Sophie Miller / photo by Steve Pohlner

A female forklift driver is one of 13 finalists competing for a modelling career in Australia's Next Top Model, a reality TV series on pay-TV Fox 8.

Sophie Miller, 19, worked as a forklift driver at her family's spray painting factory in Brisbane before auditioning for the show, which is based on America's Next Top Model, created by US supermodel Tyra Banks.

According to The Courier-Mail newspaper, Miller and the other finalists will compete in gruelling physical challenges for 10 weeks.

At the auditions, the girls worked 20-hour days. They were made-over for photo shoots and catwalk shows, and were judged on their performances.

"At the auditions I tried to act up myself. I told them I was going to win and I was better than the other girls," Miller said.

She said she was just as comfortable posing for the camera as she was sanding and spray painting in her former job.