Natasha Kaplinsky has landed a £500,000 deal to stay at the BBC, after impressing executives with her hosting skills on Breakfast News.

Kaplinsky has also made successful appearances on Strictly Come Dancing - as a contestant in the first series, and a presenter in the second.

The deal makes her one of the highest-paid female presenters on the BBC.

A source told The Sun, "They've signed her for two years to host Breakfast News and entertainment shows.

"Her enemies say she sometimes lacks gravitas but she does have a very good chemistry with Dermot Murnaghan on Breakfast News. Bosses are keen to keep her as a news anchor but also believe they can develop her for her own prime-time programme."

Kaplinsky was named Best Newscaster at the TRIC awards earlier this month.