Natasha Kaplinsky is joining ITV News in September.

Denise Van Outen is to head up the judging panel on a new ITV1 show.

To Quaglino's, for the Costa Book of the Year awards, where compere and noted feminist Andrew Neil – doubtless mindful of the Sky Sports sexism row – topically declared the 21st Century "The Female Century": prize-winner Jo Shapcott and three of the five authors on the shortlist, as well as a majority of the judges, were women. With this in mind, I quizzed some prominent female attendees on the state of gender relations in the media. Delightful wee Scot Lorraine Kelly assured me she'd never been subject to sexism, but revealed that when she was a rookie reporter, "None of the men took me seriously. They all thought, 'She's just a girl'. So I managed to get some great stories that they didn't catch." Celebrity dancer Natasha Kaplinsky, right, a member of the judging panel, seemed somewhat flustered to be asked about sexism on television, and turned to her chum Andrea Catherwood for assistance. "We work hard so we hope to be judged on our own merits," Catherwood told me touchily. All right, love. Keep your hair on.

A debut children's writer who was turned down by 100 publishers has followed in the footsteps of JK Rowling and Philip Pullman to land a major literary prize.

Potential bidders for loss-making free-to-air broadcaster Five have received information documents ahead of an estimated £200m sale.

How much would you pay to give your kids an edge in their careers? The charity fund-raiser Pilotflight is holding an auction of work placements, with bidding currently at £550 for two days' experience as a City trader on the trading floor of a major bank. The same money has also been offered for a day with he property developer Nick Leslau, but the top bid, £2,200, is for three days' work experience at Five News home to Natasha Kaplinsky.

At last! The moment we have all been waiting for – or, at least, the moment many a Treasury minister would have given their eye-teeth for: the chance to see Robert Peston squirm. In public.

Peter Sissons took a swipe at young, pretty newsreaders last week, suggesting they lacked "front-line reporting experience." Mary Nightingale, co-presenter of ITV Evening News, retaliated yesterday, "It's a bit of a tired old chestnut that if a woman is pretty than she can't be bright." Is it? Are female newsreaders now less bright (or prettier) than when Sissons was a pink-faced ITN hack?

They are both Oxford University educated journalists who are recognised among the country's most prominent and highly paid newscasters.

I found much to love about Icelandic society during a visit to Reykjavik last week, which was unexpected given that the country is practically bankrupt and in the throes of revolution, albeit a fairly tame one. But I stumbled upon an open and optimistic society, apparently untrammelled by the class mores which overly trouble so many English people. They are in good health, walk clean, safe streets and are incredibly attentive to the importance of family.