The TV chef tells Kirsty Nutkins why he’s committed to staying as outrageous as ever

From the moment Gino D’Acampo first graced our TV screens in the early 2000s, he’s had us in stitches with his outrageous antics. Whether it’s presenting a segment on This Morning in nothing but a skimpy apron, or taking a plunge into a frozen Finnish lake wearing a Versace-print mankini for Gordon, Gino And Fred, the Italian chef’s cheeky charm has made him an audience favorite – and a producer’s worst nightmare. Gino himself laughs as he admits, he’s the most censored man on ITV, and TV execs often “freak out” when they hand him a show, because he never knows where to draw the line.

Despite his wild on-screen persona, Gino has built an incredibly successful career. He’s launched several restaurants, hosted both food and mainstream entertainment shows, and penned bestselling cookbooks. And in a feat that only Gino could pull off, he does it all in just six months a year. He insists on taking the other half off to relax at his home on the island of Sardinia, enjoying some well-earned downtime with his wife of 22 years, Jessica, and their three children: Luciano, 21, Rocco, 19, and 12-year-old Mia.

You only work six months of the year, so how do you squeeze everything in?

I’m very organised, and I have a paper diary. I don’t do anything on the internet or phones. Everything is written down. Time off is important to me, though, because I’m a great believer that a break is a good thing. At the moment, that works, but if I add any more holidays, I’m going to make a lot of enemies.

It must be great to have that time with your family, though?

I think it’s not only important to spend quality time with my family, but I also strongly believe in spending time alone. You discover new things about yourself and you have time to think, which is something that people don’t do often enough. Everybody’s always so busy and alone time is super-important for my marriage. Jessica and I have been together for 31 years, we have three children, and we never have problems, because we have our own lives away from one another.

Is your family very proud of what you do?

They are. And they are the ones who watch my TV shows, because I don’t. When I get sent a final cut for a show I’ve filmed, I pass it to Luciano, who is my agent. He and the rest of the family then give me feedback. There’s no point analysing it myself and picking fault.

Jungle Gino: with his family after winning I’m A Celeb in 2009 ©Photo by Shutterstock

Do you find life in the spotlight hard?

If people find it hard, they should get out of the spotlight. People are very quick to moan. They say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be a celebrity, because people might ask me for pictures’. Well, don’t f**king do it. They want everything – they want fame but none of the other stuff.

Do you feel quite lucky to have carved out a career in the spotlight?

I am super-thankful for it. But I think there are very few people who have a career in the spotlight the way I have it, because I don’t really care about it. I just go on with my life. And if the moment comes that someone doesn’t like me on television any more, so be it.

You’re known for doing some pretty outlandish things – is there a line you wouldn’t cross?

What line? I have no interest in drawing lines! ITV freak out when they give me a show, but they know that I mean well and whatever I say, it comes from a good place. I don’t do anything I wouldn’t do in everyday life.

Cowboy Gino: with the #lads Fred and Gordon ©Instgram.com/Gino D’Acampo

Have you ever done or said something that you’ve regretted?

No. If I said it, I meant it, and if I meant it, then it’s cool. Without sounding like an asshole, I don’t care what people have to say about me. On social media, for example, why would I even bother reading comments and replying? Of course, there are some people who are going to love what you do and some people who are going to hate it.

You’ve carved out an amazing career in the spotlight, but you’ve hinted that perhaps TV isn’t in your future…

Maybe I didn’t explain myself properly when I said that. I never said that I don’t want to do television any more. What I said was that I don’t have any new shows that I would like to try, because I pretty much do everything on TV that you could dream to do. I have Gino’s Italy, where I travel every year in my beautiful country, to show you guys how to cook Italian. Then I’m still the host of Family Fortunes, which is coming out again in early 2025, and I’m still filming Gordon, Gino And Fred – and if Gordon is not there, I’m still filming with Fred. How many more shows does a man want to do? Do I sit at home like many people in my position do, and try to find a new show concept? Not really.

Chef Gino: drizzling the good stuff on This Morning ©Ken McKay/Shutterstock

Talking of Gordon, Gino And Fred, which you film with Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix – it has been so popular, will there be another series?

We’ve all been friends for a long time. Gordon texted me yesterday, saying, ‘How are you, buddy?’ And I just spent five days with Fred on holiday in Sardinia. We love doing it and it’s very much on the cards. We want to do Australia next. But the main issue is two very busy individuals – Fred and Gordon – and one guy who only works six months of the year! Right now, Gordon is the busiest, so Fred and I have filmed something together instead.

What’s the show about?

It’s called Emission Impossible – you’re going to see it in December on ITV. We travel to Austria and Croatia to show people what’s happening to the world in terms of global warming. But we try to do it without preaching, and we have a lot of shenanigans along the way. It’s very much in the same vein of Gordon, Gino And Fred.

Generous Gino: giving us a festive package in his mankini ©Tony Ward/ITV/Shutterstock

Do you guys have good banter off-screen as well as on?

The relationships are impossible to fake. When you spend all that time together, if you are faking a relationship, the viewers at home will know.

Do you wind Gordon up off-screen?

Every time that I have an opportunity, I will. I saw he did something for Men’s Health magazine recently – well, you should have seen Fred and me taking the piss!

You’ve just released your new book. For anyone who hasn’t used an air fryer, what do you love about them?

An air fryer is basically an oven. The only difference is that, with an air fryer, you’re going to save a lot of electricity and space, because they are smaller and cook faster. I wish I could talk to every single person who’s thinking of buying one and just say, ‘Go for it’.

Your son Luciano has followed in your footsteps, and now you run a restaurant named after him together in London – are all of your kids foodies?

Luciano and Rocco have a talent agency called MMS, and they look after all my restaurants, books, television shows and interviews. Rocco looks after my other restaurant, the Gino D’Acampo restaurant in Manchester, and Luciano pretty much focuses on the London one. Mia is 12, and all she wants to do is make TikTok videos on dancing, make-up, nails and hair.

Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

Lately, I am very focused on my pizza oven business. I’ve got a pizza oven company, and we’re just about to launch an electric pizza oven that people can use in the house. So, my ambition is to take my business worldwide.

What have been your career highlights?

The thing that I’m most proud of is that, here I am today, still doing what I started doing 25 years ago. For me, it’s not about awards, it’s not about money, it’s not about fame. It’s about being able to do something that you like for so many years. Thinking about how many people have been cancelled nowadays, who come out of the spotlight for one reason or another, right or wrong… Well, I’m still here, and I have no intention of going anywhere.