Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has been accused of “inappropriate and intimidating behavior” by dozens of individuals over the past 12 years, according to an ITV News investigation.
The report claims that “at least one production company was aware of multiple concerns” raised by crew members but continued working with him.
D’Acampo has strongly denied the allegations.
A woman named Hannah told ITV News that during a magazine shoot in 2011, D’Acampo allegedly made highly inappropriate sexual comments to her in front of the entire crew.
She described feeling “very, very, very small,” adding, “In that moment, it seemed like Gino felt entitled and completely secure in his actions.”
“He didn’t seem to think that was an inappropriate thing to say to me,” Hannah added, noting that those around her at the time allegedly “looked nervously into their cups of tea.”
Gino D’Acampo’s legal team responded to the accusation, stating:
“This allegation from nearly 15 years ago has never been raised or put to Mr. D’Acampo until now, via a media request for comment. He does not recall it, nor does he accept that it happened. Mr. D’Acampo is horrified to be accused of ‘power play’ and an ‘aggressive act’ and emphatically and unequivocally denies these allegations.”
Meanwhile, another woman, referred to by the outlet as ‘Natalie,’ has come forward with claims about an alleged incident during a location TV shoot.
“He opened the door in his boxer shorts, nothing else. Then he jumped on the bed with one leg up,” she recalled. “I think he feels he’s in a position of power and can say and do whatever he wants. I see it all as quite aggressive, really. I didn’t want to be part of it anymore, I didn’t want to do the production or be anywhere near him.”
D’Acampo’s legal team has also denied these accusations, stating:
“Mr. D’Acampo categorically denies these allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. To his knowledge, no such allegations have been made against him regarding his time on Gino’s Italian Express, and this is the first time, six years later, that he has been informed of these alleged incidents. He does not accept them, not least because he considers some of this to be a fabricated work of fiction.”
LADbible Group has reached out to Gino D’Acampo’s representatives for further comment.
ITV also provided a statement to LADbible, saying:
“ITV is completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give their best. Our promise to those we work with is that if a complaint is made or a serious concern is raised, we will always investigate, and if we find that something inappropriate has happened, we will take action.
“The same standards are expected of all production companies working on ITV’s behalf. Production companies have the primary responsibility for the duty of care of everyone they work with, both on and off-screen, when making shows. We make our expectations clear to producers and have robust, comprehensive policies that we implement contractually.”
“We have strengthened these policies over the past five years and, in 2024, established a dedicated Complaints Handling Unit to manage any complaints regarding on-screen presenters. This ensures ITV has a centralized oversight across different productions.
“The standards of behaviour expected at ITV are clear. Everyone working with us is subject to ITV’s Code of Ethics and Conduct, which emphasises courtesy, fairness, dignity, and respect. We do not tolerate any form of abusive behaviour in the workplace. Additionally, in 2024, we reinforced these expectations through our *Conduct and Standards Guidelines for On-Screen Personalities*.
“The concerns and complaints raised by those who have spoken to ITN describe behaviour that is both inappropriate and unacceptable. Most of these incidents were not reported to ITV at the time. However, where issues were brought to our attention, action was taken. We can only act when concerns are raised, and we will now be following up on those that had not been previously reported to us.”
