Channel 9
While the competitors have been all smiles for the Australian Ninja Warrior cameras, sources tell New Idea that producers were staring down the barrel of an all-woman walkout during one stage of filming.
Angry that very few female competitors were making it through the course, a band of outspoken contestants made their objections clear to the crew – accusing them of making the course too hard for women.
It’s believed tensions grew so strong behind the scenes of the show that the women threatened to walk out, angry that the course meant they’d be ‘humiliated’ on national TV.
‘At the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie,’ says a source. ‘At the start of the show one in three of the competitors were female – and in the semi-finals that number slid down to one in 10. And we haven’t seen one single female complete the course.
‘We’ve seen Ninja Warrior series in some countries around the world adjust the course for various heights, but the Australian series look sexist by making a woman who’s 149cm compete against a man who’s 200cm.
‘None of the competitors had seen the course before filming started – but when the women saw it, a few of them were very angry. There was a big blow-up.’
Their fury is echoed by many Ninja Warrior fans, who’ve taken to social media to voice their disapproval of how unfair it is to make the female competitors run the same course.
Wrote one critic: ‘Doesn’t matter how you dress it up, females and men are different… Will never compete equally, as males are physically stronger.’
Adds another: ‘It’s a bit boring with only the male competitors making it through.’
For more on Ninja Warrior, see this week’s New Idea – Out now.
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