In a dramatic exposé of backstage culture, Melanie Sykes has claimed that Gino D’Acampo was “pleased with himself” following an off-screen incident, intensifying calls for reform within the television industry. The 55-year-old presenter, who quit TV after a turbulent stint alongside ex-MasterChef host Gregg Wallace, has been vocal about her experiences working with D’Acampo on ITV’s daytime show Let’s Do Lunch with Gino & Mel from 2011 to 2014.
Melanie’s comments come amidst a series of allegations against D’Acampo that have spanned over 12 years. The chef and TV personality has been accused of inappropriate behavior by multiple sources, although he firmly denies the claims. Melanie has not held back in her critique of the industry’s culture, urging TV bosses to take responsibility and remove individuals who contribute to a sexist environment. “Celebrity Juice was an abomination, the industry creates monsters,” she declared on her YouTube channel, referring to the platform where D’Acampo was a regular, as reported by the Mirror.
Detailing her firsthand experience, Melanie recalled a moment that epitomized the abuse of power behind the scenes. “I remember once when Gino said to me he can just go up to the powers that be and knock on the door and go in, he doesn’t need a meeting. He was quite pleased with himself that he could do that,” she said. Her recollection paints a picture of a workplace where hierarchical power was abused without accountability.
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Reflecting on her overall career in television, Melanie described the environment as relentlessly hostile. “I feel like I was in a war zone in that industry – 24 years of battling through an industry that didn’t feel right to me anyway. If you’re spending all your time cleaning up people’s s***, just clean the house, clean out the house, and start again, that’s all I’m saying.” Her candor about the personal toll of working in such an environment has resonated with many former industry insiders.
She also recounted an incident involving media training that was, in her view, steeped in cultural insensitivity. “Years ago there was some kind of rumblings about the presenter that everybody’s talking about at the moment, went to some kind of etiquette media training because he’s Italian and the translation, he’s not quite getting it… it’s an insult to Italians. A stupid way of dealing with it. A very narrow-minded, dumb**s way of responding to bad behavior from a human being in the workspace.”
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In response to these mounting allegations, D’Acampo released a statement to ITV News, asserting, “I have been told by ITN news that allegations have been made about me acting inappropriately, some dating back over ten years ago. I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied. I would not do anything that I thought would upset or distress anyone. This is simply not in my nature. I do not recognize the version of events being put to me.” He further emphasized his longstanding support from industry executives and his commitment as a father, husband, and professional with an extensive career spanning over 80 productions.
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