All language subtitles for Australian.Ninja Warrior.S05E07.WEBRip.9Now.en

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)