This week, Natasha Kaplinsky joins Five News to anchor the 5pm and 7pm bulletins. Before her move to Five, she had a successful five-year spell at the BBC hosting Breakfast and the Ten O’Clock News.

Why did you decide to join five news?

“I was actually really happy at the BBC, but the team at Five got in touch with me to offer me the chance to present the news on my own. A new show and team was being put together and the opportunity to be in a studio on my own was really exciting. The team at Five had so many great ideas. It was a big decision for me.”

There has been a lot of speculation about your salary. did you jump ship for money?
“It is a generous package but it was never about money. If it had been, I wouldn’t have taken so long deciding whether to join!”

Are you nervous about the re-launch?
“I am not the type to get nervous. I am excited and I just want everything to go smoothly. It is the countdown now –it’s a bit like Christmas as everything goes by so quickly. We’ve been filming marketing shoots and promos, and now suddenly I am nearly going to be on air. Everything has been designed around this new launch, and I have never done anything like this before. Do I feel under pressure? Whenever there is anything new, people take a critical/analytical look. Look at the re-launch of ‘News at Ten’. I am just really looking forward to starting work at Five.”

Tell us more about the new show.
“There will be two bulletins on Five. Each will last 30 minutes. We will be offering something different to other channels’ news bulletins. We want people to feel uplifted after watching the news. I will be interviewing people at roughly 20 minutes past. I’m really looking forward to this as I enjoyed this aspect of the job on BBC Breakfast news.”

What is it about news presenting that you love?
“It’s very addictive and I just love being part of what is happening in the world. News presenting, however, is not just about reading from an autocue. You get involved in all sorts of aspects such as the writing, style and the way it is told. It’s an incredibly hard job. You have people shouting in your ear, things going on around you and yet you have to be as serene and calm as possible. It’s tough but I love the adrenaline.”

Do female newscasters get a raw deal?
“Yes, but it just comes with the territory. Female newscasters are cast as if they will do anything to get where they want. It’s just not like that at all.”

Have you ever cried when reading the news?
“Welling up happens a lot. There can be reports, such as a famine, flood or one about children, where you literally cannot watch it. But your job is to remain calm and give the information to viewers.” will you just be reading the news or do you plan to do other projects? “I would love to do some more programmes for Five in the future. For the time being though, I want to concentrate on making sure the news bulletin goes well.”

You left the bbc in october. what have you been doing since then?
“All sorts of things! Seeing friends and family. Going on holiday. It’s been really wonderful to have a break and it’s the first time I have been off work for this length of time since I was a teenager. But I am now really looking forward to starting work again.”

And finally, have you been keeping up with the dancing after winning ‘strictly come dancing’?
“No, not anymore! But I do still love the show and watch it all the time. The last series was fantastic!”

Saturday 16 –Friday 22 February on FIve