Gina D’Acampo and his wife, Jessica (Image: ITV)
Gino D’Acampo, the Italian chef known for appearances on TV shows such This Morning and I’m A Celebrity, has taken a stand after being hit with “distressing” allegations.
The 48-year-old faces claims of “sexually inappropriate” behaviour that reportedly spans over a dozen years, involving numerous accounts labelled as “unacceptable, distressing and horrendous”, accusations he strenuously denies.
As ITV News broadcast an investigation into the chef’s conduct, he cheekily responded on Instagram with a video, reports the Mirror. It shows him having a laugh with his wife Jessica and their mate Fred Siriex as they enter a grand establishment. In a moment of jest, Fred takes Jessica’s arm, leading to laughter as she seems to joke: “I thought it was you.” Gino quipped in his post: “When the wife chooses the wrong foreigner! GDx.”
Gino has been wed to Jessica Stellina Morrison for over 20 years and is father to Luciano, 22, Rocco, 19, and Mia, 12. He first got together with Jessica while working at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King eatery in Marbella at age 18.
Gino and Jessica
They’ve had their ups and downs, though, even splitting briefly before cementing their relationship. After that brief split, they reunited in 1995 and eventually got hitched in 2002.
Gino has described their union as “traditional”, sharing some sweet gestures he does for his wife: “I clean her car every week. I charge her toothbrush every time the battery is low, and I always bring her a bottle of cold water just in case she’s thirsty at night. My wife is a clever woman, she knows when to say something and when to bite her tongue.”
Chatting with the Daily Star, Gino let slip that the key to their marital bliss is giving each other plenty of space.
He explained: “We allow each other to have our own lives, that means going on holiday with our friends. My wife goes for dinner with male friends and I go for dinner with female friends or business friends. We are very relaxed.”
In fact, Gino once admitted he barely gets any quality time with his missus – but reckons it’s for the best. “Jessica and I don’t really spend any time together,” he confessed to Love Sunday back in 2014.
Jessica Stellina Morrison and Gino D’Acampo attend the BRIT Awards 2015 at The O2 Arena on February 25, 2015 in London, England (Image: WireImage)
“I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve lasted for 20 years. It’s a good thing, I don’t really want to know everything my wife does, because otherwise she will be boring to me.”
The telly star left fans gobsmacked in 2023 when he disclosed that he seldom rings Jessica while away for work. Speaking to the Express, he said: “What’s the point in bothering your wife to the point I need to pretend to want to make a phone call is insane! I don’t buy into it. I could be filming in Italy or somewhere in the world for two weeks and I would perhaps call my wife once, or twice.”
He revealed that his relationship dynamics are quite unique compared to his mates, who often feel compelled to check in with their wives during lads’ nights out. He shared: “I’m always the one who complains and they explain that if they don’t, their wife will be angry at them tonight.”
Gino called this behaviour “crazy” and seems to have a different approach to romance, previously quipping that it’s not really his thing. Instead of traditional romantic gestures, he opts for lavish gifts when he’s in the doghouse. “I don’t care about flowers or chocolates or anything like that, that’s not me,” he said.
The celebrity chef mentioned that his wife has her own way of making amends by cooking him his favourite pasta dish. He noted: “She always does that for me, especially when she wants to be forgiven. When I want to be forgiven, I’m going for the sweet option, so chocolate cake with homemade ice cream – well, actually, if I’ve been really bad it’s a new car or a diamond.”
Gino D’Acampo with wife Jessica and children Lucciano and Rocco (Image: Brian Cassey/REX/Shutterstock)
When asked about how often he’s had to ask for forgiveness, Gino chuckled and remarked: “Let’s put it this way, in the last five years, she’s changed her car three times… I still haven’t changed mine once.”
TV chef Gino and his wife boast two plush family pads: a fancy Grade II-listed seven-bedder in Hertfordshire, plus a sun-soaked getaway on Sardinia, which they call home half the year. Chatting to Woman mag about who’s boss when it comes to parenting, Gino confessed: “You can see my wife look at the children, saying with her eyes ‘Don’t even think about it, he’s not going to bend’.”
D’Acampo also laid down the law on dinner time fussiness, quipping: “My kids are not allowed to be fussy eaters. The problem with fussy children is their stupid parents. I run a family kitchen and in my house we don’t have options. I never had options, why should they?”
