Gino D’Acampo drew an explicit picture of a female TV producer during live filming, an ITV probe into the TV chef has been told.
The Italian star, known for his cheeky on-screen persona, is at the centre of claims from dozens of people who described his alleged conduct over the past 12 years as ‘distressing,’ ‘unacceptable,’ and even ‘horrendous’.
The female producer’s claims against D’Acampo are now being investigated by ITV bosses, The Sun first reported.
The woman claimed her ‘unsettling encounter’ with the 48-year-old chef happened during live filming of Saturday Cooks!
She claimed that he sketched a naked woman with her legs spread open after asking to draw a portrait picture of her.
The producer is said to have told a friend of the alleged sketch: ‘I thought it was going to be a harmless caricature. But when he showed me the finished drawing I felt shocked and humiliated.’
She also alleged that D’Acampo made a sexual comment about leather boots she was wearing.
D’Acampo has ‘firmly denied’ all allegations so far, saying they were ‘simply not in my nature’ and describing them as ‘deeply upsetting’.
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Gino D’Acampo drew an explicit picture of a female TV producer during live filming, an ITV probe into the TV chef has been told
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D’Acampo, pictured with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, honours his promise to cook naked on This Morning if they won at the 2011 NTA Awards
It comes after D’Acampo’s former host Melanie Sykes slammed the chef and television bosses earlier this month, saying the industry needs to ‘clean out’ the ‘monsters’ among its talent.
She presented ITV’s cookery and chat show Let’s Do Lunch for three years alongside D’Acampo, but quit television in 2021 after what she claims was an inappropriate remark from MasterChef host Gregg Wallace.
Ms Sykes, 55, reflecting on her turbulent time in the industry, said: ‘I’ve been watching what’s happening with all these misogynists on telly and I’m supporting anybody who’s experienced anything that’s beyond pale.
‘There is no protection. Some of it’s being done behind closed doors, but it’s happening on set. When channels say, ‘It’s not our problem because it’s with a production company’, it’s just appalling.’
Ms Sykes continued: ‘I remember once when Gino said to me he can just go up to the powers that be and knock on the door and go in. He doesn’t need a meeting. He was quite pleased with himself he could do that.
‘I feel like I was in a war zone in that industry – 24 years of battling through an industry that didn’t feel right to me anyway. If you’re spending all your time cleaning up people’s s***, just clean the house, clean out the house and start again, that’s all I’m saying.’
Among the allegations against D’Acampo include that he performatively kissed a footballer’s wife on the lips when he was presented as the start turn at a charity event – and then bragged that he did it ‘because I f****** can’.
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Melanie Sykes and D’Acampo pictured together in 2012 on their show Let’s Do Lunch with Gino and Mel
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Melanie and D’Acampo during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning in 2012
The once popular TV chef kissed the astonished famous WAG without warning in front of dozens of guests.
The incident happened in 2012 when both were attending a black-tie charity event held at Stoke City Football Club.
MailOnline chose to protect the identity of the woman D’Acampo seized on out of respect for her privacy.
One eye-witness recalled: ‘As Gino was introduced to the stage, he walked through the audience directly to the table where the footballer and his wife were seated
‘He then very suddenly grabbed her by the face, and kissed her on the lips.’
In light of the new claims, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘ITV is completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give of their best.
‘We have strengthened these policies in the last five years and have set up a dedicated Complaints Handling Unit in 2024 to manage any complaints we receive about on screen presenters and ensure ITV has a centralised view across different productions.
‘The standards of behaviour that ITV expects are very clear. Everyone working with ITV is subject to ITV’s Code of Ethics and Conduct. At ITV we treat everyone with courtesy, fairness, dignity and respect and do not tolerate abusive behaviour of any form in the workplace.
‘We have also reiterated our expectations of our on screen presenters’ behaviour through our Conduct and Standards Guidelines for On Screen Personalities issued in 2024.
‘The behaviour detailed in this press report is inappropriate and unacceptable. We are committed to investigating complaints in an appropriate manner and according to our robust protocols.’
A spokesperson for D’Acampo said: ‘Mr D’Acampo was first made aware of these allegations relating to events that are said to have occurred over 17 years ago [today at 15.17hrs / yesterday afternoon] when he was emailed by The Sun on Sunday.
‘No details have been provided, just extremely vague allegations with no specific year or person identified and no context explained. None of these allegations have ever been brought to his attention previously, he does not recollect them and does not recognise the allegations or the behaviour which is attributed to him. He denies these allegations.
‘He has been told by the Sun on Sunday that they are from a complaint to ITV from December 2024. If so, he urges ITV to contact him about it and he will fully cooperate. He is deeply worried about the immense and escalating distress that these allegations are having on his family.’
