Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has made a public return to work, signing his cookbook at an Asda store – despite facing serious allegations of inappropriate behavior.
The 48-year-old TV star – who is currently at the centre of an ITV investigation – shared a video from a meet-and-greet event with fans.
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‘Thank you’
Gino took to Instagram over weekend to share a video of himself interacting with fans at an Asda supermarket.
In the clip, he is seen laughing and hugging fans while promoting his latest cookbook and airfryer range.
The supermarket appearance drew a large crowd, as many families queued to meet him and get copies of his Gino’s Air Fryer Cook Book signed.
We stand with you, Gino!
Posting to his 2.2 million Instagram followers, Gino captioned the video: “Always fantastic to meet my fans, you guys are just awesome. Thank you ASDA for having us.”
Gino D’Acampo supported as he flogs his cookbook
Despite the serious nature of the claims against him, many of his loyal supporters flooded the comment section with words of encouragement.
“Be strong, Gino!” one fan wrote.
“We stand with you, Gino!!!!” another echoed.
However, ITV has taken a firmer stance. The broadcaster has pulled all of Gino’s upcoming shows. It also confirmed it has “no plans to work with him” moving forward.
Gino D’Acampo allegations
Last week, an ITV News investigation uncovered allegations from more than 40 people, spanning 14 years.
These include claims of sexually inappropriate comments, aggressive and intimidating behavior and unacceptable conduct on TV sets.
Despite the mounting accusations, Gino has denied all claims against him.
“I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied,” he said in a statement. “I would not do anything that I thought would upset or distress anyone. This is simply not in my nature. I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.”
One former co-worker criticised Gino’s response to the claims. “It is all very disappointing,” she said. “He could have come out and said he was really sorry, that he was going to take some time out and reflect on what had happened.”
Another woman, who worked with the chef in 2018, called his blanket denial “disappointing”. She also suggested the production company should “jog his memory”.
Following the revelations, ITV has severed ties with D’Acampo, and it’s claimed his upcoming projects have been axed.
An industry insider told MailOnline: “He’s in a lot of trouble. ITV doesn’t want to be in a BBC situation [like with Gregg Wallace] or have a repeat of Phillip Schofield, so they are covering all their bases.”
Read more: Gino D’Acampo’s ‘vulgar’ sexual slur towards Holly Willoughby ‘ignored’ by ITV
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