TV chef Gino D'Acampo denies inappropriate behaviour claims

Celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo has denied a number of allegations of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour on the set of his television programmes.

The claims came to light in an investigation published by ITV News, which said it had spoken to "dozens" of people who accused him of "unacceptable", "distressing" and "horrendous" comments.

In a statement to ITV News via his legal team, D'Acampo "firmly denied" the "deeply upsetting" allegations.

BBC News has approached his representative for comment.

ITV News published a number of allegations from anonymous accusers who said they had worked with D'Acampo on TV productions. BBC News has not spoken to his accusers nor has it verified their claims.

They accused him of aggressive behaviour, using abusive language during outbursts on set and using sexualised language.

His behaviour allegedly left some production staff fearful and uncomfortable, ITV News reported.

It added that most people it spoke to were freelancers and had been too scared to complain at the time for fear of risking future employment.

One woman claimed D'Acampo made sexualised comments to her while she was working with him on a magazine shoot in 2011.

She said: "I definitely saw it as some kind of power play. The very act of what he said was aggressive."

In a response provided to ITV News by Gino D'Acampo's legal team, said the allegation had never before been raised or put to him.

"He does not recall it, nor accept that this happened. Mr D'Acampo is horrified to be accused of "power play" and an "aggressive act". He emphatically and unequivocally denies these allegations" .

Another woman interviewed by ITV News alleged D'Acampo opened the door to her in only his boxing shorts while working on location for a TV production several years later.

She claimed he then jumped on the bed and made reference to his penis, making her feel "disgusted".

Gino D'Acampo's legal team said he "categorically denies" the allegations.

"This is the first time, six years later, he has been informed of these alleged incidents, and he does not accept them, not least because some of this is considered by Mr D'Acampo to be a fabricated work of fiction," they said.

Responding more broadly to the investigation, D'Acampo's representatives told ITV News that he "firmly denied" the claims. He said he had "never been made aware of these matters previously".

A statement continued: "I am a father, husband and have worked with well over 1,500 people on around 80 productions in my career, which I have been so proud of.

"I take such matters extremely seriously," he said, adding that the suggestion that he acted in an improper way was "deeply upsetting".

D'Acampo, 48, has been a regular on UK television since the early 2000s. He has primarily worked for ITV, including on a number of cooking and travel shows, as well as making appearances on other entertainment programmes.

The Italian-born chef and broadcaster has also made appearances on BBC programmes.

In a statement, ITV said production companies "have the primary responsibility for the duty of care of everyone they work with".

The broadcaster said it had "strengthened" policies about what standards they expect from production companies it works with in the last five years.

A statement continued: "All of the concerns and complaints raised by those who have spoken to ITN [the producer of ITV News] describe behaviour which is inappropriate and unacceptable.

"Most of them were not reported to ITV at the time. Where issues have been raised with ITV action has been taken."

The allegations follow a recent BBC News investigation into the behaviour of another TV chef, MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace, who was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people.

Wallace's lawyers have said it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. MasterChef's production company Banijay UK is currently investigating the claims.

In the wake of the claims about Wallace, the culture secretary Lisa Nandy warned there were "too many cultures of silence", and warned she was "prepared to take further action" if the media industry couldn't address claims of misconduct.