SCANDAL-hit TV chef Gino D’Acampo drew an explicit picture of a female telly producer during live filming, she told ITV.
Bosses are investigating her allegations, calling them “inappropriate and unacceptable”.
The TV producer who accuses under-fire Gino of drawing an explicit picture of her told bosses she found a “toxic culture of sexism and misogyny” at ITV.
The woman claims her “unsettling encounter” with the Italian chef, 48, came during live filming of Saturday Cooks!
She alleged that, in front of her and after asking to draw a portrait picture, Gino sketched a naked woman with her legs spread open.
The producer also claims he made a grotesque sexual comment about leather boots she was wearing at a party.
And she alleges he made a crude jibe about TV cook Mary Berry.
The producer told a friend of the alleged sketch: “In front of the rest of the production team on the studio floor during live filming he picked up a pad and paper and asked to draw a picture of me.
“I thought it was going to be a harmless caricature. But when he showed me the finished drawing I felt shocked and humiliated.”
An ITV spokesman said: “The behaviour detailed is inappropriate and unacceptable. We are committed to investigating complaints in an appropriate manner and according to our robust protocols.”
In her complaint the woman producer also told ITV she found a “toxic culture of sexism and misogyny” in her workplace.
Gino is said to have always acted professionally on screen. His alleged actions to the producer came while both were off screen.
She claimed Gino’s sketch was drawn when they worked in 2007 and 2008 and lodged her complaint with ITV’s chief people officer David Osborne on December 3, 2024.
Earlier this month, an ITV News investigation uncovered numerous allegations of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour by Gino.
ITV axed re-runs of his shows amid “unacceptable, distressing and horrendous” allegations of disgusting sexual jibes to female colleagues over 12 years. He has denied all those allegations.
Separate to her complaint to ITV, the woman told friends that Gino remarked to her that he wished he was a horse so he could sit between her legs at a party where she was wearing leather boots.
And she told pals he made a crude remark about Great British Bake Off star Mary when she appeared on Saturday Cooks! An ITV source said: “ITV stressed to the woman they were sorry to read about her experiences and are taking it extremely seriously.”
A source close to the woman, who no longer works in television, added: “These incidents didn’t take place in private settings — they occurred openly, in front of other production staff.
“The woman hopes ITV acknowledges that this behaviour is not only a recent issue isolated to her.
“She felt utterly humiliated by his behaviour.
“It took a lot for her to gain the confidence to finally complain. She was inspired to complain about Gino, and angered, by the Gregg Wallace case when he said the women complaining about him were ‘middle-class women’.”
Dad-of-three Gino, married to Jessica, 40, has hosted several primetime ITV shows, including Let’s Do Lunch with Mel Sykes, and Family Fortunes. He was a regular on This Morning.
Referring to the producer’s complaint, an ITV spokesperson said: “ITV is completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give of their best. The standards of behaviour that ITV expects are very clear.
“Everyone is subject to our code of ethics and conduct.
“We do not tolerate abusive behaviour of any form in the workplace. We have set up a dedicated complaints handling unit in 2024.
“We have also reiterated our expectations of our on-screen presenters’ behaviour through our conduct and standards guidelines issued in 2024.”
Yesterday, for National Walking the Dog Day, Gino shared an Instagram selfie with his pooch. His business empire has built him a reported £8million fortune.
Jailed for two years
He grew up in a “very lower working-class family” in Naples and went to catering college.
At 19 he got a job as a chef in Sylvester Stallone’s restaurant in Marbella, Spain, where he met English-Italian waitress Jessica.
She invited him to London but Gino fell in with a bad crowd.
In 1998, aged 21, he stole singer Paul Young’s £4,000 guitar collection and a platinum disc.
Gino was jailed for two years.
He later called the crime a serious mistake and rang Paul to apologise.
After jail he set up import business Bonta Italia. It led to his first TV deal, as a guest on Great Food Live on cable channel UKTV Food, plus turns on BBC daytime show Ready Steady Cook.
In 2009 he won the ninth series of I’m A Celebrity.
A statement on his behalf last night said: “Mr D’Acampo has only respect and admiration for Mary Berry and they have always had a great working relationship together.
“None of these allegations have ever been brought to his attention previously, he does not recollect them. He denies these allegations.”
