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Natasha Kaplinsky (born 9 September 1972) is a British journalist and newsreader, currently working predominantly as a co-presenter of the Six O'Clock News with George Alagiah.

Contents 1 Background 2 Away from the news desk 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External links

Born in Brighton, Kaplinsky's parents are Raphael Kaplinsky, an exiled Jewish South African economics professor, and his wife Catherine, a psychotherapist.

The family originated from Poland and emigrated to South Africa in the late 1950s. Kaplinsky's early life was spent in Kenya, although she later returned to the United Kingdom, where she was brought up in Barcombe, Sussex. She attended the nearby Ringmer Community College, until the age of sixteen when she moved to Varndean College in Brighton.

After graduating in English from Hertford College, Oxford, one of her first jobs was working in the press offices of Labour leaders Neil Kinnock and John Smith. In 1997, during her time there she applied for a job presenting early morning news bulletins at the ITV station Meridian. Within six months she was co-presenting their evening news programme Meridian Tonight. She later moved to ITV's London News Network where she hosted London Today and London Tonight and a political programme called Seven Days.

In November 2000, she moved to Sky News, where she co-presented Live at Five with Jeremy Thompson, as well as the breakfast news programme Sunrise.

Kaplinsky joined the BBC to present their breakfast news programme Breakfast in November 2002 as the replacement for Sophie Raworth who left to become co-presenter of the Six O'Clock News with George Alagiah. She moved to present the Six O'Clock News in October 2005 as maternity cover for Raworth, a move made permanent in March 2006. She was replaced in her previous role of main female presenter of Breakfast by Sian Williams.

In 2006, Kaplinsky became only the third woman to present the BBC's Ten O'Clock News, after Fiona Bruce (regular presenter) and Sian Williams who had co-presented the programme from the studio in Westminster with Huw Edwards in April 2005.

Kaplinsky has branched out into many non-news areas of the BBC. She was a co-winner of the first series of the celebrity ballroom dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing, partnered by professional Brendan Cole. Kaplinsky went on to co-present the second series in 2004 with Bruce Forsyth, as maternity cover for Tess Daly.

She has also appeared in a number of episodes of the sitcom My Hero, reading the news, mainly reports of character Thermoman's heroic deeds. In July 2005 she hosted the one-off special Strictly African Dancing alongside Martin Offiah. Kaplinsky has also hosted Making Your Mind Up, the UK qualifier for the Eurovision Song Contest.

On 18 November 2005, Kaplinsky hosted the BBC's annual BBC Children in Need charity telethon, alongside Fearne Cotton and Sir Terry Wogan. BBC Children in Need raised around £18 million ($30 million USD). Kaplinsky also presented the BBC's New Year Live, celebrating the arrival of the year 2006. She has also made at least one appearance on Have I Got News For You despite admitting that she has an unhealthy hatred for all news and anyone affected by it in an interview with Readers Digest.

Amongst her numerous awards is "Most Ageing Hairstyle 2004", as voted for in a lighthearted UK survey.

Kaplinsky married Justin Bower, an investment banker from London, on 21 August 2005 after a brief courtship.^[1]

1. ^ Breakfast TV host Kaplinsky weds BBC News Online: 22 August 2005

• Natasha's agent
• Natasha Kaplinsky at the Internet Movie Database
• Dead Ringers clip

Preceded by None

Strictly Come Dancing Champion (with partner Brendan Cole) Series 1 (Spring 2004)

Succeeded by Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett