Celebrity chef Gino d’Acampo has been accused of intimidating and inappropriate behaviour toward TV production staff.
ITV News conducted an investigation that revealed accusations of aggressive behavior, abusive language and sexualized comments. D’Acampo denies these allegations.
ITV News reported that D’Acampo told a woman he wanted to “turn me over and f*** up my a*** on the kitchen counter”, as colleagues “looked nervously at their cups of coffee”.
D’Acampo’s lawyers said he didn’t accept this happened, and that he was “unambiguously and emphatically” denying these allegations.
Many staff members who worked with him at Gino’s Italian Express and other programmes said they were afraid of losing their jobs if they spoke out about the incident. They were often on freelance or short-term contracts, and worried that they might be booked again.
ITV stated in a press release that the production companies are responsible for “the primary responsibility of the duty of care to everyone they work with on-screen and off-screen while making shows”.
We have a robust and comprehensive policy that we contractually implement.
We have strengthened our policies over the past five years. In 2024, we will set up a dedicated complaint handling unit to handle any complaints about on-screen hosts and ensure ITV is able to centralise its view of all productions.
The Objective Media Group which produced Gordon, Gino, and Fred’s Road Trip 2018 said that it takes “incredibly serious” the wellbeing and welfare of its staff.
We have robust protocols and procedure in place for the entire cast and crew including on-screen talents. We review them regularly and ensure that we are taking into consideration any changes to industry-wide “duty of care” guidelines.
It said that the company has a hotline for anonymous reporting of incidents, which is communicated clearly before and during production.
It added that “we include behavioural clauses into talent contracts, and to further bolster procedures, we have provided behavioral training for onscreen talent in order to ensure compliance with both OMG protocols and broadcaster protocol, including ITV’s conduct and standard guidelines for onscreen personalities policies.”
Studio Ramsay, MultiStory Media and other companies that produced series featuring D’Acampo also stated they take the allegations seriously.
It would not be appropriate to discuss individual concerns in detail, but we can assure you that we will review the concerns raised and the information available at the time. We will also examine the actions taken. MultiStory stated that it would also examine any new concerns.
Kate Palmer, director of employment services at the law firm Peninsula, stated that this latest scandal shows there is much more to be done in order to prevent sexual harassment on the job.
It is important for businesses to take action to prevent sexual harassment at work and to have procedures in place that deal with complaints – no matter who they are directed against. It’s not just the right thing to, but employers could be held vicariously responsible for the actions of their employees in the event of a tribunal complaint.
It’s important that employers reflect on their current practices and determine if they need to do more. Don’t assume that there is no sexual harassment in your workplace because you haven’t received any complaints. It is important to remember this, especially in light of legislative changes which came into force in October last. The new duty requires employers to be proactive. They must assess the risks they face and take appropriate action before any allegations are made.
D’Acampo’s allegations come only weeks after similar ones were leveled against BBC Masterchef presenter Gregg Wallace. Wallace has since retired from his duties.
