This Morning fans reckon they’ve figured out a secret meaning behind a comment made by Gino D’Acampo during his cooking segment on Tuesday’s show.

The celebrity chef left hosts Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary squirming when he asked if there was ‘any news’ he should know of, during his return to the daytime show, following a month-long Italy trip.

It comes after former co-host Phillip Schofield stepped down from ITV altogether, as he admitted to having an affair with a much younger male This Morning colleague.

However, fans have since spotted another cheeky quip by the ITV star, as he declared during the segment that ‘Apparently I can’t do anything with aubergine.’

Gino’s cryptic remark could well reference the moment under-fire This Morning editor Martin Frizell is quizzed about an alleged ‘toxic work environment’ at ITV – and brushed it off with a question about aubergine.

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Causing a stir: This Morning fans reckon they’ve figured out a secret meaning behind a comment made by Gino D’Acampo during his cooking segment on Tuesday’s show

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Oh dear: Gino appeared to make another cheeky quip amid the ongoing Phillip Schofield saga

Asked if there is a ‘toxic’ work environment at This Morning, Mr Frizell told the Sky News reporter: ‘I’ll tell you what’s toxic and I’ve always found it toxic. Aubergine.

‘Do you like aubergine? Do you? Do you like aubergine because I don’t like aubergine. It’s just a personal thing.’

On the show, Gino said on the show: ‘It’s strange because I was going to make melanzane parmigiana (a baked aubergine dish)’, with Holly adding: ‘I love that, it’s one of my favourites!’

Before he then quickly added: ‘But apparently I can’t do anything with aubergine at the moment. So I’m gonna make a tiramisu!’

And This Morning viewers at home were quick to put two and two together and assume Gino’s comment was relating to t he moment, with one remarking that show bosses had probably regretted booking the chef that day.

‘Remember when that This Morning producer, was door stepped about Phillip Schofield and he kept dodging the question and just kept going on about how he hates aubergines. Well, this may be last time Gino D’Acampo’s is getting booked by him’ tweeted one.

While another shared: ‘I’ve been waiting for Gino’s return, They’re regretting it already [aubergine emoji]

‘Bet ‘This Morning’ wish they hadn’t booked Gino today now. I was looking forward to baked aubergine as well’ quipped a third watcher.

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Yikes! The celebrity chef left hosts Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary squirming when he asked if there was ‘any news’ he should know of, during his return to the daytime show

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Awkward: However, fans have since spotted another cheeky quip by the ITV star, as he declared during the segment that ‘Apparently I can’t do anything with aubergine’

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Whoops: Gino’s cryptic remark could well reference the moment under-fire This Morning editor Martin Frizell is quizzed about an alleged ‘toxic work environment’ at ITV – and brushed it off with a question about aubergine

Funny: This Morning viewers at home were quick to put two and two together and assume Gino’s comment was relating to t he moment, with one remarking that show bosses had probably regretted booking the chef that day

With another adding: ‘Remember the other week when This Morning’ producer was asked about Phillip Schofield and strangely tried dodging by saying how he hates aubergines? Well, Gino D’Acampo finally hired back on the show, it’s fair to say he won’t be back for a second time. Hat’s off to him for this.’

The moment left Dermot and Holly visibly uncomfortable, with Dermot nervously biting down on his pen so as to avoid talking.

Meanwhile, while doing a preview of his cooking segment, Gino made another eye-raising comment as he said to Holly and Dermot: ‘Everything is under control. I’m back.

‘Any news from the last month that I should know of? Anything I should know?’ to which Holly insisted: ‘No. No news,’ as the studio fell notably quiet.

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Wow: On the show, Gino said: ‘It’s strange because I was going to make melanzane parmigiana (a baked aubergine dish)’, with Holly adding: ‘I love that, it’s one of my favourites!’

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Controversial: Before he then quickly added: ‘But apparently I can’t do anything with aubergine at the moment. So I’m gonna make a tiramisu!’

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Not saying a word: The moment left Dermot and Holly visibly uncomfortable, with Dermot nervously biting down on his pen so as to avoid talking

Meanwhile, while doing a preview of his cooking segment, Gino made another eye-raising commet as he said to Holly and Dermot: ‘Everything is under control. I’m back.

Gino responded: ‘Good, so we can go straight into the cooking…’ before pausing to ask: ‘Why is nobody talking anymore, what’s happened?’

Dermot joked: ‘We need to rephrase, Gino is back for a one-time only…’

Taking to social media, viewers were quick to note the interaction, with one tweeting: ‘Gino never disappoints, causing Dermot and Holly to squirm a bit making light of the Phil saga #ThisMorning.’

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Awkward: The duo were visibly uncomfortable as chef Gino D’Acampo asked if there was ‘any news’ he should know of, during his return to the show, following a month-long Italy trip

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Eeek: ‘No. No news,’ insisted Holly as the studio fell notably quiet

‘Studio fell silent when Gino said ‘any news while ive been gone’ #itvthismorning #ThisMorning,’ wrote someone else, as another admitted: ‘Absolutely pmsl at @Ginofantastico on #Thismorning any news???? #Gino.’

‘Well Gino doesn’t disappoint does he ‘I’ve been in Italy for a month, any news I need to know about?’ Que poor Holly looking awkward. #thismorning,’ added another fan.

Someone else tweeted: ‘Gino is a legend when he just asked ‘is there any news since I’ve been gone’ GINO GINO GINO #ThisMorning.’

Gino’s awkward question comes almost a month after former This Morning host Phillip Schofield admitted to having a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on the show, and later lying about it.

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Joker: ‘We need to rephrase, Gino is back for a one-time only…’ joked Dermot

Fan reaction: Taking to social media, viewers were quick to note the interaction

Phillip further confessed that he lied to his employer ITV, to his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU.

In a bombshell statement to the Daily Mail, the veteran TV presenter admitted that he and the man began a relationship that was more than a friendship. The ex-TV presenter describes this as ‘unwise but not illegal’.

In his grovelling apology, Phillip said: ‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story [sic] which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.

‘The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning. I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.

‘Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than a just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over…

‘I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife…

‘I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.

‘I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.’

The Mail is aware of the younger man’s identity, but has chosen not to name him.

Phillip’s extraordinary statement concludes weeks of increasingly fevered speculation in both the TV industry and the wider country about the future of his career, following his sudden departure from the This Morning sofa earlier this month.