In defence of Gino D'Acampo

Hypocritical 'Woke ITV' should not be able to play judge, jury and executioner on public figures, including their own stars, with zero evidence

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I don’t know Gino D'Acampo very well personally and I have never worked with him directly, but I do know that during my decade long run at ITV Daytime he was used by bosses on screen as the Italian stallion.

The chef’s star power was generated by on screen saucy sexual innuendo – being flirty, getting his kit off, talking about Holly Willo-booby on Celebrity Juice and doing everything possible to make it impossible for Phillip Schofield to pretend he was straight.

But something extraordinary has happened over the past few days: ‘Woke ITV’, as I now call the dying broadcaster, turned on its star presenter in quite a spectacular manner.

ITV News has decided that Gino making smutty “teenage boy” jokes many years ago is the biggest story in the world. Who cares about what's going on in the Middle East; don't worry about Donald Trump; let’s pretend Keir Starmer didn’t break lockdown rules and Rachel From Accounts hasn’t crashed the economy.

Indeed, ITV News’ ludicrous “special report” that has dominated their bulletins got more prominence than they’re ever given to the genuine scandal of Pakistani Muslim rape gangs.

Now, let me be clear, I’m not defending Gino’s smutty jokes, which did seem quite juvenile.

But for ITV to suggest that they were not aware that Gino was engaging in funny and harmless sex talk is completely ludicrous.

It was his shtick. This is what he did during virtually every appearance on This Morning, Celebrity Juice or many of his other shows.

And it was marketed and milked and promoted by ITV for ratings, PR and profit for well over a decade.

ITV NOW WANT TO RUIN GINO

Now the channel has gone woke and I think it will end up going broke as a result of this type of sickening U-turn.

But what I find particularly shocking is they don't give a damn about Gino anymore. Where is their duty of care to the man who they made a star on the back of his sexual humour only to decide to destroy him for it in 2025?

And there’s nothing fair or balanced about this coverage. ITV has completely turned on Gino – they have ignored his denials and clearly want to ruin the guy.

His shows have been pulled from the schedules; culpable executives have briefed he’ll never appear on the channel again. The career he loves is gone after, yet again, a deranged trial by media.

There is absolutely no suggestion that Gino ever broke the law, although under Slippery Starmer telling a dirty joke will surely be a jailing offence soon enough.

MADE THESE JOKES IN FRONT OF HIS WIFE

I know a little bit about what it's like when you're in one of these situations when the whole world turns on you. I went through a similar cancellation on GB News for a joke that Laurence Fox made on air.

The hysteria around these situations can be absolutely devastating for a human being.

He is being talked about as if he's Jimmy Savile or Harvey Weinstein, rather than the cheeky Italian chef who I know for a fact would often make these jokes in front of his own wife.

There are reasons why the MSM turns on one of their own and equally lots of questions as to why they would cover up behaviour for numerous years and then try and turn said behaviour into a scandal.

What are they trying to divert attention from? I have an idea and will continue my reporting on this.

But on a macro level can we please stop doing this offence archaeology thing. When Gino was making these jokes 12 years ago, the world was a very different place; there was no woke and folk were comfortable to have a laugh, even in workplace situations. Look at the humour in the Ricky Gervais original BBC series of The Office, for example.

Stop cancelling people for things they said in person or on social media over a decade ago.

If you are offended in a workplace situation, deal with it in the time. Don’t join a witch hunt years later against a respectable man who is married with children and is fundamentally a decent guy.

If there is criminal behaviour, report it to the police.

But I refuse to sign up to a society where Woke ITV now believes it can act as judge, jury and executioner about any public figure based on accusations without any evidence whatsoever.

GUTLESS WITCH HUNT WHY MSM IS DYING

By the way ITV, if there is a problem this is on you. It was your organisation that had a duty of care to Gino and the staff on his shows. You don’t get to wash your hands of all responsibility over this, just like you tried to do with the Schofield scandal.

It seems to me the executives are desperately trying to get rid of any potential landmine that could land them in trouble in the future, using their own news service to do so.

Make no mistake this type of gutless witch hunt is why the MSM is dying.

And a personal message to Gino from a guy who has been through this: Trust me, the current hell will pass. Get through this horror surrounded by people in your life who know you are not the monster that ITV is trying to claim you are. And don’t change. Because we must live a life where we can laugh.

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