Gino D’Acampo shocked fans on Sunday when he revealed that he had left the popular ITV show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip after three seasons.
The 46-year-old Italian chef insisted in a statement that his departure had nothing to do with co-hosts Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix, claiming “complicated” contacts were to blame.
However, MailOnline can reveal that the decision surprised at least one of his co-stars because Fred, 51, had been talking about working together just days before Gino, 46, claimed he had made the decision to quit. .
Both Fred and Gordon have yet to comment on Gino’s post or share their own messages about the show’s restructuring, even though he was on Instagram for hours.
During promotional interviews for his new Channel 4 series Fred’s Last Resort, Gino’s co-star Fred Sirieix told MailOnline on 7 March that the trio were busy organizing the next series of the show.
Staying quiet: Fred Sirieix (right) discovered that Gino D’Acampo (centre) had left Gordon, Gino & Fred: Road Trip just DAYS earlier as he and Gordon Ramsay remained silent after the news broke
However, he hinted that there was trouble brewing behind the scenes, with Fred pointing out that there was a problem with trying to pin everyone down.
He said, “Yeah, we’re talking about dates right now to go on the next road trip together.” It’s a bit difficult to juggle all our journals, but we’re getting there.’
He went on to say that a hectic schedule was not a bother for him, explaining, “I’m busy… that’s the great thing about my career, no two days are ever the same and that’s why I like it, it’s very diverse.”
‘I get to meet a lot of people in different settings, whether it’s in restaurants or on TV, and I find it really exciting.
‘I don’t mind being busy, in fact I like being busy because the busier you are, the busier you are and when I’m busier I’m happy. When I’m not busy, I’m not happy.
He echoed the sentiments 10 days ago during a conversation with ITV’s Lorraine Kelly by saying on Friday the 10th: ‘We’re talking about dates for the next one. It’s hard to juggle all of our journals.
‘But we’re getting there, we’re getting there.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Fred and Gordon for comment.
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline that a new series of Gordon, Gino & Fred’s Road Trip has been filmed in Spain and will air on ITV1 and ITVX later this year.
Confused: Gino’s co-star Fred Sirieix told MailOnline on March 7 that the trio were busy organizing the next series of the show and repeated the claims three days later on ITV’s Lorraine
The interviews have resurfaced after Gino said in a lengthy Instagram video on Sunday that he was leaving due to a dispute over “complicated” contacts.
The show saw the Italian TV favorite travel the world with fellow foodies Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix as they explored the local cuisine.
Gino said that his friendship with his former colleagues had nothing to do with his departure, as their ‘strong’ bond meant more to him than the contract discussions.
He told his followers: ‘Last week I decided not to film any more Gordon, Gino and Fred Road trips. The reason is very simple: nothing to do with Gordon or Fred, the friendship is very strong.
“It’s just because we can’t get the dates together and sometimes when we do get the dates together, sometimes they get swapped and it causes me a lot of trouble because I have other things to do.”
“Personal problems also because when I have to change things with my family it is very complicated and also due to contracts.”
Gino is married to Jessica Stellina Morrison with whom he shares sons Luciano, 21 and Rocco, 18, and nine-year-old daughter Mia.
Raise your voice: Interviews have resurfaced after Gino said in a lengthy Instagram video on Sunday that he was leaving due to a dispute over ‘complicated’ contacts.
Gino went on to say, “Because contracts start to get very complicated and very stressful, I personally value the friendship with Gordon and Fred so much that I prefer friendship to contract discussions.”
“So I’ve decided not to do it anymore because I want to be friends with the boys for many, many years.”
The popular show first aired in 2018 with the trio traveling across France and Italy, before heading to the United States in 2020, followed two years later by a trip to Greece.
The series has also spawned three Christmas specials.
Gino began his television career in 2004 and became a household name and was crowned King of the Jungle on I’m A Celeb in 2009.
As well as cooking, he has also worked as a presenter and is now helming ITV’s Family Fortunes after the channel revived the show in 2020.
Gino previously admitted that he came close to being ‘cancelled’ by fans, but insisted that he ‘doesn’t care’ what people think.
He became known for his cheeky innuendo after rising to fame on This Morning and has since hosted a variety of popular cooking shows.
But Gino claimed he came very close to getting hit by cancel culture for his cheeky jokes, saying he walks “dangerously” on the “fine line” with his humor.
He said Sun: ‘There’s a fine line in television and I think I walk the line, I’ve been walking that line for the last ten or 15 years.’
Family: Gino’s wife Jessica Stellina Morrison, children Luciano, 21 and Rocco, 18 and Mia, 9, have appeared with him on screen (pictured together on the ITV show)
Gino said he thinks he “gets away with it” on TV a lot more than other people because viewers have known him for about 15 years.
However, he insisted that he never “crossed the line” with his jokes, saying he would have been “fired” if he had.
He said: “But I can get away with the accent and because I’m Gino and everyone has known me for a long time, I can get away with a lot that someone else couldn’t get away with.”
Advising other people to ignore cancel culture, he added: “What they should do is, instead of fighting cancel culture, it’s the way I do it: ‘I don’t care what you have to say,’ that It’s what I think.” .’