Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has been married to his wife Jessica for over 20 years and the couple share three children – but they have an unusual arrangement in their relationship.
Gino D’Acampo has shown a united front with his wife amid “distressing” allegations against him. The celebrity chef, 48, is facing claims of “sexually inappropriate” behaviour from multiple individuals over a 12-year period, which he strongly denies.
The allegations against the Italian star have been described as “unacceptable, distressing and horrendous”. Following an ITV News report on the investigation last week, D’Acampo shared a lighthearted video on Instagram, joking with his wife Jessica and friend Fred Sirieix as they entered a grand venue.
The clip shows Fred playfully taking Jessica’s arm, prompting her to quip: “I thought it was you.” D’Acampo captioned the post: “When the wife chooses the wrong foreigner! GDx.”
The This Morning star has been married to Jessica Stellina Morrison for over 20 years, and they have three children together – Luciano, 22, Rocco, 19, and Mia, 12. The couple met as teenagers while working at a restaurant in Marbella, reports the Mirror.
Gino has often shown appreciation for his wife, particularly for her support during his move to the UK. Their relationship hit a rocky patch after initially getting together when Gino was working at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King restaurant as an 18 year old.
Gino D’Acampo and his wife Jessica (Image: Getty)
Following a brief split, the couple rekindled their romance in 1995 and tied the knot in 2002. Gino has frequently shared details of their “traditional” marriage, such as cleaning her car every week, charging her toothbrush, and bringing her a bottle of water each night.
He told the Daily Star: “I clean her car every week. I charge her toothbrush every time the battery is low, and I always bring her a bottle of cold water just in case she’s thirsty at night. My wife is a clever woman, she knows when to say something and when to bite her tongue.”
He further revealed that giving each other space is what makes their marriage strong, saying they take holidays with friends separately and are comfortable dining out with others. Gino also confided in Love Sunday back in 2014, admitting that he and Jessica rarely spend time together, which he believes is the secret to their lasting marriage: “Jessica and I don’t really spend any time together,” he disclosed.
“I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve lasted for 20 years. It’s a good thing, I don’t really want to know everything my wife does, because otherwise she will be boring to me.”
Gino D’Acampo has shown a united front with his wife amid “distressing” allegations against him (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
In 2023, he surprised fans with his relaxed attitude towards communication when away on work, telling the Express: “What’s the point in bothering your wife to the point I need to pretend to want to make a phone call is insane! I don’t buy into it. I could be filming in Italy or somewhere in the world for two weeks and I would perhaps call my wife once, or twice.”
He stated that his relationship is quite different from those of his friends, who often feel the need to check in with their wives during a boys’ night out. He shared: “I’m always the one who complains and they explain that if they don’t, their wife will be angry at them tonight.” Gino found this dynamic “crazy”.
The Family Fortunes host has previously joked that traditional romantic gestures aren’t his style, but he does resort to buying his wife diamonds when he’s ‘been naughty’. “I don’t care about flowers or chocolates or anything like that, that’s not me,” he clarified.
Gina D’Acampo renewed his vows with wife Jess to mark their 20th anniversary (Image: ITV)
Gino also revealed that his wife has a special way of apologising to him by whipping up his favourite pasta dish. He disclosed: “She always does that for me, especially when she wants to be forgiven. When I want to be forgiven, I’m going for the sweet option, so chocolate cake with homemade ice cream – well, actually, if I’ve been really bad it’s a new car or a diamond.”
When asked about the frequency of seeking forgiveness, Gino admitted with a laugh: “Let’s put it this way, in the last five years, she’s changed her car three times… I still haven’t changed mine once.”
Gino and Jessica split their time between a grand seven-bedroom, Grade II-listed townhouse in Hertfordshire and a holiday retreat on the idyllic island of Sardinia. On the parenting front, Gino is admittedly the more stringent parent.
Speaking to Woman magazine, he said: “You can see my wife look at the children, saying with her eyes ‘Don’t even think about it, he’s not going to bend’.”
He also expressed his firm stance on family dining, stating: “My kids are not allowed to be fussy eaters. The problem with fussy children is their stupid parents. I run a family kitchen and in my house we don’t have options. I never had options, why should they?”.
