This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary were left cringing as Gino D’Acampo asked if there was “any news” he should know about in light of Phillip Schofield’s departure.
The TV chef returned to the ITV mid-morning show on Tuesday after a month-long trip in Italy.
During that time Schofield quit the show after more than 20 years, and later ITV as a whole, over his lying about an affair he had with a younger colleague on the programme.
During a preview of his cooking segment, D’Acampo announced: “Everything is under control. I’m back. I was in Italy for a month. I came back two days ago.
“Any news from the last month that I should know of? Anything I should know?”
Willoughby replied: “No. No news.”
The studio fell notably quiet and O’Leary looked on awkwardly before he began chewing his pen.
Picking up on the energy of the studio changing, the celebrity chef asked loudly: “Why is nobody talking anymore, what’s happened?”
Appearing to make a reference to a comment This Morning boss Martin Frizell made amid the Schofield fallout, D’Acampo joked he had to change his recipe because “apparently I can’t do anything with aubergine”.
When asked if it was true This Morning was “toxic”, Frizell said: “Do you know what’s toxic, I’ve always found toxic, is aubergine.”
Before turning to the journalist and asking: “Do you like aubergine? Do you?”
After his last quip, O’Leary joked that it was D’Acampo’s first day back, but potentially his last: “’We need to rephrase, Gino is back for a one-time only.”
The awkward encounter left viewers commenting in their droves that the chef “doesn’t disappoint”.
One tweeted: “Gino doesn’t disappoint does he. ‘I’ve been in Italy for a month, any news I need to know about?’ [Cue] poor Holly looking awkward”.
Well Gino doesn’t disappoint does he “I’ve been in Italy for a month, any news I need to know about?” Que poor Holly looking awkward 😬 #thismorning
— ⫩ Aimz ⫩ (@Aimz1981) June 20, 2023
“Gino never disappoints, causing Dermot and Holly to squirm a bit making light of the Phil saga,” another shared.
A third added: “Bet This Morning wish they hadn’t booked Gino today now. I was looking forward to baked aubergine as well!”
Bet 'This Morning' wish they hadn't booked Gino today now. I was looking forward to baked aubergine as well. 🤣 #ThisMorning
— Stephen Havard (@StephenHavard) June 20, 2023
