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'VILE' GINO
Gino D’Acampo is ghastly, full of himself little pig – why didn’t ITV do anything, says I’m A Celeb co-star Kim Woodburn
Kim reveals why she has gone public with her claims on the TV chef
SCANDAL-hit telly chef Gino D’Acampo is a “full-of-himself little pig”, his ex-I’m A Celeb campmate Kim Woodburn claims.
Kim became the first named person to speak out about the Italian as ITV yesterday pulled re-runs of his shows amid accusations of sexually inappropriate behaviour.
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Runner-up to jungle king Gino in 2009, she said he made her feel uncomfortable during the series by stroking his penis over his shorts — and even talking to it.
She also alleged he cheated in a Bushtucker trial, swore at crew and was escorted off set.
ITV hid his behaviour and gave him a “great edit”, she claimed.
Kim said: “He was a horrible, vile man. A full-of-himself little pig.
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“His language to the crew was disgusting. He cheated, called this producer a ‘f***ing bastard’ and ‘c***’, then refused to leave the set.
“We had to stop filming while two men took him by the arm and forced him off the set back to the camp. They should have thrown him off the show. Ghastly it was.
“He treated crew like garbage, he didn’t care. He’s reduced many people to tears over the years.”
ITV News this week said it had uncovered damning allegations of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour against Gino, 48.
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He denies any wrongdoing.
Speaking of their time in the Australian jungle, Kim, 82, told The Sun: “He used to stand over a log and stroke his penis area over his shorts. He’d talk to his penis saying, ‘I know you haven’t had any sex, but when you get out of here, you will get so much’.
Watch Gino D'Acampo say he ‘played around Holly Willoughby’s genitals’ in resurfaced This Morning clip
“He would say his penis was being deprived and neglected, and his wife would give him a good seeing to when he got home. We would all just turn away. It made me uncomfortable because it was vile and crude. It’s not appropriate to do that in front of women. But Gino thinks he can do what he wants.”
Kim added: “ITV were wrong to keep him on that set, and then he goes and wins. He got a great edit.
“ITV know they covered up that he cheated, and it doesn’t surprise me to hear they have been covering up his other bad behaviour that has taken over the years.
“They’re a disgrace. What is wrong with these TV execs?”
Yesterday it was alleged that Gino made disgusting sexual jibes to female colleagues — with dozens coming forward to complain about their “unacceptable, distressing and horrendous” experiences working with him over 12 years.
One woman claims he told her in front of crew on set that he would “like to turn me over and f*** me up the **** against the kitchen counter.”
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Gino has denied all the allegations, saying: “I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.”
In I’m A Celeb series nine, TV’s Queen of Clean Kim hugged Gino as he was crowned champ. But she insists there is no love lost.
She added: “People like him, they treat crew like filth, they’re rotten pigs and they’re all so sweet on camera. It’s horrible.
“The crew all hated him and the cast suffered him. They put up with him, mostly because he was cooking all the food and you’re lucky to have a chef in the jungle but he brought nothing else at all.”
Things came to a head when Gino was sent to do a Bushtucker trial with Kim, model and singer Sam Fox, actor George Hamilton and former EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin.
Kim said: “We were all in this Jacuzzi-type thing full of water with a wheel. There were these little flags which weren’t allowed to touch the water, and suddenly this crew member shouted, ‘Gino, you’re out! You’re cheating’.
People like him, they treat crew like filth, they’re rotten pigs and they’re all so sweet on camera. It’s horrible
Kim Woodburn
“All these people in suits came out to look at the footage and there it was, we could all see he had cheated. But Gino started effing and jeffing, using the c-word, calling this one young male crew member ‘a piece of s***’.
“Gino refused to leave and we couldn’t continue filming, so these two guys came in, took one arm each, and forced him off.
“He was swearing and cursing and kicking at the men, until you couldn’t hear him anymore.
“None of that was shown on TV and he should have been thrown out there and then. But when we got back to camp, he was there and nothing more was said.
“I mean, you have to blame ITV for this going on don’t you? They had all seen him at his worst, his vilest, and darn me, he goes and wins the thing.
“Was it rigged? It was odd. Damned odd. They deliberately cut all this stuff out and let him win.
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“If they had shown what he was really like, he never would have got a job on telly. I think ITV protected him for all these years because he brings in the money.
“I think they also saw he would be attractive for women watching him, this handsome Italian chef.”
Kim is now calling for a full ITV investigation — similar to its probe into Phillip Schofield, and the investigation MasterChef producers Banijay are carrying out into axed host Gregg Wallace.
Kim said: “I don’t think Gino should work on TV again.
“It’s about time we stood up for the crew’s rights. They need to be able to take people to court when they are being treated badly. They’re treated like slaves. We need to stop this bullying.”
Explaining why she has gone public with her claims, Kim said she is too long in the tooth to worry about keeping TV bosses sweet.
Don’t deny you’ve done all this, bow out like the gentleman that you’re not, and apologise. Your cocky, arrogant rude ways, and the way you have treated the crew, have caught up with you
Kim Woodburn
She said: “Listen, I’m nearly 83, I’ve got a lot of money, I own a big house and I’ve got a smashing husband. I don’t need to work, so this is the only time I can do it. What have I got to lose?”
Addressing the chef directly, Kim said: “Thank your lucky stars Gino that you’ve been on top money for all these years because you didn’t deserve it. There are a lot of better presenters than you and you can retire comfortably, which is more than some of the crew can do.
“Don’t deny you’ve done all this, bow out like the gentleman that you’re not, and apologise.
“Your cocky, arrogant rude ways, and the way you have treated the crew, have caught up with you.
“I am delighted and I’m sorry it didn’t happen sooner.”
Gino has three children with wife Jessica.
I am delighted and I’m sorry it didn’t happen sooner
Kim Woodburn
He has hosted several prime-time ITV shows, including Let’s Do Lunch with co-host Mel Sykes.
Ex-Towie star Amy Childs was a guest in 2012.
Gino was a regular on This Morning, and appeared on Loose Women, where he hugged Denise Welch while she performed in 2011.
ITV has confirmed two repeat episodes of Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South this weekend will not air.
And episodes he hosted of Family Fortunes, filmed in 2023, have also been axed from the schedules.
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Last year, ITV set up a complaints-handling unit and introduced conduct guidelines for on-screen personalities.
The broadcaster was approached for comment.
BUSINESSES OF STAR ‘AT RISK’
GINO D’Acampo risks losing his business empire — which spans TV shows, restaurants and deals with major supermarket chains.
The under-fire Italian chef runs six restaurants across the country including branches in Manchester, London, Leeds and Liverpool.
In 2022, he was forced to liquidate his previous chain My Pasta Bar, which had three branches in London, with debts of £5million.
The star, reportedly making £2million a year from TV work, was accused of failing to pay the chain’s staff £37,000 in wages.
Gino, 48, previously partnered with Asda to launch a kitchenware and cooking range.
His £16 frying pans, wooden boards, £5 scissors and trays were still available last night.
The store previously sold Gino’s range of organic cupboard staples, ready meals and frozen dinners with a “taste of Italy”.
He also launched a £330 pizza oven in 2023 which he has continued to plug on social media.
And the TV star has also written numerous cookbooks filled with recipes from his home country — which are still available on Amazon.
WALLACE PROBE STARTS
By Ellie Henman
MASTERCHEF chiefs’ investigation into Gregg Wallace’s on-set behaviour has formally begun – with a series of women interviewed by law firm Lewis Silkin after being brought in by the show’s production company.
Sources say the first stage of the probe is now officially underway – with a string of women who complained about him including Rod Stewart’s model wife Penny Lancaster and broadcaster Kirsty Wark invited to attend to give evidence against the under-fire TV host.
Insiders say bosses at show makers Banijay UK are hoping to have the probe completed “as quickly as possible” but admit the process is “very time consuming” – due to the amount of material and lengthy time period involved.
It is not known which of the women have agreed to attend an interview.
The 60-year-old veteran grocer will also be asked for his own account of alleged incidents, alongside combing through vast amounts of archive footage and documents.
A TV source explained: “The lawyers spent a bit of time gathering their thoughts and making a plan before Christmas, and now they are conducting the interviews.
“They have approached anyone who previously raised concerns, either with the BBC or with the production team, but have also made it clear that anybody with what they believe to be relevant information can also contact them.
“They are sitting down with women from all walks of life, some of whom have spoken out publicly and others who have not been named so far – ranging from junior producers to big name talent in their own right.
“It’s a huge operation – but it’s the only way to make sure no stone is left unturned and to protect the integrity of the show, which is still incredibly popular.”
Other witnesses who have not made allegations of their own are also being approached to give statements.
Allegations over Gregg’s “inappropriate” behaviour first emerged in November last year, with the star later agreeing to step back from his role on the show pending the full independent inquiry.
But he has always denied wrongdoing – and found himself in further controversy after he attempted to put the complaints down to “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.
He later apologised for the remarks, and agreed to step away from the show for the time being, saying: “I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday, and any upset I may have caused to a lot of people.
“I wasn’t in a good head space when I posted it. I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege, yesterday, when I posted it.
“It’s obvious to me I need to take some time out while this investigation is under way. I hope you understand and I do hope that you will accept this apology.”
But he recently returned to the public eye via his Gregg Wallace Health platform – a £12-a-month subscription guide to healthier eating, diet and exercise after he himself transformed his physique.
On a blog published on the website, he wrote: “Just be mindful of all the decisions that we make throughout the day.
“Just ask yourself what you can do that will make each of these a little bit better.
“Mistakes are never the end of your journey. See them for what they really are, they are simply slip-ups, you are only human. If you learn a lesson from them that is a major step forward.
“Be kind to yourself. Just be aware that this isn’t the most important thing. The most important thing is to focus not on perfection but on progress.”
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