'I met Gino D'Acampo for first time in a hotel bedroom and one thing struck me as bizarre'

LW: Gino D'Acampo told not to kiss women on the panel

Gino D'Acampo's "cheeky chappy" persona helped turn him into one of ITV's biggest stars but could now prove his downfall as he finds himself accused of "inappropriate behaviour".

The Italian chef is accused of alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague over the course of five years. The reported incidents were said to have taken place when Gino was the resident chef on This Morning and on Saturday Cooks between 2006 and 2011.

During this period, in 2010, I interviewed the chef while he was promoting his book Gino's Pasta and while I could barely tell you one single thing we spoke about - other than pasta obviously - it still stands out as one of the weirdest celebrity chats I've ever had. Gino had a long press day and the PR company working on the project had hired a hotel suite for his interviews. 

In pre-Zoom interview times, where most chats took place face to face, this was not unusual as it allowed TV, radio and print to work seamlessly in different spaces and provides a nice backdrop for filming. Therefore I had no reason to think this would be anything out of the ordinary.

When I arrived Gino was finishing up another interview and the chats were being conducted in the bedroom of the suite. Again, I didn't consider that unusual. Bedrooms in suites are huge and usually have a desk and ample space while also being quiet enough to allow you to record the chat if other people are setting up or coming and going outside.

Gino D'Acampo has found himself at the centre of allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' (Image: Getty)

When Gino was finished with his earlier chat we were introduced and went into the bedroom where I fully expected to be sitting in a chair or at a desk while we talked. Instead he suggested we get on the bed.

I admit I was a bit taken aback but he was very cheekily insistent and to argue about it would have eaten into my 15-minute slot for our talk so I went along with it. Despite how it may sound now in light of the allegations it didn't seem sleazy,  it just felt like part of his persona. I had worked around Italian men before and his attitude just seemed similar to theirs. It was definitely odd and not the usual way to conduct interviews but I was never worried as I knew there were several people in the other room. I had also dealt with the PR company a lot and was sure they wouldn't put me in any truly compromising situation. 

Indeed there was nothing untoward in his behaviour on the bed - aside from how odd it was to insist on us lying on it in the first place. We were at completely opposite sides and you probably could have fit two people between us because the bed was so big.

That didn't detract from how bizarre the whole situation was. I found myself wondering if he was trying to emulate the famous Paula Yates Big Breakfast interviews.

Despite the unusual setting he was very charming and not at all inappropriate. I have long since got rid of the recording and the title I was writing for no longer exists so I can't go back and check but I'm positive there was nothing untowards in his words or actions during the chat.

Gino D'Acampo was the resident chef on This Morning for many years (Image: Getty)

If he had been sleazy I'm sure I would remember. As I recall everything was just very nice and "on brand". i do remember he mentioned his wife a few times which I thought was sweet - and also reinforcing his "family man" image.

As we said our goodbyes he signed a copy of the book for me and I walked out thinking how strange my job was. I messaged my editor to let them know how it went and they joked they were jealous I got to share a bed with him, as they had a bit of a crush on him.

Such was the prevailing attitudes, even in such recent times, it was considered a hilarious part of your job to do things like this rather than something that could potentially, in the bigger picture appear disturbing.

Did I find it strange that he wanted us to lie on the bed? Yes. Literally no one has ever asked me to do that before or since. Was it inappropriate to ask me to do that? In hindsight yes. He definitely wouldn't be allowed do it nowadays even if he wasn't facing the allegations he is.

However, out of the thousands of interviews I have done with celebrities over the years he definitely ensured his was memorable so if that was his goal he succeeded.