The Ultimate Test of Nerves and Vocabulary
The atmosphere was electric in a packed Sydney theatre hall on Friday morning, where the 2025 New South Wales Premier's Spelling Bee reached its dramatic conclusion. After three gruelling hours and multiple rounds, the competition came down to two finalists: nine-year-old Sukaina Kazmi and ten-year-old Finn McGhee, whose palpable tension had the audience holding their breath.
This year's event saw a record-breaking 200,000 students from approximately 1,000 public schools participate in the initial qualifiers, making the journey to the final stage an achievement in itself. The day began at 9am with 32 finalists from years two, three, and four, including last year's junior division champion, Wafiq Ayyash from New Lambton Public School, who was attempting to defend his title.
A Gruelling Battle of Wits
The competition format was deceptively simple yet brutally effective. Contestants began with 'seen' words they had practised, before progressing to 'unseen' words that tested their broader vocabulary and composure under pressure. Each round operated on a sudden-death basis, with misspelling a word resulting in immediate elimination.
Hosted by ABC presenter Toni Matthews, the event saw colourful introductions for each competitor. Anika Bhattacharyya was noted for preferring black over pink and aspiring to become a doctor or architect "to earn lots of money", while year two student Jack Primmer admired his best friend Ewan for his fast typing skills.
The early rounds proved challenging, with twelve students eliminated in the first three rounds alone. Nerves were evident as many competitors asked to use the toilet immediately after spelling their words. One unfortunate contestant misheard "corps" as "core", while another successfully navigated the tricky word "pachyderm".
Dramatic Twists and Tense Moments
Round four saw five of the twenty remaining spellers knocked out, followed by an extraordinary intervention. Nine-year-old Sukaina Kazmi had been dismissed for incorrectly spelling "gaudy" with a T instead of a G, but confusion over her pronunciation led judges to grant her a second chance. When Matthews called out "tuition", the Chester Hill Public School student spelled it effortlessly, her relief visible to everyone in the theatre.
By the end of round six, only ten participants remained. Last year's winner, Wafiq, confused "besiege" with "beseech" and was eliminated. As the clock approached 11.30am, the finalists continued without a proper break, sustaining themselves with sips of water while maintaining intense focus.
Finn McGhee from Narellan Vale Public School, whose nerves were evident throughout, breathed a sigh of relief after correctly spelling "oxygen". Sukaina perfectly spelled "inundate" and let out an audible gasp of relief. With eight competitors still in contention, the crowd began to wonder how much longer the children could endure the pressure without food or proper rest.
The Nail-Biting Finale
The following round proved decisive, reducing the field to just three students: Sukaina, who mouthed "oh my God" after spelling "preferential"; Austin Chen from Croydon Public School, who successfully spelled "oxymoron"; and Finn, who navigated "statuesque".
Sukaina went on to correctly spell "geriatric", waving her hands above her head with a beam, while Austin dropped out with "commissioner". This left Finn needing to spell his word correctly to stay in the competition. He walked to the microphone with his hands in prayer and nailed it, prompting host Toni Matthews to declare: "This is a spell off!"
In round ten, both Sukaina and Finn correctly spelled their words, creating an electric atmosphere. Then followed a remarkable sequence where neither contestant could spell their words correctly in rounds 11, 12, and 13, facing challenging words like "euphemism" and "cynicism".
The deadlock finally broke in round 14 when Sukaina stumbled over "sabbatical", opting for an R where a B should be. Then Finn was given the medical term "subcutaneous", meaning "under the skin". He took his time, sounding it out carefully, before receiving the judges' nod and the triumphant "Correct!" from Matthews.
The crowd erupted into cheers as a trophy was brought out. Finn waved it in the air, victorious and finally free from the intense pressure. Sukaina received a medal to the delight of her family, later expressing that she wished she had been given "subcutaneous" instead of "sabbatical".
Reflecting on her daughter's achievement, Sadaf Kazmi said: "I was scared! When I walked in, I was like, 'oh my God, if someone made me stand here and say the words I wouldn't be able to'. Sukaina is usually shy, but not in competitions like this."
For Finn's mother, Bina Bhattacharya, the competition reflected "the face of our country", noting that both finalists came from south-west Sydney and multicultural households. She had prepared for either outcome: "We're going to have a Maccas lunch if you win, or a Maccas lunch if you lose."
Finn admitted his confidence wavered when facing the word "oxygen": "I was really nervous, I was like 'can I please get this word right, I want it to be over'." His next goal? To become an author, currently working on a book with a friend about a child attempting to defeat a Jabberwocky. But first, he had a well-deserved Happy Meal to look forward to.
