbow,

but she's an absolute trooper, and, yeah, she just gets on with it.

Mum's easily, like, the most inspiring person I know.

This Semi Final should have some boss obstacles,

and not a whole lot of people hitting the buzzer,

so I'll be putting in a very focused run

to make sure that I am one of those people.

My game plan this time is to just bring it home for Mum.

OK. Let's hit it.

Love you. I love you, too.

Mike Snow, the stuntman.

He was disqualified in the Finals last year.

He wasn't happy. He's back for redemption.

One of nine men to be in all five seasons, as well, so he's a veteran.

Done your research, Nick.

Now, we'll bring into the big screen Mike's mum, Angela,

just so she can watch on.

Hi, Angela.

We are missing you from the sidelines this year.

Hope you're OK. Hope you're well.

Here we go.

Have a look at how fit he is.

(BUZZER TONE) And he's ready to go.

He would've gone all the way last year

if it hadn't been for that shock disqualification in the Grand Final.

But, if he wants redemption, the time to beat is Todd Smith's, 6:34,

and Mike Snow will find himself on the Power Tower.

He's worked on some big films as a stuntman,

and now he's absolutely tearing it.

Yes, nails it!

He's got the Power Tower firmly in his sights at the moment.

Alex Bigg leads the way and Ninja Toddles sits in second,

but I can guarantee you Mike Snow is going for furthest fastest tonight.

He wants to make a bold statement.

You'd have to be brave to bet against him, Bec.

A couple of mates on the sideline, Jesse and Sean.

He finished fifth in his heat,

he missed out on the Power Tower,

but tonight he wants to rectify that.

Oh, a little bit of a reach.

Hey, this ninja right now has more motivation than any ninjas -

he's doing it for his mum.

Go, mate. You're doing great.

Her boy's off to a flyer.

20 seconds faster than Alex Bigg after the Pipe Climber.

Quite incredible what Mike has been through over in London

where he was working.

All the gyms were closed so the only training he could do

was by improvisation, on the streets.

Here he is making his first lache onto the shelf grab,

and it is perfect, as expected from Mike Snow.

The corkscrew is a tough one for our heavier ninjas, but he holds it.

Go, mate.

Ooh, look at him get the momentum up.

Whoa!

What about the power? The grip strength.

That is just brutal.

Mike does most of his stunt work in Europe, in the UK, so he's had

to do the 2-week quarantine to be with us on Australian Ninja Warrior.

So, hopefully, he's kept his fitness up.

He says he's concerned about his fitness level,

so we'll watch that closely

as he continues his way through the course.

He's moving well.

40 seconds up on Alex Bigg.

And he's the fastest all night to the fifth obstacle.

Big reps.

Now, let's watch Mike Snow.

He's got the strength to miss a couple of leaps on this Dragon...

He goes straight... ..on this Dragonback.

Knew it.

He does it in two hits and now he's ready to slide...

Ooh, ooh. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

Can't watch.

This is the taxing bit, heading back up and over the hill.

Ooh!

There's the power from the hips.

All he's gotta do is hang on on the way down.

Breathing through this obstacle. He does.

Come on, Mike.

Nice work. Oh, too good.

Five obstacles down,

40 seconds faster than anyone else to the Warped Wall.

Here he comes now, Mike Snow.

Straight up the Warped Wall.

He walks up. Does it in a canter.

This guy is too good.

Raises a fist for the crowd.

There's no reason to rule this bloke out from being on the top of

Mount Midoriyama, look all the way up there, $200,000 waiting up there.

He's just gotta make sure he doesn't have another brain fade

like he did in the Grand Final last year.

As it stands, he's on track for the Power Tower

but this is the Spinball Wizard.

Yeah, Bec, this obstacle has thrown some very experienced ninjas,

Zed Colback and the Furbinator among the victims tonight.

Mike Snow, he's put a lot on the line,

and now he wants the crowd behind him.

Time to move, Mike Snow.

Off he goes.

Mike Snow's on and he does his best to keep that handlebar straight.

And that's experience.

What you're seeing right there is experience and technique.

Now, can he keep this one straight?

So, he's not burning any energy by having to correct the direction.

Look at the lats!

He's a machine, mate.

Come on! He's a machine.

Incredible.

Mike Snow books his place in the Grand Final and he's not done yet.

Up he goes on the Spider Jump.

He'll move through the walls of the Spider Jump no problem at all.

For all of his fitness worries and the time in quarantine,

he's nearly a minute faster than Alex Bigg,

and now Mike Snow's in the Chimney Rope Climb.

Is this gonna be our fastest ninja tonight?

Mike Snow is destroying the course.

What about the technique, wrapping the rope amongst his feet.

He's not gonna take a break here.

He is going straight up the Chimney Rope Climb.

He's already through.

Mike Snow, you are the fastest ninja to the buzzer tonight!

Oh, yes!

And you're heading to the Power Tower looking better than ever.

Yeah, buddy!

Whoo!

But look how happy Angela is watching on the big screen.

Yeah, Mum. What about that, Angela?

Darling. Yeah, Mum, how you doing?

Good, how are you, mate?

Pretty tired.

It's nice that you two can catch up like this.

Now, Mike, take us back to last year

because I know you would've been living that disqualification

over and over in your head.

Yeah.

But you're back for redemption, yes?

Hell yeah, I'm back for redemption. Let's get some.

That DQ, you know, it was a bit frustrating.

I just cracked on with the training and, you know, I've done as much

as I can with what limited things I have available to me.

You know, it's mostly just been my pull-up bar

in my living room in London, and no real obstacle stuff,

so I've really just... yeah, I just tried to pull it all together.

Wow. That is incredible.

Give it up for Mike Snow, everybody.

He could go all the way this year on Australian Ninja Warrior 2021.

No doubt about it.

It could be Mike's year.

He put all the adversity behind him,

not being able to train, two weeks stuck in hotel quarantine,

and delivered, perhaps, his best performance ever.

Watch out, Mount Midoriyama.

Mike Snow's coming.

Exceptional stuff.

(KLAXON BLARES)

He hits the buzzer with the head!

The top eight heading into the Grand Final looks like this.

Mike Snow and Alex Bigg are the two furthest fastest,

heading to the Power Tower.

Unfortunately, heartbreak for Ninja Toddles.

He misses out, in third.

Of 12 former Grand Finalists, seven make it through.

Rookie Jeremy Soffe, the Shaky Ninja, squeezes through in eighth,

while yet another heavyweight ninja, Zed Colback,

has dropped out of the eight and will miss out this year.

What an incredible finish to the Semi Finals.

It has been non-stop action as we've watched some of

the biggest names in Australian Ninja Warrior battle it out.

We want to say a huge thank you to Nick Kyrgios

for joining us once again.

It's been great having you here. Mate, you look like you've loved it.

Yeah, thanks, guys.

It's been an absolute pleasure being part of this experience.

I just want to say good luck in the finals.

My pick is flashin' Ashlin Herbert.

He's going all the way to the top.

Good tip, Nick.

Well, there's two Ninja superstars going all the way to the top

of the Power Tower tonight, Mike Snow and Alex Bigg.

Both big lads and both big competitors.

They've topped the leaderboard and, Australia, get ready

because they're about to go head to head,

ninja versus ninja, on the Power Tower.

On offer is that critical second chance advantage in the Grand Final,

so this showdown is going to be epic.

Don't go anywhere.

Australian Ninja Warrior Power Tower right after the break.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior

for the final Power Tower of the Semi Finals.

Alex Bigg and Mike Snow getting ready.

This is going to be a monster showdown.

Yeah, there's so much on the line, Bec,

'cause whoever hits that buzzer first on the Power Tower

gets a crucial second-chance advantage in the Grand Final.

It means, if they slip up, they get the option of having a run again.

But, the bigger the advantage, the bigger the challenge.

That's right, Ben, and it all starts

with a 20-metre dash to five supersized steps.

At the top is a 2.5-metre lache onto an unstable firepole,

and a rapid downward slide.

Then, ninjas will have to inch their way

across three risky cliffhanger boards

before climbing back up the energy-sapping cargo net

to confront the four dropping shelves,

which lead to the final lache onto the platform and the buzzer.

(KLAXON BLARES)

And look at this.

We've never had such an evenly matched Power Tower.

There's not much to split these two.

Mike and Alex have appeared in every season.

They both weigh pretty much the same.

Their reach is almost identical.

It's gonna come down to who wants it the most.

Now, this is big and this is going to be fierce.

Two Ninja Warrior heavyweights

ready to go at it on the almighty Power Tower.

I'm talking about the Bigg Ninja, Alex Bigg.

He'll be taking on the stuntman, Mike Snow,

and they're ready to put on a show.

The final Power Tower of Season 2021.

Who's gonna get that second chance in the Grand Final?

(BUZZER TONE)

Here we go, we're underway.

We've got Mike Snow, 29, from Victoria.

Alex Bigg from South Australia, the 34-year-old.

Two big men, Bec.

OK, here they go, just nearing the top,

and it is Mike Snow onto the firepole first.

Down he goes onto the first of three cliffhanger boards.

Alex Bigg just makes his way to the boards now,

but Mike Snow's got him by about six inches or so.

It's gonna be tight as they make their way to the ring

and then onto the nets.

Mike Snow's got his feet in the cargo net first.

He'll be good at this. He's a stuntman.

But here comes Alex Bigg, here he comes!

They are now neck and neck, Alex Bigg and Mike Snow.

Who's gonna make the transfer to the shelf first?

Neck and neck! Here they go! They now battle it out.

It's Mike Snow, it's Alex Bigg.

It's too close to call, Ben, too close to call in this moment!

Who's it gonna be? Alex Bigg, can he get the swing?

Alex Bigg is close. Mike Snow hits the buzzer!

Mike Snow's got it with a second to spare!

Oh, my gosh!

What a tight contest, Ben, the tightest Power Tower we have seen.

They are both champions.

Mike Snow wins the second-chance advantage in the Grand Final.

So close.

Mike took an early lead on the firepoles,

but Alex caught up to him on the cliffhanger boards,

and after that it was a dead heat - look at that.

Mike Snow, congratulations. What a race.

Cheers, dude, that was sick, hey?

It was like... it felt super tight the whole way.

I really had no idea who was gonna get it and I was sure,

on that last one, that he had it,

and then, when I just felt myself going for it,

I was like, "Dude, you've got it," and, like...

It was close, it was so close, it was a wonderful race.

Now, a second-chance advantage into the final.

How important is that? Pretty important.

I could've done with that the last two years in a row.

Yeah, I'm gonna aim to not use it at all, but, ideally, it would be,

uh, pretty good on Stage 2 when it's just all about speed.

Congratulations.

Mike Snow, the winner of the Power Tower Semi Final.

Well done. Awesome effort. Well done.

How good was that.

Well done to Alex Bigg and Mike Snow,

but Mike Snow got there just by a whisker so it's Mike who gets

that second-chance advantage in the upcoming Grand Finals.

Yeah, speaking of the Grand Final,

that's where things really step up a notch.

We have 28 of the very best ninjas

going head to head on this extended course.

There's brand-new obstacles and it's an angry Mount Midoriyama.

Yeah, bigger and badder than ever before.

It starts tomorrow night, Grand Final week,

right here on Nine all the way from the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.

Goodnight. Goodnight.

Tomorrow night, this is it.

The Grand Finals.

Grand Final stage 1, 2, 3 - let's go. It's our time.

Grand Final is way harder than we've ever seen.

The game has stepped up this year.

And tough just got tougher...

I'm expecting a course that is angry.

It's here to challenge us.

..with the most brutal course in Ninja history.

Have a look at this. Look at the difficulty.

This stuff has obviously been just took up to the next level.

For the first time ever, the ninjas will need to go underwater.

No-one wants to go for a swim in Ninja,

but tonight you really want to get there and get wet.

And they'll have to do it quickly

because they're up against the clock.

Tonight's gonna be a deep burn.

It's gonna be a scary night for ninjas.

If they can't complete the course in time, they're out.

BOTH: Oh, no!

It's our favourite ninjas versus our favourite ninjas.

We're watching something special here.

I can't keep up!

You know what they say - speed kills.

Who can beat the clock?

Their path to the mountain and $200,000 in prizemoney begins here.

(CHEERING)