Natasha Kaplinsky is quitting the BBC to be the new anchor of Five News, it was announced yesterday. The presenter, whose salary at the BBC was £175,000, was lured to the commercial broadcaster for an undisclosed sum, thought to be in excess of £300,000.

Kaplinsky, who joined the BBC in 2002, will be prevented from doing any further work with her former employer.

David Kermode, Five’s news editor, described the deal, which was signed earlier this week, as “the mother of all transfers”. Kaplinsky, who leaves her job as a regular presenter of the BBC’s Six O’Clock News, will make her first appearance on Five early next year. She replaces Kirsty Young, who left in the summer and joined the BBC to present Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, and who has recently been appointed to host Crimewatch on BBC1.

Kaplinsky, 35, said: “After five incredibly rewarding years at the BBC, I found the chance to work with the team at Five too exciting to pass up.” She has also hosted coverage of events such as Children in Need.

She also appeared in other BBC1 shows including Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, which she won, and Who Do You Think You Are?, a genealogy programme in which she was shown tracing her family history back to the Holocaust.

The University of Oxford-educated presenter worked in local TV news programmes before joining Sky News in 2000. Two years later she moved to the BBC as co-anchor of its Breakfast programme. Her new job will be to present Five’s 5.30pm and 7pm news bulletins. The channel hailed Kaplinsky as “one of the brightest stars in broadcasting” and said her recruitment was part of a plan to overhaul Five’s news output. Kaplinsky said: “Five has changed the face of news before, and now they are going to do it again. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Jay Hunt, Five’s director of programmes, said: “Natasha is one of the most talented broadcasters on British television. From the Six O’Clock News to Children in Need, she has demonstrated her popularity with viewers. I am thrilled she has decided to join Five and become one of the key faces of the channel.”

Chris Shaw, senior programme controller at Five, added: “As one of the country’s leading news presenters, Natasha has proved she has real authority, and with her BBC One shows she also demonstrated her warmth and star quality.”

Kaplinsky’s personal life has also made headlines, including reports of an affair with Brendan Cole, her dance partner in Strictly Come Dancing, which both denied.

In August 2005 she married investment banker Justin Bower after a whirlwind romance. The couple announced their engagement after dating for less than three months.

Helen Boaden, head of BBC news, said: “Natasha is a warm and intelligent presenter, who has built a great rapport with audiences. We wish her all the best for the future.”

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