Gino D'Acampo has opened up on his uncertain TV future after his dating cookery show was axed.
The 46-year-old made two episodes of Gino’s Cooking Up Love, which fused a dating show with food, but bosses at ITV declined to commission a full series after it was blasted by viewers.
Now, he’s revealed he’s not making anymore TV shows, and confessed he “never wanted to be on television”.
“I was discovered by a producer as I was cooking, and he asked me to be on television and that's how it happened. I'm living someone else's dream,” Gino told Closer magazine.
“I do it because I enjoy it and I like watching television, but I don't really have any ambition to do more, not on TV,” he shared.
His latest TV offering was rejected by viewers who called it “cringe”, as Gino invited students to his cookery school to learn new skills, and find love in the kitchen.
The students went on romantic trips together in an effort to ignite a spark, and the episodes finished with a final dinner hosted by the Italian chef, as he asked if anyone had fallen in love.
“20 minutes in, it's a no for me,” one disgruntled viewer tweeted.
“I lasted to the first ad break. Not even Gino can save this. Cooking Up Love Island more like,” another added.
His TV show bomb follows the sad news he was stepping back from the hit ITV show, Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip due to “contractual issues”.
Back in March, he took to his Instagram to post a short clip, explaining why he had decided not to film anymore road trips.
“The reason is simple, I mean nothing to do with Gordon or Fred, the friendship is very strong, we have known each other for many years,” Gino explained.
“It’s just because we can’t get the dates together and sometimes when we do get the dates together sometimes, they get changed and it causes a lot of problems for me because I have other stuff that I have to do,” he added.
However, co-star Fred dismissed his comments, and said the series had just come to a natural end.
“No, it's not true that Gino couldn't make the dates work - that they do not work. It’s not, ‘couldn't make the dates work’,” he told Express.co.uk.
“It wasn't possible to go on tour so it had to go. It was a shame,” the First Dates star shared.
Gino’s run of bad luck continues after his chain of Italian restaurants was shut down after reportedly racking up more than £5 million worth of debt, prompting liquidators to launch a £150,000 investigation into the business.
