Natasha Kaplinsky OBE

Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, one of television’s best-loved broadcasters with over 20 years of experience across philanthropic and commercial roles, was appointed Chair of The Royal Ballet School in October 2024.

One of the most recognisable figures in British broadcasting, Natasha has presented national news programmes for the BBC, ITV, Channel 5 and Sky News. Her career has also encompassed documentaries and major cultural and entertainment programmes, including Children in Need, The Proms and The Royal Variety Show. In 2004, she became the inaugural winner of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Alongside her broadcasting career, Natasha has a longstanding commitment to public service and charitable causes, working with national institutions and charities to support vulnerable people and communities in the UK and internationally. She is President of Barnardo’s and a Global Ambassador for Save the Children, and is a patron of a number of charities, including The Bevern Trust and Echo Eternal, an arts education programme bringing young people together to engage with the testimony of Holocaust and genocide survivors.

Natasha has played a significant role in Holocaust commemoration and education. In 2014, she was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission and subsequently joined the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation advisory board. She also led a major project to record the testimony of more than 100 British Holocaust survivors, helping to preserve their experiences for future generations. In 2017, she was awarded an OBE for services to Holocaust commemoration.

Her experience in the cultural sector includes serving on the Board of English National Ballet from 2013 to 2016. In 2020, Natasha founded the UK Women’s Network, bringing together women and girls to share their talents, experience and resources, and in 2023 she was appointed President of the British Board of Film Classification.

As Chair of The Royal Ballet School, Natasha is committed to building on the School’s 100-year legacy while helping to secure its sustainability for the next century. She is particularly passionate about the School’s holistic approach to nurturing exceptional young people and its commitment to widening access to classical ballet, both in the UK and internationally.