Natasha Kaplinsky falls down the stairs live on air on Loose Women

Natasha Kaplinsky went live on air as she walked to the set of Loose Women on Tuesday’s show.

The 50-year-old newscaster had been introduced by Ruth Langsford before addressing the panel but tripped coming down the steps in her high-heeled boots.

The audience gasped as they watched Natasha lose her balance, with the camera turning away from the TV host towards the audience as she clung to a back wall for balance.

But ever the professional, Natasha played down the mishap, saying: ‘Watch your step. I didn’t fall’, as Ruth asked if she was okay and Janet Street Porter held out her hand to comfort her.

Natasha was on the show to talk about welcoming a Ukrainian family into their home and her charity work raising awareness for refugee children.

The TV presenter’s father, Raphael, was a South African political refugee who was granted asylum in the UK after taking part in the anti-apartheid protests at the University of Cape Town in the 1960s.

She welcomed into a family of four; a partially blind father, a mother, a 12-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. They arrived with only a small suitcase.

Speaking about hosting the family, Natasha said: ‘They moved around the corner, the children still go to the same school as our children. 10 months is a long time.

‘At the time the plan was opened. I didn’t even consult my husband. It was a scheme that touched so many people in this country, so much generosity.

I literally didn’t think about it, I registered, it took me a while to connect. I started a WhatsApp group and then connected with them, then I told my husband and two children about it.’

The presenter is married to banker Justin Bower and they share a 13-year-old son, Arlo, and a 12-year-old daughter, Angelica.

Natasha continued: ‘It was exciting to welcome them. We are lucky to have some space, we have an annex where we welcomed them.

‘A lady from the community prepared a lot of Ukrainian food, a lot of people sent gifts.

“There were 4 million children made refugees, that’s just 10 percent of the refugees worldwide.”

Natasha, who has been associated with Save The Children, added: “We have just released this beautiful film with Aardman, it shows the experience of a refugee child, nothing makes sense to them.

‘Eventually, the world becomes more colourful. It’s not that we just welcome them, but they bring a lot of culture and a lot of change to our area.

“My parents voted for the first time in an election when Apartheid was lifted. My father was a political refugee. We can feel safe, feed our children, we are very lucky.”