The Sydney native has landed her dream job, following in the footsteps of Giuliana Rancic as E! channel’s first-ever Australasian host.

Twenty-four-year-old Ksenija Lukich may have been a model for the last seven years, but she’s so much more than just a pretty face. The Sydney native has beat thousands of other hopefuls to land the role as first-ever E!’s first-ever Australasian host. She’ll start out hosting red carpet events Down Under, but hopes to travel to the States for major awards ceremonies like the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

The Sydney University graduate talks tous about the gruelling audition process, why she decided to make the transition from model to reporter, and what it was like to meet Giuliana.

What drew you to audition for this role?

I’ve always absolutely loved E!, and I’ve always been drawn to entertainment, fashion and music. I saw a pop-up on the TV and thought, “Oh my god, I have to do that!” I’ve always wanted to be a presenter.

I was a model for seven years, starting when I was 17. I’ve done TV commercials and a bit of acting, but this is the first really big thing that I’ve been able to get, so it feels really amazing.

What was the audition process like?

For the first audition I had to send in a little video. Then I got through to the top eight and we all had to do a screen test. It was really nerve-wracking – we were there for about 12 hours and we had to do a piece to camera, voice-over work, autocue reads and interviews. It was actually really, really intense.

You studied English, is that right?

Yes, I did a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University, and I majored in history and English. I finished that in 2012.

I think that having a broad degree is really helpful. For things like talking to people and constructing interviews, and even just knowing how to research, it was really useful.

Have you met with Giuliana to get some tips on hosting?

Yes, she did the presentation [announcing Ksenija as the new host]. She interviewed me and I interviewed her.

She was great, she gave me a lovely piece of advice which was just to be myself. She was wonderful to deal with.

What are you most excited about with this new role?

I think having the opportunity to do a bit more travel and meeting some incredible people that E! has access to. All the red carpet events – E! is red carpet. They were one of the first [networks] to do red carpet events. You really can’t get any bigger than that.

I’m really excited to get over to L.A. in January and meet the rest of the team. I think next year is going to be such a great year.

What do you think set you apart from the other thousands of applicants?

I’m not sure! I think I must’ve charmed somebody [laughs]. I just got along really well with the team and I really am passionate about this. I adore what I’m doing right now.

This isn’t to say that the rest weren’t as passionate – everyone did such a good job and it was a really tough day. I’m just incredibly enthusiastic about this and I’m so excited to get started.

What are your long-term career plans?

I’d love to stay with E! for as long as possible – it’s such a great brand and they have so much scope. I’d love to work domestically, like in the Australasia area, as well as doing stuff in L.A., or maybe changing between the two.

Catch Ksenija hosting interstitial programmes now on E!, Sky channel 11.