Natasha Kaplinsky

Kaplinsky started out presenting on F2F, a youth chat show, for Granada Talk TV in 1996[2] with co-host Sacha Baron Cohen. She then moved to presenting early morning news bulletins at Meridian. Within six months, she was co-presenting their evening news programme Meridian Tonight. In 1999, Kaplinsky moved to ITV's London News Network[2] where she hosted London Today and London Tonight as well as a political programme called Seven Days.

In November 2000, Kaplinsky joined Sky News, where she initially co-presented breakfast news programme Sunrise; she later moved to early evening bulletin Live at Five, which she presented alongside Jeremy Thompson.

Kaplinsky joined the BBC in November 2002 to present BBC Breakfast from Monday to Thursday with Dermot Murnaghan, before moving on the host the BBC News at Six.

In 2006, Kaplinsky became only the third (and youngest) woman to present the BBC's Ten O'Clock News.

Kaplinsky was recruited from the corporation to join Five to help relaunch the channel. In a highly publicised move it was widely reported that her salary was upwards of £1,000,000 per annum.

On 18 February 2008, Kaplinsky relaunched Five,[2] doubling viewing figures overnight.

On 21 August 2008, Kaplinsky began her first maternity leave from Five, followed by a second period after the birth of her daughter.

On 14 October 2010, Kaplinsky announced that she was leaving her job at Channel 5 at the end of 2010, having spent most of her three years at the network on maternity leave.[9] On 23 December 2010, she presented her final bulletin for Five News.

Kaplinsky's first presenting role with ITV was in the summer of 2011, when she hosted a new Sunday entertainment series Born to Shine, which raised awareness for the charity Save the Children, of which Natasha is an ambassador.[10][11]

On 19 August 2013, Kaplinsky presented The People's Medal,[12] a documentary about The Queen's Birthday Honours List.[13]

On 29 October 2013, Kaplinsky hosted the documentary On the Run, alongside journalist Mark Williams-Thomas.[14] The pair then presented a second documentary, Missing Without Trace, on 12 November 2013.[15]

Kaplinsky has appeared on a number of light entertainment and factual programmes over the years. She hosted Children in Need with Terry Wogan, Have I Got News for You, and the BBC's New Year Live for many years and later the equivalent for ITV.

She continues to work extensively for ITN Productions, recently re-signing another two year contract, and is committed to various filming projects.

In 2004, Kaplinsky participated in the first series of the celebrity ballroom dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing and went on to win the competition with partner Brendan Cole. Kaplinsky then co-presented the first half of the second series in 2004 with Bruce Forsyth, when regular presenter Tess Daly went on maternity leave.[16] Kaplinsky returned to the show in 2012, taking part in the Christmas Special and in 2018 as part of the BAFTA tribute to Sir Bruce Forsyth.

In April 2018, Kaplinsky, her father and eight-year-old daughter, Angelica were seriously hurt when the boat there were holidaying in burst into flames off the Greek island of Corfu. The family were rescued by local fishermen, who helped put out a fire that had spread from the engine room and towed them ashore.[21] Kaplinsky daughter was flown back to Britain for emergency treatment.[22] A Corfu Port Authority spokesman said: "The vessel suffered a mechanical failure which caused a fire in the engine room, which was immediately extinguished by the people on the boat. “At first the girl was rushed to hospital in Corfu Town with burns to her face and hands. “Her mother and grandfather were treated at a private clinic. It was then decided to fly them home.”[23]

Kaplinsky became a celebrity ambassador for the UK charity Save the Children in 2010.[24][25] For over a decade she has been an active ambassador and fundraiser for Save the Children, travelling extensively for them around the world.

She is a patron of the Bevern Trust and she is an ambassador for Wellbeing of Women. Kaplinsky is also Patron for the National Maternity Support Foundation and The Willow Foundation.

Kaplinsky volunteered to record 112 testimonies of Holocaust survivors who had never spoken before.[26] She continues to serve as a board member for the Holocaust Memorial Foundation.[27]

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to the Holocaust Commission.[28][29]

In October 2018 Kaplinsky and Michael Sheen became vice presidents (an ambassadorial role) of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).[30]

In July 2019, it was announced that Kaplinsky had taken on the role as Barnardo's president. Kaplinsky was welcomed into this position at the annual Parliamentary reception by Javed Khan, CEO of Barnardo's, as well as other celebrity champions. Kaplinsky said, "I’m delighted to be joining Barnardo's as the charity’s new President. There are so many challenges for children these days. It must be frightening growing up now. They have so many concerns, environmental changes, the internet, difficulties breaking into jobs, and believing they’ll never be affording a house. It’s even harder for the most vulnerable children Barnardo's supports – like children growing up in the care system. My aim is to visit as many services as I can and meet as many young people as possible, to learn more about the challenges they face and how the charity is helping them." [31]