So just how do you keep one of the hottest competitive reality shows fresh after 11 seasons?

Oddly enough, it’s by delivering more of the same — more beautiful girls, more exotic locations and more catfights pre-catwalk. And when the 12th cycle of “America’s Next Top Model” begins at 8 p. m. Wednesday on The CW, fans will begin another ride on the quest to take an unknown beauty and turn her into a face that sells a million magazines. And for the sake of television, let’s just ignore the fact that that hasn’t happened yet with any of the other 11 seasons.

“I think the success of the show has less to do with actual fashion and the fashion industry than the fact that it is a Cinderella show,” said supermodel Paulina Porizkova, a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model and one of the judges on “ANTM.” “What little girl doesn’t want to be Cinderella? Whether she is from the country or from the big city, every girl wants that. I think Tyra [Banks] very smartly realized that, and that’s what makes the show so popular.”

For those of you living under a rock since the show began in 2003, “ANTM” takes a group of young women, makes them over to be more fashion-magazine friendly, then puts them through challenges — photo shoots, commercials, runway walks — where they’re judged by fashion industry gurus in hopes of winning a lucrative modeling contract. It is “Survivor” meets “The Devil Wears Prada,” and its success should be judged more on ratings than on magazine covers.

“Look, the fashion business does not want Tyra to dictate who will be the next top model,” said a refreshingly frank Porizkova. “This is TV — not high fashion. You and I can see that, and we kind of pretend. But that’s not to say that every girl on the show isn’t a beautiful young woman.”

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but rest assured this cycle’s 13 contestants run the gamut from classic beauties to the girl next door to “Holy cow, I’m in love.” They range in age from 18 to 25 and sport names such as London (who hails from Arlington, Texas), Kortnie and Fo — although there are an Allison and a Sandra tucked in for good measure. And while most list “student” as their occupation, they haven’t learned anything in Comp 101 that will compare to having Tyra Banks in their faces for failing to live up to her high expectations.

“Tyra’s strength is being larger than life, being goofy and telling you the power of ‘smiling with your eyes,’ ” Porizkova said. “It’s the earnestness behind her words. I’m not sure anyone else can actually do that.”

Yet what makes the show so addictive is the fact that these girls truly come from nowhere and are immediately thrust into a white-hot spotlight with industry leaders such as fashion photographer Nigel Barker and runway expert J. Alexander. Then they’re expected to glean all they can and transform themselves into instant supermodels. It really does seem Cinderella- esque.

Jay Manuel, the show’s creative director, who is known best for his frosted hair and glossy lips, doesn’t exactly agree with Paulina’s Cinderella assessment. Then again, he doesn’t exactly contradict it either.

“I love Paulina to death,” Manuel said. “I love that she has such strong opinions. But I think there are a couple of different reasons why the show is so intoxicating. There are these connections that separate it from other shows. It aspires to a positive end product. That’s why women buy fashion magazines month after month. They want to buy into that. And sure, you know that you’re not a model, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the confidence of a top model. We have these lessons season after season. And I think we connect with people who are artists who want to be part of that artistic community. I hear from people all the time who say, ‘I aspire to be a photographer, or a stylist, or a fashion journalist.’ So it’s more than just the models. We’re putting a spotlight on the industry as a whole.”

What Manuel and Porizkova do seem to agree on is that modeling is not the diva-driven hype machine that the public seems to think it is.

“Models don’t really mean anything right now,” Porizkova said. “They are nameless and faceless. The industry has come full circle. Before the supermodels, models were just clothes hangers. For me it was always just a job. They could put me in any clothes they wanted — it didn’t matter if you looked like a giraffe on crack. I think when people think of ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ they think the girl gets a golden ticket to limousines and Leonardo DiCaprio.”