S Poddar
Popular Italian chef Gino D’Acampo has been accused of harassment by a former colleague who worked with him for five years at ITV. According to reports, the anonymous woman has said that Gino’s behavior was inappropriate when she was with him on This Morning and Saturday Cooks between 2006 and 2011. She says that the chef’s behavior was unprofessional, in that he would say and do whatever he wanted, without considering the consequences of his actions.
This decision by the woman comes after the recent scandal that has been surrounding Gregg Wallace, who was forced to step down from MasterChef after similar allegations of inappropriate behavior. She apparently filed a formal complaint to ITV last week, at a time when Wallace was apologizing for his remarks about the women accusing him of misconduct. He had infamously said that “middle-class women of a certain age” were partly to blame for his fall from grace and again sparked controversy.
The complaint comes amidst other reports regarding Gino’s conduct. It was recently disclosed that the chef had refused to sign a ‘morality clause’ for his new ITV show, a venture with his friend, Fred Sirieix. Gino has also been quietly removed from the travel-based food show Gordon, Gino and Fred, after he bared his bottom in a segment while visiting Texas, dressed in lewd cowboy chaps.
Perhaps better known as one of the contestants on Family Fortunes, the head chef is described as self-proclaimedly being a “cheeky Italian chappy.” He often delights in cheeky, rather cheeky and provocative humor, including regular ostentation with a sporran, which he laughingly named “Justin Beaver.” While much of what he does is seemingly light-hearted, the newest accusations reveal another side. As confirmed to THE ESSENTIAL EDGE, a close associate in the affair said of the complaining woman, ” She was motivated after the whole Wallace scandal with all of its following media scrutiny against inappropriate conducts that entertainers portray.” Indeed, as confirmed insiders say of this woman, Gino, as a reflective generational problem, pointed out of Gino having done often, “as if such behaviors are some kind of respects and others considered it unbearable”.
In those years that the two trained together, Gino was a young hopeful and only just was building his reputation. Allegedly, he told his peers then that if ever he gets to fame, he would need to change his ways, yet his actions that period hardly portrayed a restrained man. According to her, Gino “said and did whatever he wanted,” and it was obvious to everyone in his surroundings that his acts were often inappropriate. As the story unfolds, it has been reported that ITV took action by placing Gino on a language and behavior course after crew members on his most recent show Emission Impossible complained about his off-color jokes behind the scenes. Some of the crew even required counseling after filming. The show, which is co-hosted by Fred Sirieix, faced multiple challenges during production due to Gino’s alleged actions.
This is four years since ITV had already warned Gino regarding his conduct, especially on Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip, where he allegedly behaved in an inappropriate manner towards female colleagues and made crude jokes.
Airport security also caught him with cannabis in his luggage, making matters worse for his reputation. While that was an earlier warning sign, D’Acampo’s antics didn’t improve much, and it was only when he denied signing a morality clause included in his contract that ITV decided to quietly drop him from the show. According to various sources, ITV is reevaluating Gino’s future plans since it fears he could end up being “another Gregg Wallace.” The image that initially helped Gino in gaining success-that of a light-hearted cheeky chap-is now against the tide of increasing calls on TV networks to treat matters concerning the workplace with serious attitude.
Although Gino has not commented on the new accusations, the whole situation has triggered more debate about what people should tolerate in the entertainment industry, especially with celebrities in scandals that make headlines. Whether ITV will do more to Gino D’Acampo remains unknown, but the pressure is building as the network decides how to act on these complaints.
This series of incidents involving Gino has brought to the fore a question of cultural norms within the entertainment industry, and particularly about the way male celebrities are expected to conduct themselves on and off-screen. It also brings out a changing environment wherein workers are more willing to speak out about the behavior they find inappropriate, many urging for a more respectful and professional atmosphere in the workplace.
As investigations into the claims continue, ITV faces the challenge of balancing its commitment to protecting staff with the need to manage its high-profile talent and maintain its reputation in an increasingly sensitive media landscape. Gino D’Acampo’s future career at ITV may depend on how the network chooses to address these serious concerns and whether the chef’s behavior aligns with the expectations of modern broadcasting.
