‘It was my responsibility to stand up’: Natasha Kaplinsky offered a home to a Ukrainian family after the invasion of Russia after the UK welcomed her family as political refugees
Natasha Kaplinsky says it was her ‘responsibility to stand up’ and accommodate a Ukrainian family after Russia invaded the country in February this year
Raphael, the TV presenter’s father, was a South African political refugee who was granted refuge in the UK after taking part in the University of Cape Town’s anti-apartheid protests in the 1960s
The broadcaster is married to banker Justin Bower and they share son Arlo, 13, and daughter Angelica, 12
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Natasha Kaplinsky says it was her “responsibility to act” and accommodate a Ukrainian family after Russia invaded the country in February this year.
Raphael, the television host’s father, was a South African political refugee who was given shelter in the United Kingdom after participating in the University of Cape Town’s anti-apartheid protests in the 1960s.
And news anchor Natasha, 49, says she’s “registered to give a home to a Ukrainian family right away” because her family is “privileged” of having been given a home in the UK, admitting she finds it heartbreaking that the family cannot go home to see their loved ones.
Intervene: Natasha Kaplinsky, 49, says it was her ‘responsibility to act’ and accommodate a Ukrainian family after Russia invaded the country in February this year
She said The Telegraph: ‘I registered to immediately give a home to a Ukrainian family. I come from a refugee family and immensely privileged to have the space, so it was my responsibility to stand up.
“When I picked them up the four of them, a father who is partially blind and therefore unable to fight, a mother, a 12-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, they only had a small suitcase.
“They are the most beautiful family and so grateful, but they just want to be home. She FaceTime friends and family in Ukraine every day. The worst thing for them is that they can’t go home.’
Looking back: Raphael, the television presenter’s father, was a South African political refugee who was given shelter in the UK
Meanwhile, Natasha spoke of her own family, saying that her children are the “absolute center of my life.”
The broadcaster is married to banker Justin Bower and they share son Arlo, 13, and daughter Angelica, 12.
Natasha admits that to this day she finds it difficult to talk about her struggle to conceive as she has had multiple miscarriages.
However, she says that the day she became a mother was “the best day of my life.”
Things have not always gone smoothly for Natasha and her loved ones. The movie star recalls a horrific incident where a leaking fuel line exploded on a boat while they were out at sea while on holiday on the Greek island of Corfu.
She told how her parents were on the boat with her family and that she and her father suffered burns as a result of the explosion.
They were in the water for 45 minutes while waiting for a rescue craft, with Natasha saying she forced herself to stay calm because her father couldn’t swim, and praised his life jacket for keeping his head above water.
Natasha said her entire therapy has been in therapy to help process the resulting trauma from the incident, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — a structured therapy designed for war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
She said: ‘We were very lucky. It left emotional scars, but physically we have all recovered.”
Happy couple: Natasha says she ‘registered to immediately give home to a Ukrainian family’ along with husband Justin Bower