TV chef Gino D’Acampo is facing claims from a number of people who have accused him of ‘distressing’ and ‘sexually inappropriate’ behaviour over a period of more than 12 years
A woman has claimed Gino D’Acampo spoke about having a “small penis” after opening the door in his boxers.
The TV chef, who would regularly appear on This Morning, has been accused of “distressing” and “sexually inappropriate” behaviour in an ITV News probe. Dozens of people have detailed experiences described variously as “unacceptable, distressing and horrendous” while working with him over a period spanning more than 12 years.
He has “firmly denied” the allegations made by “dozens of people”, adding that they were “deeply upsetting”. One of the claims came from a woman who has been named Natalie. She said she met Gino while working on a TV production but claims she found him “aggressive” while at a location shoot.
Natalie claimed to ITV News: “He opened the door in his boxer shorts, nothing else. And jumped on the bed and was sort of – leg up. We had to sort of sit there facing him and he made, you know, reference to his d***, basically saying, ‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s only small’, and sort of flicking it.”
She said the alleged incident made her feel “disgusted”. “I think he feels he’s in a position of power and he can say and do what he wants. I see it all as quite aggressive, really,” she added. Natalie considered leaving her job and explained: “I didn’t want to do it anymore. Didn’t want to do the production, didn’t want to be anywhere near him.”
In response to the claims, Gino D’Acampo’s legal team said: “Mr D’Acampo categorically denies these allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. To his knowledge no such allegations have been made against him in relation to his time on ‘Gino’s Italian Express’ and this is the first time, six years later, he has been informed of these alleged incidents, and he does not accept them, not least because some of this is considered by Mr D’Acampo to be a fabricated work of fiction.”
Another woman named Hannah, not her real name, spoke of a highly sexualised comment allegedly made by Gino that was directed at her. They were reportedly on the set of a magazine photo shoot in 2011 when the alleged incident happened. Hannah has claimed Gino said he would “like to turn me over and f*** me up the a*** against the kitchen counter.”
She said the comment was made in front of the entire crew and there was “a ripple of laughs”. The woman also said the people stood beside her “looked nervously into their cups of tea”. In response to all allegations, Gino told ITV News: “I have been told by ITN news that allegations have been made about me acting inappropriately, some dating back over ten years ago. I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied. I would not do anything that I thought would upset or distress anyone. This is simply not in my nature. I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.
“Not only have these allegations never been raised with me before, I have been repeatedly supported by executives at the highest level and was commissioned on prime-time programmes during the period in which it is now suggested I was acting inappropriately. I am a father, husband and have worked with well over 1,500 people on around 80 productions in my career, which I have been so proud of. I take such matters extremely seriously and the suggestion that I have acted in an improper way against is deeply upsetting.”
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