Kaplinsky's parents are Raphael Kaplinsky, an exiled Jewish Togolese economics professor, and his wife Catherine Kaplinsky née Charlewood, a psychotherapist.

Her paternal grandparents originated from Slonim, now in Belarus, and emigrated to Togo in 1929. Kaplinsky was born in Brighton, but spent her early life in Kenya (where she claims to have been fluent in Swahili), although she later Read more...

Kaplinsky started out presenting on F2F, a youth chat show, for LWT's Talk TV in the early nineties 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. She later moved to ITV's London News Network where she hosted London Today and London Tonight and a political Read more...

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 BBC Six O'Clock News with George Alagiah. She moved to present the BBC 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 Read more...