Natasha Kaplinsky
A poised and pioneering news anchor who became the face of major British broadcast news during a period of digital transformation.
Born 1972 (age 54)·English journalist·Birthday: September 9·Generation X
Biography
Natasha Kaplinsky brought a calm, intelligent authority to British television news, navigating the shifting landscape from rolling news channels to flagship bulletins. After cutting her teeth at Sky News, she became a defining presence at the BBC, co-hosting the relaunched 'Six O'Clock News' and later the early morning program 'Sunrise.' Her move to Five News in 2008 was a high-profile coup, making her one of the highest-paid newsreaders in the UK. Beyond the autocue, she demonstrated a keen understanding of media's evolution, participating in the first series of 'Strictly Come Dancing' and winning, which unexpectedly broadened her public profile. In recent years, she has shifted from in-front-of-the-camera roles to governance, taking on the presidency of the British Board of Film Classification, where she applies her media savvy to content regulation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Natasha was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Natasha Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Natasha's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first winner of the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2004, boosting the show's popularity.
- Appointed as the main anchor for Five News in a landmark deal, significantly raising the profile of the broadcaster's news output.
- Co-anchored the BBC's 'Six O'Clock News' following its high-profile revamp in 2003.
- Served as the president of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), overseeing film and video content ratings in the UK.
Did You Know?
Her father was a Holocaust survivor who escaped the Auschwitz concentration camp.
She read English at Hertford College, Oxford University.
She was the first newsreader on the now-defunct UK television channel ITV News at 5:30.
She narrated the UK version of the children's television series 'Boonie Bears.'
““I think news should be delivered with a degree of warmth and empathy.””
