Gino D'Acampo: If music be the food of love, I'm on for a big hit
Food might be his first passion but chef Gino D'Acampo now has his sights on a hit record.
Gino D'Acampo is something of a whirlwind. He may have just wrapped the latest series of daily live cookery show Let's Do Lunch With Gino and Mel, but things are busier than ever.
He's just opened his first restaurant, is putting the finishing touches to a new TV series and writing recipes for his cookbooks. Plus, there's the small matter of being a devoted husband to wife Jessica and raising his two sons Luciano and Rocco.
But, with so much on his perfectly-prepared plate, does the 37-year-old Italian chef ever get chance to relax? And if so, how?
"I sit on the sofa with a big bowl of pasta and I watch Only Fools and Horses," he proclaims in that unmistakable accent.
"I love it. It's my favourite. I love the British sense of humour, I really do."
Gino is talking to the Star after filming one of the later episodes of Let's Do Lunch, the hit daytime show that sees him cook three dishes and chat to celebrity guests alongside co-presenter Melanie Sykes.
He is also tasked with weird and wonderful food challenges, which have resulted in him picking up no less three Guinness World Records along the way. And, for all you fact fans out there, they are; the most ravioli made in two minutes, running in custard for the longest time and the most chocolate truffles made in two minutes.
A former King of the Jungle on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, did all those Bush Tucker Trials help along the way?
"No, I have always been like that. I never want to back down from things," he says matter-of-factly. "My favourite task on Let's Do Lunch was to eat a doughnut without licking my lips. I didn't succeed though.
"My least favourite was walking on broken glass. I didn't like that. It was a big shock. The tasks are always a surprise. Sometimes I don't want to do these things but I don't want to chicken out or say no, even though I think I should. But I just get the strength from somewhere and carry on.
"We film the show everyday and we are getting a fantastic response from the audience. ITV are extremely happy, one of the commissioners came down to see us today and they were very very happy and there is nothing better to hear than that from your boss. We're getting the right number of viewers.
