Gino D’acampo: Prison To TV Chef
Gino D’acampo is popular as an Italian celebrity chef who often makes appearances in television shows and writes cookbooks.
From his shenanigans with Gordon Ramsay and the latest news about his family to the not-so-proud Gino D’acampo prison history- we bring you interesting stories about Gino D’acampo!
Gino D’acampo’s Prison Sentence
Image Source/Daily Record
Born in Naples, Gino D’acampo moved to London when he was a 19-year-old teenager. He started out as a waiter and unfortunately, succumbed to stealing from a well-known celebrity!
In 1998, Gino D’acampo broke into singer Paul Young’s house in Mill Hill, North London and stole £4,000 worth of guitars and a prized platinum disc.
Subsequently, the authorities found his DNA on a cigarette butt outside Paul Young’s bedroom door.
As a result, the young teenager was sentenced to two years in prison under his real name Gennaro.
Image Source/Mirror
Apparently, Gino D’acampio had apologised to Paul Young. According to Paul Young,
“I don’t hold it against him. He said it was bad and he apologised, and I did get most of the stuff back.
“Maybe he needed his wrist slapping and he got that. He said he was in a terrible place at that time and wanted to turn his life around.”
How Did Gino D’acampo’s Prison Sentence Change Him?
“It was a dreadful experience, but in life, I’ve learned to make good come out of everything,” he previously told What’s on TV.
“I thought, ‘This is not going to drag me down, this is going to make me a better man.’
Image Source/Entertainment Daily
“So I came out of prison a man with a plan, determined to set up a business importing Italian ingredients.”
True to his words, he turned his life around!
His Successful Endeavours In The Past Decade…
Coming to spotlight upon being crowned King of the Jungle on I’m A Celeb in 2009, Gino D’acampo landed an array of opportunities from Great Food Live, Saturday Cooks, and This Morning.
Later, he started his own cook shows such as Gino’s Italian Escape and There’s No Taste Like Home.
Image Source/TLN TV
Moreover, Gino is also the co-owner of Bonta Italia Ltd that supplies Italian ingredients.
Additionally, he also develops ready meals to satiate the Italian food lovers.
In an attempt to bring a real taste of Italy to the UK, Gino D’acampio launched his My Restaurant brand in several locations such as Camden, Hull, Leeds, Harrogate, and Euston Station.
“I’m excited to have created a fantastico menu for My Restaurants; it is jam-packed with lots of favourites from my books and TV programmes.
“I hope my guests enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.”
His other ventures include Pizza & Prosecco Bar, Coffee & Deli Bar, cookbooks and his own website detailing his favourite recipes and videos.
Source/This Morning
His Long List Of Cookbooks!
You may have expected four to five cookbooks from someone who is as busy and always on-the-go like Gino D’acampo, but what if we say he has published a whopping 15 cookbooks!
Image Source/Gino D’acampo Restaurants
The titles of his books are Fantastico!, Buonissimo!, The Italian Diet, Gino’s Pasta, Italian Home Baking, Gino’s Italian Escape, Gino’s Italian Escape: A Taste of the Sun, Gino’s Veg Italia! 100 Quick and Easy Vegetarian Recipes, Gino’s Italian Escape: Islands in the Sun, Gino’s Hidden Italy, Gino’s Healthy Italian for Less, Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape, Gino’s Italian Adriatic Escape, Pronto! Let’s Cook Italian In 20 Minutes, and La Dolce Diet.
Gino D’acampo And Gordon Ramsay: No End To Crazy Adventure!
The moment I lost my hat with @GordonRamsay ……..GDx pic.twitter.com/TJLYP4Vi3i
— Gino D’Acampo (@Ginofantastico) October 26, 2019
Evidently, Gino D’acampo and Gordon Ramsay are connected in more ways than one.
Firstly, they keep their audience in fits through ITV’s Gordon, Gino, And Fred’s Road Trip. Besides Gordon and Gino, Fred Sirieix from First Dates is also part of the travel and cookery programme.
They motor-homed around Europe and greatly entertained the audience with their antiques.
After the successful first season, the trio is already planning for the second one. However, this time they are off to the United States of America.
According to a review by a fellow audience, Gino has been amazingly funny throughout season 1.
“Loved it, this had me in fits of laughter all the way through. They are a great trio of characters and compliment each other fantastically. Gino is totally bonkers, I want him to be my friend lol.”
Meanwhile, Gino’s co-star Fred thinks the same about him.
“It was three weeks of mayhem, complete mayhem. Sleeping with (Gordon and Gino D’Acampo) in a camper van.”
Image Source/It’s Gone Viral
Asked about who he would rather shag or marry, he said,
“What a question, I’m not sure I would marry any of them! This is a tough question.
“Maybe I marry Gordon for the money and Gino for the fun. Gino is very funny, he wants to do what he wants to do.”
Gino’s Son And Gordon’s Daughter Have Recently Started Dating…
Up-and-coming chef Tilly, who is Gordon’s daughter and Luciano, Gino’s son warmed up to each other while their dads were filming their TV show Men Behaving Badly.
Ultimately, it was Gordon who shared this news on The Jonathan Ross Show.
“We were driving through San Francisco and FaceTiming Luciano, and all of a sudden Tilly pops up behind them, and they are out having lunch.”
Gino D’acampo’s Unbelievably Crazy Shenanigans…
If Gordon Ramsay is known for his foul mouth, Gino D’acampo is known for his crazy acts that keep his fans amused and entertained.
Image Source/Hello Magazine
Believe it or not, Gino cooked nude on This Morning to celebrate the show winning a National TV Award in 2011.
According to the show’s host Holly,
“Four months ago, Gino D’Acampo said, ‘If we win a NTA, he would cook naked.”
And, he sure did!
The Australian Police Wanted To Arrest Him…
However, he narrowly escaped. On I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Gino D’acampo killed, cooked and ate a rat with his campmates.
This act led to a court summons for animal cruelty.
Image Source/Metro Newspaper UK
Gino, who has already faced a two-year sentence in prison for stealing said that this court summons was crazy. He could have faced up to three years in jail for killing and eating a rodent.
As a result, ITV apologised and diffused the situation before it got worse.
“Literally 45 minutes after being crowned King of the Jungle I was in a police station and they wanted me in a cell. It’s put a real dampener on the whole thing.
“I had no idea it was going to cause such uproar. I’m sorry if I offended anybody but we did what we had to do to eat.”
Gino D’acampo May Have Licked Nutella Off His Cousin’s ‘Down There’…
Gino revealed that he had engaged in a sex act with his own cousin in an interview with Keith Lemon in Celebrity Juice.
“I was young. She said the Nutella tasted better ‘down there’, but it was a trick.”
Further, He Drinks While Hosting Celebrity Juice…
Image Source/Campaign Live
He fuels himself with two pints of Guinness upon meeting his co-hosts during the filming.
“That isn’t a job for me. What you see on the show is me out getting drunk and getting paid. I meet Fearne, Holly and Keith at 4.30 pm and I’m handed two pints of Guinness.
“I’m not politically correct and I get away with murder because of the accent. Saying things I shouldn’t really say. Sometimes I see how much I can push it as a child might.”
The Celebrity Chef Holds Six Guinness World Record!
Would you believe that? A whopping six world records! What’s more interesting is that he set all of it on his TV series Let’s Do Lunch!
Image Source/The Sun
Some of the records are for ‘Most jumpers put on in one minute’, ‘Most chocolate truffles made in two minutes’, ‘Making 22 ravioli in under two minutes’ and ‘Longest time for running across custard’.
Are you impressed yet?
What Is His Net Worth?
Considering he has covered most of the grounds when it comes to cooking and TV, his net worth is definitely phenomenal.
A whopping $10 million!
Gino D’acampo’s Downton-Abbey Style Mansion
Firstly, his mansion in Hertfordshire is worth £1.25 million.
Image Source/The Sun
Secondly, there are seven bedrooms furnished luxuriously, a massive study, kitchen with marble worktops, a roaring fireplace, and grand chandeliers. Unquestionably, the mansion is tastefully done for a luxurious life with his wife and their three children.
On the other hand, the family face privacy issues as fans follow a public path that leads close to the mansion and often take photos and cause disturbance to their daily life.
According to Gino’s wife,
“A couple of times I have had people in my garden taking pictures and there are frequent knocks on the door with people asking for pictures of Gino or signed books.
“I often get abused in the driveway and it is obviously dangerous for members of the public to treat the driveway effectively as public space without concern about my family or our visitors’ car driving up and down the driveway.”
More Interestingly, Gino D’acampo Shares About The Best And Worst Things With Being Famous…
This is how every morning should start….GDx pic.twitter.com/IySlkIlJ1A
— Gino D’Acampo (@Ginofantastico) August 3, 2019
More importantly, the best:
“Everything – where do I start? I pick up the phone to Sky TV and within one minute I’m on to the manager.”
On the other hand, the worst:
“Hearing other celebrities moaning about the bad things about being famous.
“There is no worst thing. If you don’t want to be famous, just stop it and go and be a doctor or a teacher.”
Above all, when asked what he would miss the most if his fame goes away:
“Everything. The perks mainly. Sometimes I say in passing that I want things and they magically appear. Like two Justin Bieber tickets yesterday. They’re for my children. I swear.”
How Does He Manage His Crazy Work Schedule?
Ciao…..GDx pic.twitter.com/6A7kM3CRTk
— Gino D’Acampo (@Ginofantastico) September 6, 2019
The old school way!
“I have a Filofax. I’m the only person in this day and age who has one. I hate using the calendar on my phone. I go through my diary with a pen and I write actual words down. I’ve had it for 10 years and the system works.
“People say, ‘My iCloud didn’t connect and I’ve lost everything’. Well, I don’t have that problem. My pen connects with my Filofax just fine. ”
And power naps!
“I have a nap every afternoon like a little boy. Or an old man. Depending on how you look at it.
“I am a pro. I’m the king of napping. I can nap and I snore.
“Then I wake up, go to the toilet, wash my face, have a coffee and it’s like a brand new day.
“That is the only way I can do this job.”
His Family And How He Strikes A Balance…
Gino D’acampo’s wife is Jessica Stellina Morrison. The teenage sweethearts met in Marbella and then, they moved to the UK together.
Subsequently, they married in 2002 after Gino’s two-years prison sentence to mark a new beginning.
The couple’s three children are Luciano, Rocco, and lastly, Mia.
Interestingly, Gino is the stricter parent and he never allows his children to be fussy eaters!
“My kids are not allowed to be fussy eaters. The problem with fussy children is their stupid parents. I run a family kitchen and at my house, we don’t have options. I never had options, why should they?”
Sometimes I wonder if she thinks I am a little crazy…..GDx pic.twitter.com/BXRPb4mZ7o
— Gino D’Acampo (@Ginofantastico) September 20, 2019
A Typical Sunday At The Gino Household
Most noteworthy is the importance Gino gives to family time.
“On a Sunday, Jessie will cook for all of us, and we all really look forward to it.
“I much prefer them to flashy showbiz bashes. I’d much prefer to be at home with my family than go out.
“We have a big garden; there’s a swimming pool, and we keep chickens. I love them. I love getting up in the morning and collecting the eggs.”
