Gino D’Acampo has been accused of making inappropriate and crude remarks about his private parts while appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Former co-star Kim Woodburn has openly criticised the celebrity chef, calling him “a full-of-himself little pig” and alleging that he engaged in improper conduct during their time on the reality show.
According to Kim, D’Acampo’s behaviour included inappropriate gestures and comments that made her feel uncomfortable. She also claims he was dishonest during a Bushtucker trial and verbally mistreated the production crew. She also accuses ITV of shielding him and portraying him favourably, which ultimately contributed to his victory in the 2009 series.
D’Acampo is now facing allegations of “distressing” and “sexually inappropriate” behaviour, with more than a dozen individuals coming forward to share their experiences, describing his actions as “unacceptable, distressing, and horrendous.”
These accusations, spanning over a period of 12 years, were reported to ITV News. The chef has “firmly denied” all claims made by “dozens of people,” expressing that he finds the allegations “deeply upsetting.”
In a recent interview, Kim elaborated on his alleged conduct while they were filming in Australia. The 82-year-old recalled: “He used to stand over a log and stroke his p*nis area over his shorts. He’d talk to his p*nis saying, ‘I know you haven’t had any s*x, but when you get out of here, you will get so much.'”
Speaking to The Sun, she added: “He would say his p*nis 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.”
Following ITV News’ investigation, over 40 individuals have now spoken out, claiming to have either witnessed or personally experienced what they describe as inappropriate and intimidating behavior from D’Acampo. As a result, his television programs have been pulled from ITV’s schedule. The chef has been a familiar face on ITV, hosting shows such as Family Fortunes and Gino and Fred: Emission Impossible.
Responding to the allegations, D’Acampo 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 recognize the version of events being put to me.”
He continued: “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 is deeply upsetting.”