Pusillanimous.
P-U-S-I-L-L-A... No!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
NARRATOR: It's the semifinal of Australia's first-ever Child Genius competition.
Oh, my God! I can't believe it.
In a country where educational standards have been declining
and sporting prowess is celebrated over intellectual achievement...
SUSAN: Correct. Correct. Correct.
..19 of our brightest children have come together
in a six-day competition
to showcase their academic excellence.
Late Cretaceous. Correct.
Now only eight remain.
He definitely deserves to be in the grand finale
and we are confident that he probably will make it.
Overseen by quizmaster Dr Susan Carland...
Nearly half of our kids will be going home after today.
The tension is enormous.
Today they face a mammoth general knowledge round...
What name is given to the cloud of debris and gas
created by a supernova?
If you don't score strongly in general knowledge,
it's gonna be really difficult to stay in the competition.
..followed by a spelling challenge
where a single mistake will instantly you end their round.
Oh, no!
One error and you're just cut at the knees.
That's hard, the knockout stuff. It's brutal. It is brutal.
(WHISPERS) Oh, my God.
Who will make it through to the grand final
of Australian Child Genius 2018?
INTERVIEWER: Have you done enough?
Depends on whether I make it to the finals,
whether I've done enough or not.
(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY)
Today's the semifinals.
Yep. Sure is.
The final eight children and their parents have arrived
to prepare for the semifinals of Australian Child Genius.
Never thought we'd get this far,
so the possibility of the grand final has gotten a lot closer now.
The impossible can be possible.
That is such a good saying! Oh, my God.
With only the top five children going through to tomorrow's grand final...
1919. 1922.
..and a gruelling general knowledge round first up,
all heads have been down, studying.
How do you teach general knowledge?
It's just absorbing everything in life.
I think I'll do fine. It's only... a fair bit of trivia.
Yes. We have Trivial Pursuit at home.
Right. I've practised!
Mm-hm. True.
Some people have been studying long hours through the night,
whereas I sort of had to tell Nathan to go to bed at 9:30 the other night.
I'm like, "That's enough. Off to bed." (LAUGHS)
While Nathan is happy to cruise behind the leaders,
Peter and Sumedh have become the competition's newest rivals,
both vying for the top spot.
Yes, smart is one thing, but it's a matter of putting the hard yards,
studying hard, being focused so that they can be the best they can be.
(HUMS)
Well, I don't think there's any question
that Peter's gonna go through.
He's the hot favourite in this competition.
My bet would be Nathan and Sumedh would also definitely go through.
Alright. We'll see you in there!
You can definitely tell there's friendly competition going on
but we're all keeping to ourselves,
thinking, "Yes, we can win it," but we're not gonna say it.
"We're just gonna be kind and humble."
Shush, shush! (WHISPERS) It's only general knowledge.
I always lose those. (LAUGHS NERVOUSLY)
SUSAN: I think the kids are really feeling the pressure.
We are so close to the finish line, they can nearly touch it.
Nearly half of our kids will be going home after today.
The tension is enormous.
Welcome back to Child Genius.
Please welcome our remaining eight competitors.
(APPLAUSE)
Hi, everyone.
Children, today you are competing for a place in the grand final.
The pressure is certainly on.
I have with me the independent competition adjudicator
Jane Allen from the International Quizzing Association,
and Alan Thompson, our Australian Mensa representative.
Mensa's minimum IQ is 130,
so if you've got an IQ in the top 2% of the population.
These children are over and above that.
This is the very best of the best here, and you can see it.
You can see it in their responses
and you can hear it in the way that they process
and then answer so rapidly.
Our rounds today are general knowledge and advanced spelling.
In this round, each child will have four minutes to answer 20 questions.
General knowledge was probably really hard to study for.
It's so general.
Well, general knowledge can be anything. It's such a broad topic.
Anything and everything can come under general knowledge.
Let's have a very big welcome for Sumedh.
(APPLAUSE)
Today all eyes are on 12-year-old Sumedh,
who impressed everyone by shooting to the top of the leaderboard on day 4,
tying with star performer Peter.
Vietnam. Correct.
John Smith Murdoch. Correct.
The Duke and Duchess of York. Correct.
Sumedh, you scored 19 out of 20 points.
(APPLAUSE)
I think there's no better way of making your mark in the competition
than getting the top, so I'm pretty happy with that.
So, very high scores definitely intimidate people.
Yeah. It's a very...
Bowl a ripsnorter.
SUDIP: Ready for the second question? Yeah.
I think competitions bring out the best in me.
Because it's a competition, I really want to do well and win
and really have that competitive spirit inside me.
Who found the Federation wheat?
Farrer. William Farrer.
In 1900.
If you challenge him, he tries to excel it and goes beyond.
SUSAN: Sumedh, day 5!
Feeling confident? Yeah.
You should be. You were equal top on day 4.
That must give you a good boost.
He has actually proved himself beyond expectation from us
and also from himself.
Sumedh, your time starts now.
What is a family of young kittens called?
Group. (BUZZ!)
A litter.
What name is given to a large fin on the back of a shark?
Caudal fin. (BUZZ!)
Dorsal fin.
They were questions that he knew but he got wrong,
and that hit his confidence.
I could see in his face.
Name both months that the Hindu Festival of Lights can fall in.
October.
And November. Correct.
Which boy king ruled in Egypt almost...
Tutankhamun. Correct.
On which continent did humanlike mammals first emerge from the ape family...
Africa. Correct.
How many times a year is the sun directly above the...
Two. Correct.
After a shaky start, Sumedh has returned to form.
The Yangtze river. Correct.
Albert Einstein. Correct.
DEBJANI: He has been working hard for it.
He wants to see himself on the grand finale.
I... I am there and, yes, we will support that.
This is your last question.
Which English inventor built a glider that could carry a person
when it was towed into the air?
Sir George Cayley. Correct.
Well done, Sumedh. You scored 15 out of 20 points.
(APPLAUSE)
DEBJANI: I think for us as parents
sitting in the audience is quite nail-biting.
Every round is the same.
And the next round, yes,
it would be probably more nerve-racking on what happens.
Let's have a very warm welcome for Nathan.
(APPLAUSE)
For Nathan's mum, Leanne,
the competition has brought some unexpected results.
LEANNE: It has been an eye-opener. I've learned a lot about Nathan.
And I think it's been good for me to get into his brain
and come to understand him a bit more.
I feel like we're already winners
because we've been able to come closer together as a mother and son,
which is a bonus.
For some reason, this type of pressure
and this environment really agrees with him.
In the earlier rounds, Nathan was content to fly under the radar.
He understood it wasn't crucial to come first in the heats,
so he saved his energy.
NATHAN: I just set a goal for myself.
I don't say I'm gonna ace it - I just set a goal for myself
and I try to get to that goal,
and when I get to that goal, I feel more satisfied.
In which modern-day country
was the site of the city of Troy discovered?
Greece. (BUZZ!)
Turkey.
What name is given to robots that look very humanlike?
Aminoid. (BUZZ!)
Anthropoid.
Chasing Sumedh's score of 15, Nathan can't afford many more mistakes.
Whose famous theory showed light is bent by gravity,
so it can be trapped inside a black hole?
Did you say who or what? Who.
Who? Albert Einstein. Correct.
What is the name of the hard casing that protects a caterpillar
while it changes into a butterfly?
Cocoon. Correct.
Which human teeth were once needed to eat roots and...
Wisdom teeth. Correct.
Supernova remnant. Correct.
Siberia. Correct.
Nathan needs one more correct answer to level with Sumedh.
Which part of the human brain is linked to the pituitary gland
and the hormonal system?
Hypo...
..ter-something.
That's not enough, Nathan. Sorry. (BUZZ!)
You were... Good start. Hypothalamus.
And, Nathan, this is your last question.
Jan Mayen is an Arctic territory belonging to which country?
Norway.
Correct.
Well done, Nathan. You scored 15 out of 20 points.
(APPLAUSE)
NARRATOR: Nathan has hit his goal and tied with Sumedh on 15.
LEANNE: The fact that he's kept going this whole time, applying himself,
has been fantastic to see that he does have that sort of stamina
and endurance and determination.
I'm not gonna push him or pressure him - and, in fact, I can't.
If I did that with Nathan, he would just switch off,
so I've got a fairly hands-off approach.
Let's have a very warm welcome for Amy.
(APPLAUSE)
Amy's mum/coach, Larnie,
has always made sure her 12-year-old daughter is well prepared.
LARNIE: I am very hands-on,
only 'cause I want them... I want them to reach their potential.
I want them to be proud of themselves.
I want them to show what their ability is.
We'll do your book first.
This close-knit family has put their life on hold
to support Amy through the competition.
"It's believed to be one of only 13 skeletons in existence."
From the time they get up to the time basically we'll go to sleep,
the house has become locked down.
A vortex. Yeah, it's locked down.
It's no TV on, it's, uh...
Silent. ..study, study, study.
Really, it's full-on.
And what kind of nerves have you got? (SIGHS)
You've got sensory nerves and motor nerves.
Sensory nerves tell the brain what?
To sense!
(LAUGHS) Ear sense?
Visual, olfactory, gustatory.
Rhinosectomomomy.
(LAUGHS) No! (LAUGHS)
Hopefully all of the hard work we've put in will pay off.
Amy, you've got four minutes to answer 20 questions.
Are you ready? I think so.
Your first question is...
What is the alternative name for a killer whale?
Pass.
What is the correct term for a female cat?
A queen. Correct.
LARNIE: I am a firm believer in nurture, I've decided.
If someone gave me their child and I brought that child up
the way I've brought my children up,
would they be of a higher level?
And I think they would.
A neutron star spins rapidly, often producing what type of radiation?
Electromagnetic. Correct.
I'll go in and say to them, "Oh, look, try your hardest.
"Mum's very proud of you," you know. "That's wonderful."
But deep down I'll be going, "Oh, please, please, please, please do well."
What names are given to the two sections of a butterfly's wings?
The front wing and the back wing.
I'll just pause on that and...
No. (BUZZ!)
Unfortunately, we needed 'fore' and 'hind'.
NARRATOR: With three children going home at the end of the day,
Amy is struggling to keep up with the others.
Radio waves travel at the same speed as which other natural phenomenon?
Light. Correct.
This is your last question, Amy.
King Frederick VIII Land and Nuuk can be found on which island?
The Saal Borgen?
(BUZZ!) Greenland.
Good work, Amy. You got 12 out of 20.
(APPLAUSE)
(WHISPERS) That's alright.
Amy's score of 12 points is the lowest so far.
The capital of Greenland - Nuuk.
N-U-U-K. You knew that one!
I was going, "Woot!" and you said some random island
in the middle of the Antarctic or something.
They were hard questions.
Are you alright? I'm right. We're fine.
The Child Genius semifinal is underway.
Euphrates and Tigris. Correct.
Eight children are competing
but only five will go through to tomorrow's grand final.
Supernova remnant. Oh, no - accretion...
(BUZZ!) Accretion disk. Unlucky.
The first round consists of 20 general knowledge questions.
Homo erectus. Correct.
Cyclone. Correct.
So far it's a close contest.
Sumedh and Nathan are already tied on 15.
What name is given to a huge black hole at the centre of a galaxy
that can have a mass of...
Supermassive black hole. Correct.
And Ayden has played a strong round to join them.
I scored 15 out of 20, which puts me safe right now,
but, uh... I'm just hoping I can say the same thing
when this round ends.
Let's have a very warm welcome for Rhedyn.
(APPLAUSE)
One competitor who's been looking forward to the general knowledge round
is 12-year-old Rhedyn.
Hi, Rhedyn. Hi.
The semifinals. How do you feel?
Pretty good. That's good.
Consistently placed in the top five in this competition,
this Sydney schoolgirl has her sights set on the grand final.
I'm feeling pretty confident with my general knowledge
'cause, like, I really do like general knowledge,
so it was quite interesting for me to learn.
She already had a really good base because she does a lot of reading
and watches a lot of television shows anyway,
so hopefully her knowledge from that will also help in this round.
With an IQ in the 99.7th percentile,
Rhedyn matches her brainpower with prowess on the sports field.
I think I'm, like, pretty confident going into this competition
because, like, I do play a lot of sports so it gives me experience
when it comes to competing with other people.
That was not too bad.
So far, that competitive spirit has served her well.
Peripatetic. Correct.
You are an unscrambling machine.
VANESSA: We didn't know what to expect going into this.
It's really hard to gauge how you're gonna go,
or how your child's gonna go,
because you don't know how they're gonna be able to handle the whole situation.
50 cards and 12 points out of 13.
Congratulations, Rhedyn. Amazing effort.
Her greatest strength actually isn't her academic strength,
it's her emotional intelligence.
Academic intelligence can get you so far,
but if you don't have that level of maturity and that emotional intelligence,
you're not gonna be put in good stead to deal with life.
Facing her favourite subject, Rhedyn's quietly confident
she can top Nathan, Ayden and Sumedh's scores of 15.
Alright. Rhedyn, you have four minutes to answer 20 questions.
Are you ready? Yep.
For how many seconds did the Wright Brothers' first controlled powered flight last?
12 seconds. Correct.
Which species holds the record
for the longest annual migration of any bird?
Arctic tern. Correct.
She's always loved general knowledge.
She watches a lot of documentaries, she does a lot of reading,
so she's really comfortable with the subject.
But it's also a really, really broad range of things that can be asked,
so it's just almost limitless.
Inside a large star, what two-word name
is given to the process that converts hydrogen into helium?
Nuclear fusion. Correct.
Which alternative name is commonly given to Greenwich Mean Time?
Universal time. Correct.
By what alternative name is the country of Cambodia known?
Pass.
RHEDYN'S DAD: If you don't score strongly in general knowledge,
it's gonna be really difficult to stay in the competition.
Peter and Sumedh have been right at the top, or up there,
consistently - week in, week out.
VANESSA: Yeah, and Nathan too.
Nathan's been performing really consistently.
Yeah, we're just hoping for the best for her.
Name a sea that separates Asia from Africa.
Red Sea. Correct.
Sperm whale. Correct.
Red semicircles. Correct.
Lactation. Correct.
Heinrich Schliemann. Correct.
350 million. Correct.
After the briefest of stumbles,
Rhedyn is poised to draw level with the top three.
Which Italian created the first radio system in 1895
and transmitted radio signals across the Atlantic in 1901?
Guglielmo Marconi. Correct.
How many cameras are there on the Curiosity unmanned space rover?
17. Correct.
Last question, Rhedyn.
To two decimal points,
how long does it take the Earth to travel once around the sun?
365.26 days. Correct.
Well done, Rhedyn. You scored 17. (APPLAUSE)
Rhedyn's impressive score has not only put her in the lead,
she's one step closer to the grand final.
Let's have a very warm welcome for Arielle.
(APPLAUSE)
12-year-old Arielle from Sydney
has maintained her position in the middle of the pack
despite her more relaxed approach to studying.
I have done about five hours of studying for each round,
and I know that other people are working much harder than I am,
doing like eight hours straight or something,
but I just don't want to give up my life for studying.
SHARON: She is a bit of a genius. (LAUGHS)
And she is fantastic under pressure.
But today, entrepreneur mum Sharon
is worried that Arielle's lack of preparation will be her downfall.
I'm a bit torn.
I know she hasn't worked nearly as hard as the other competitors
but she's my daughter and I want to see her do well at the same time.
Arielle, your first question is...
How many hours does it take for the Earth to spin once?
13. (BUZZ!)
24 hours. Oh!
She got off to a bad start.
That's just a reflection of the intense pressure that she was under,
I think, that just the wrong answer popped out.
Zambia. (BUZZ!)
Ethiopia.
Dendrites. (BUZZ!)
The meninges.
The Indian. (BUZZ!)
The Arctic Ocean.
The pressure was really hitting me.
I was like, "Oh, my God. What is wrong with my brain?"
Thanks, Arielle. You scored 7 points.
(APPLAUSE)
More than zero.
I really felt for Arielle in that round,
but unfortunately you can't just rely on talent for success.
You need to do hard work as well.
It was her choice not to prepare... shall we say 'fully' for this round,
but you live with your choices
and she made that choice knowing the consequences.
Arielle's score of 7
puts her at the bottom of the leaderboard,
while Rhedyn remains at the top,
on 17.
Let's have a very big welcome for Peter.
(APPLAUSE)
But with competition favourite Peter the last to compete,
will Rhedyn's lead be short-lived?
PETER: I've studied a lot harder and harder and harder
now it's getting to the last round,
and I've been getting better and better and better scores.
I know quite a bit of general knowledge,
so this next round shouldn't be too bad.
Since day one,
this 12-year-old Darwin boy has been aiming for the top.
Well, it would be great if I could win. It would be awesome.
I would be able to have, I guess, a trophy added over there.
And his winning attitude is supported by his father, Henri.
HENRI: We always tell our children, "Don't be happy where you are.
"You need to think about what else you can do, what else is possible."
Consistently first or second on the leaderboard,
the boy from the Top End appears unstoppable,
and today mum Lenny has come to cheer him on.
From the mother's perspective,
I think he's... he's very confident, about his ability.
However, he also know that there are a lot of smarter people out there.
Which is the largest known predatory fish in the world?
Great white shark. Correct.
What scientific name is given to the process
of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly?
Metamorphosis. Correct.
Supernova. Correct.
Morse code. Correct.
2012. Correct.
Nowadays you don't have to ask him to do any homework.
He comes home, he knows. He's always doing the things that he has to do.
By land area, which is the largest of the world's seven continents?
Asia. Correct.
What is the main food of the whale shark?
Plankton. Correct.
Sensory neurons. Correct.
Peter's lightning-quick answers have shot him past Rhedyn.
Now he's aiming for a perfect score.
This is your last question, Peter.
What is the Latin name for the mirrorlike layer
that reflects the light at the back of a cat's eye?
(SIGHS)
Pupil. (BUZZ!)
Tapetum lucidum.
Peter, I barely managed to finish a question,
and you scored 19 out of 20.
Congratulations. (APPLAUSE)
With just one incorrect answer,
Peter has again proven he's a formidable opponent.
(CHUCKLES) Dammit.
A score of 19
sees Peter top the leaderboard
at the end of round one.
Peter's just off the Richter
yet again, which we knew he would be.
Where's Peter? The Super-Peter.
Where's Super-Peter? (CHUCKLES)
Well done, everyone. Thank you.
I think a 19 is still not bad,
and I think I'm quite safe,
as long as I do pretty well in the advanced spelling.
But not everyone's feeling as pleased with their performance.
I don't know why you didn't get the last one - Nuuk, Greenland.
Doesn't matter. What... how many are you?
I'm second-last.
That's OK. You can wing it.
You'll be fine. You'll be fine.
What did you get? 10? ARIELLE: 7.
How didn't you get the 24 hours? Oh, my God!
I was like, "How stupid can I get?!"
My brain was like, "What did you just say?"
Three people are going home today,
and unless three people make giant mistakes and I don't,
then I'm going home.
Did you not know that there are 24 hours...
No, I... Stop beating her up.
Pantagruelian.
P-A-N-T-A-G-R-U-E-L-I-A-N.
It's the semifinal of the competition to find Australia's brightest child.
Who can spell 'taekwondo'?
After round one, Peter is at the top of the leaderboard,
while Elenor, Amy and Arielle
are the bottom three.
It's been intense work.
She got 7 out of 20, which placed her last, unfortunately.
All the competitors...
R-E-C-R-U-D...
..and their parents...
You need to go slow. You're getting excited.
..are preparing intensely for the day's last, demanding round
of advanced spelling.
B-E-L-L-U-M.
Again? Yep.
For this round, there's a tough new rule.
The advanced spelling round, as soon as you get one letter wrong,
the buzzer goes and it's the end of your turn.
A wrong answer will instantly end the child's round, yielding a low score.
LARNIE: 'Pusillanimous'. Look!
Yeah, that's... P-U-S!
That's what I said. You said C!
One error and you're just cut at the knees.
It's hard, the knockout stuff. It's brutal. It is brutal.
..I-L-L-A... No!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Love you. OK. Love you.
Seeing it? Yep.
Focused?
With a triple elimination looming,
Peter's not the only one receiving last-minute advice.
Make sure... you have to make the quizmaster understand what you say,
not just what you say, OK?
Yes.
We are down to crunch time.
Peter and Rhedyn are our frontrunners,
but Sumedh has had a couple of recent brilliant performances.
And don't rush. Yeah, OK.
You were rushing through the questions. Don't rush.
I can't wait to see what's gonna happen.
Alright, everyone. It is time for our advanced spelling round.
Joining us on the panel is our linguistics expert,
Professor Jaky Troy from the University of Sydney.
Welcome back, Jaky. Thank you.
The English language - it's a terrible language to learn,
and spelling it is the worst aspect of it.
It's got Germanic influences, Latin influences, French -
it's a real hotchpotch.
Now, Geniuses, a reminder of the rules for this round.
Once you've started answering the question,
you can't ask to have the word repeated,
and you have 20 seconds to respond once I finish asking the question.
And finally, as this is the advanced spelling round,
if you get one letter wrong, the buzzer will sound
and that will be the end of your round.
At the end of this round,
the spelling score will be added to the general knowledge score.
The three children with the lowest totals will be eliminated.
Let's welcome Ayden to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
Ayden B from western Sydney
has never been short of supporters in this competition,
and leading the squad is head cheerleader mum Naciye.
Team Ayden! Do you like it?
Yeah, it's good. Yes?
When you're on the podium,
I think the most stand-out thing in the crowd is Team Ayden.
There's like 20 people in the one row just like, "Team Ayden."
Ayden's got so much support.
Ayden, you scored 14 out of 15!
Well done. (APPLAUSE)
AYDEN: I'm going excellent!
I've studied hard and I've got lots of support around me,
so I'm feeling confident.
Name a few of the transition metals.
And if this go-getter makes it to the finals,
his mum is planning to bring a crowd.
We have eight people coming this morning and seven this afternoon.
Both sets of grandparents, we have next-door neighbours,
he has his best friends from school and their mums,
his principal's coming, teachers are coming, so he's got a lot of support.
This is round five.
I think we're just so close to that grand final,
if I go home now I'll be more devastated than ever.
Ayden, your first word is 'ameliorate'.
Correct.
Ayden scored 15 to share the lead in round one.
Aureole.
Correct.
But with only the top five going through to the grand final...
Correct. ..every point counts.
Correct. Correct.
'Pulchritude'.
(BUZZ!) Oh, no!
Ayden, you scored 10 points. (APPLAUSE)
There's only eight people left. There is really nowhere to hide.
It is the cream of the crop left,
so it's going to be quite difficult to be in that final five.
Also starting on 15 points from round one, can Nathan fare any better?
'Acanthus'.
Correct.
Once again, Nathan is proving to be a solid competitor.
'Lacustrine'.
Correct.
Correct. Correct.
(BUZZ!) Oh.
Well done, Nathan. You scored 14 out of 20 points.
(APPLAUSE)
Phew.
Having pushed through to a combined score of 29,
Nathan has given himself a healthy lead.
Ohh! Love you lots, mate.
Let's welcome Elenor to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
Quiet achiever 12-year-old Elenor from Randwick in New South Wales
is currently on 14 points.
Hello, Elenor. Hello.
Are you feeling confident for advanced spelling?
Yeah.
But she knows she has her work cut out to finish in the top five.
Off you go. Try and draw nice circles.
With two academic scholarships under her belt
and a passion for gymnastics,
only child Elenor entered herself into Child Genius.
Beautiful.
She likes to compete.
And, look, she's not always first either, but she likes to try.
JOHN: She's got a thirst for knowledge.
She's passionate about her art and she gets that from her mother.
I think she gets her maths from me, but that's probably all. (LAUGHS)
Can you test me on this page?
Currently in the bottom three,
can this underdog score high enough to advance to the grand final?
Elenor, your first word is 'axiomatic'.
Correct.
'Zeitgeist'.
Correct.
'Guerdon'.
Correct.
JOHN: Spelling, it's making sure you do the phonetics.
It's just getting yourself quite disciplined
and structured in the response.
Taking Dad's advice,
Elenor is treating the difficult words with care.
Correct.
But mum Tania can barely watch.
Correct.
..A-D-E. Correct.
Correct. Correct.
Correct.
..M-A-T-I-C.
Correct.
'Desuetude'.
Could I please have the etymology?
From Latin.
(BUZZ!)
So close.
Excellent score - 17 out of 20, Elenor.
(APPLAUSE)
Elenor's exceptional score has surprised everyone,
including Mum and Dad.
Good job!
I knew she'd do well in the spelling
but I didn't think she'd go that far, so...
Very proud of her.
Done really well, haven't you, bub? Thank you.
Let's welcome Peter to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
Consistent frontrunner Peter topped round one with a score of 19.
Whew.
I like spelling a lot,
but the thing about this round
is that as soon as you get something wrong, that's your whole round out.
To remain in the number one spot, he'll need to score 12 or higher.
Peter, your first word is 'cunjevoi'.
Correct.
'Quinary'.
Correct.
HENRI: Oh, there's always tension in the room.
Being human, we can't help hoping for the best,
that your child is doing the best he can.
'Viviparous'.
Correct.
..L-I-E-N-C-E. Correct.
..S-C-I-E-N-T. Correct.
'Effluvium'.
Peter needs only five more points to take the lead once more.
Correct.
'Punctilious'.
(BUZZ!)
So unlucky.
Well done, Peter. You scored 8 points.
(APPLAUSE)
RHEDYN: Are you beating Peter? Yeah, I'm beating Peter.
Peter. Peter. PETER: I'm stuffed.
No, no, you're not stuffed. You're not stuffed.
You're not stuffed. You're good.
It's a shock result.
The competition favourite has failed to capitalise on his lead.
Only time will tell
if his mistake will cost him his ticket to the grand final.
He only got 8 out of 20,
which to me is really low for his standard.
I think I stuffed up a LOT on the 'punctilious'.
Let's have a big welcome for Arielle to the podium.
(APPLAUSE)
Another competitor in the danger zone is 12-year-old Arielle.
Spelling is usually one of my stronger points
but I often tend to correct myself -
be like, "A! No, B! No, wait, wait, wait - C.
"That's what I meant. Final answer C."
But you can't do that in this round. No second chances.
Unlike Peter, who's been studying hard,
Arielle has been relying on her natural gifts to see her through.
I think the fact that she's a fighter by nature,
she's very determined to achieve goals,
has powered her through the competition.
Your first word is 'fulvous'.
Correct.
But at the same time, hard work is what you need to succeed.
'Charcuterie'.
Contestants have 20 seconds to answer each question.
(BUZZ!)
You were spelling it correctly but unfortunately the time ran out.
(GASPS) Oh, my God.
Arielle has been beaten by the clock.
Thanks, Arielle. You scored 4 points.
(APPLAUSE)
A final score of just 11
means Arielle is out of the competition.
She didn't get the opportunity to really show her full stuff.
Um... "Stuff"! (LAUGHS)
But I'm really proud of the way she's held herself together
despite being a bit unlucky there.
I just wanted experience, and I think I got a ton of that.
It's really not that bad.
When you think about it, it's not the mistakes you make,
it's what you've learnt from them.
Hmm!
I saw that on a TV show. (LAUGHS)
The next contender is Amy,
currently the second-lowest scorer from round one.
Let's welcome Amy to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
For Amy and supercoach mum Larnie, this round is make or break.
LARNIE: Amy is determined
but that one letter that you get wrong - beep, you're out.
Yeah, even if it's the first word. You don't get a second chance.
Welcome back, Amy.
T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U.
(LAUGHS)
Correct! (LAUGHS)
Sounds like you are ready to go. (LAUGHS)
As long as we go slowly and steadily, we'll be fine.
That's all you can do. Mm-hm.
Not mix up your Is and your Es and your double-Cs
and your Qs and the Us and the I-O-U-Ses.
OK. (LAUGHS)
Huh!
Your first word is 'maelstrom'.
Correct.
'Virescent'.
Correct.
I'm proud of Amy wherever she gets to.
Today is the semifinals
and I know she... Amy would really love to be in the finals.
'Imbroglio'.
Correct.
'Chatoyant'.
Correct.
..R-I-G-H-T. Correct.
..E-T-T-E. Correct.
Correct. Correct.
When she got to 10, I thought, "Hang on. We might still be in it."
..S-C-E-N-C-E. Correct.
..I-G-N-T-Y. Correct.
Amy's run of correct answers has Ayden and Peter concerned.
'Obsequious'.
Correct.
'Gamopetalous'.
Correct.
'Efficacious'.
Correct.
'Septuagenarian'.
Correct.
'Squamulose'.
Correct.
'Porphyry'.
(BUZZ!)
Well done, Amy. You scored 17. (APPLAUSE)
LARNIE: Whoo-hoo!
Amy is level with Nathan on a total score of 29 points.
I'm in? I'm through? You're through.
She kept going, kept going, and I was like, "God!
"I think she's through!"
I didn't want to look up. I just looked down.
Yeah, I know. I saw you and I thought, "Oh!"
"One, two, three, four," counting through, because I was, "Oh, my God."
Yeah. I was thinking, "Oh, this can't be good."
No. No, you were doing well!
I didn't want to distract you at all or show any emotions.
Halfway through, you were talking and then I was...
I said to Mum, "Be quiet."
NARRATOR: With six children having finished their rounds,
Amy, Nathan and Elenor have secured their places in the grand final.
But Ayden and Peter have been pushed even further down the leaderboard,
with two strong rivals -
Rhedyn and Sumedh -
yet to compete.
I stuffed up in both rounds.
You've done really well.
In this cutthroat spelling round,
Ayden and Peter are both facing possible elimination.
It's the last round of the Child Genius semifinal.
C-H...
An advanced spelling test...
(BUZZ!) Oh, no!
..which ends as soon as the contestant makes a mistake.
..A-U... (BUZZ!)
The person at the top could bomb out
and someone from the bottom could have a good round and come through.
You just don't know. It's anybody's game.
In a shock development,
competition frontrunner Peter has fallen victim to this tough rule...
(BUZZ!)
..and is currently sitting on the second-lowest total score.
Five of today's eight finalists
will be going through
to the grand final.
Three have already been decided.
Two spots remain in play,
and two of the competition's
strongest contenders -
Rhedyn and Sumedh -
are still to compete.
A buzz is my biggest enemy right now, and hopefully I can beat it.
It's really just about taking your time,
playing it through in your head,
making sure you get the syllables straight before you answer.
Let's welcome Rhedyn to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
To guarantee her place in the grand final,
Rhedyn needs to score 11 points in this round.
Welcome back, Rhedyn. Hi.
But Mum and Dad - Vanessa and Adrian -
know her prospects are on a knife edge.
And with their places in the grand final in jeopardy,
all Peter and Ayden can do is wait.
OK, Rhedyn, your first word is 'quodlibet'.
Correct.
'Puissant'.
Correct.
'Birefringence'.
Correct.
'Sagacity'.
Correct.
VANESSA: Having a high emotional IQ
is definitely an advantage in the competition,
because it allows the child to keep steady
and to deal with the stress of the competition.
'Byssus'.
Correct.
Cool-headed Rhedyn is spelling her words with ease.
..M-E-N-T. Correct.
..R-A-V-E. Correct.
She has cruised past Ayden.
Now she is poised to overtake competition favourite Peter.
'Pileus'.
Correct.
'Fricassee'.
Correct.
'Cleistogamous'.
(BUZZ!)
So unlucky.
Well done, Rhedyn. You scored 12 points.
(APPLAUSE)
Thrilled with her combined score of 29,
Rhedyn's confirmed her place
in tomorrow's grand final.
It was nerve-racking watching, definitely, the advanced spelling
more than the general knowledge this morning,
because as we just saw, it felt a little bit like Russian roulette.
But her success spells the end for Ayden,
who's been an inspiring competitor since day one.
(SNIFFLES) You did amazing.
Stop being so hard on yourself.
INTERVIEWER: Mum, how do you think?
I think he's super sensational still.
Win, lose or draw, he's still the amazing kid that he has always been,
and we're still so very proud of him.
Rhedyn's stellar result has also pushed competition favourite Peter
further down the leaderboard.
He's now next in line
for elimination,
with his main rival Sumedh
next to compete.
Peter and Sumedh, they're both like, "Oh, yes! I'm gonna win!"
"I'm gonna beat Sumedh." "Oh, no, I'm gonna beat Peter."
It's quite entertaining. It's very fun watching it.
Let's welcome Sumedh to the podium. (APPLAUSE)
A formidable opponent,
Sumedh has proved he has what it takes to make it through.
I think the light's starting to appear in the end of the tunnel.
I think that trophy's getting nearer,
and hopefully my arms will just go straight into the trophy
and lift it up.
Mum and Dad - Debjani and Sudip -
are holding great hopes for their gifted son.
SUDIP: Being here makes us very proud,
so we certainly want to now look forward to the grand final
and we... we are very much positive
that Sumedh will make it to the grand final.
After his strong performance in round one, Sumedh needs only 13 points
to beat Peter's score and advance to the grand final.
Peter and his parents can only watch on and hope.
Sumedh, your first word is 'syncopation'.
Correct.
'Noctambulist'.
Correct.
DEBJANI: We definitely would like to see him
where he wants to see himself - with that huge trophy.
Fingers crossed. He's putting in effort.
We'll see how it goes.
'Macaque'.
Correct.
'Velamen'.
(BUZZ!)
(WHISPERS) Oh, my God. Sumedh!
Bad luck, Sumedh. You scored 3 points.
(APPLAUSE)
One slip has cost Sumedh his chance at the grand final.
He finishes on a combined score of just 18.
Peter secures the last place
in tomorrow's grand final.
ARIELLE: Oh, my God! I ran out of time.
If only I would've said the last two letters.
Ayden, you were so close, mate. Good job. You made it so far.
SUSAN: What a loss with Sumedh.
He very easily could have been, you know, in the last two, I thought.
He was really growing in his performance,
and today unfortunately the spelling just knocked him out.
NATHAN: Oh, no - Sumedh's crying.
Arielle's the only person who's out who's not upset.
Sumedh? Sumedh. What?
I'm gonna tell you something.
We were picked out of the whole of Australia.
I tell myself I know that I would have done better on other questions -
I just got unlucky with the ones I got, and so did you.
I ran out of time just before I finished, and we all stumbled.
I think most people here thought that I would be in the final.
I did too.
But I guess in a competition it's all about luck,
and today I got a hard word which I couldn't spell correctly.
Here.
(SOBS)
You did well.
He has come so far. Made us really, really proud.
I don't know how much that 'gifted' word really meant,
but he has proved his mark and I can proudly say I have a gifted boy.
Yeah, I feel really bad for Sumedh. I feel bad for everyone.
You know how hard this round was?
Peter knows he's had a close call.
For the grand final, he'll be studying harder than ever.
I think I'm very, very, very lucky.
It was definitely a shocker that Sumedh got out,
'cause he was a very strong competitor, definitely.
Really, really strong.
It was all about luck for me. I actually got it wrong so bad.
You guessed right through? Yeah, just...
I am always proud of my children, as always.
I mean, there were a few things that could have been done better today.
Yeah, just lucky that he got into the next round.