Sophie Simnett had 13 auditions for the Lodge role

Sophie Simnett had no pop singing experience before she auditioned for her role in Disney’s new musical series ‘The Lodge’.

The 18-year-old actress – who is from Chiswick, London – was studying for her A-Levels when she decided to go for the role of Skye, a 15-year-old girl who gives up her life in the city to look after her family’s country lodge in what has become Disney’s biggest new show in years.

Sophie was up against hundreds of other hopefuls and had to endure 13 auditions before being told she had been chosen to play Skye, even though her musical abilities were limited.

Speaking in the new issue of Wonderland magazine, she spilled: "When I was younger I sang in a barbershop quartet at school, but that’s about it. I did singing lessons with a teacher, but that was classical. And when I auditioned for The Lodge they were like, ‘Do you do pop?’

"There were 13 auditions, and I was doing my A-levels at the time. But I was busy, so you don’t really think about it and you just do the pop!"

‘The Lodge’ – which was filmed in Northern Ireland – first came to screens in September this year and has quickly become a major success being broadcast in 108 countries.

Sophie believes Skye has proven to be a popular character because she is such a "strong" girl and good role model.

She said: "Skye is incredibly strong. I think my peers and I are very aware of feminism, it’s a very important topic. I mean, feminism defined is believing in equality in both genders, why isn’t that inherent?"

Sophie is hoping she can go on to emulate the careers of other Disney stars such as Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato who have all gone on to have incredible careers in the music business, on TV and in movies.

She said: "It’s great. If you look at all of those people’s careers individually they’ve all been totally different. They are in the entertainment industry but in different ways.

"I’m just taking it a step at a time, but I guess I hope to do more film work. It’s interesting. It’s all really new at the moment: this opportunity, this platform."

Sophie Simnett appears in the Winter issue of Wonderland on sale 7 December and can be seen in The Lodge on the Disney Channel.