Most people think they know Gino D’Acampo. He’s the guy who goes on This Morning and makes everyone blush with a cheeky remark about "if my grandmother had wheels, she'd have been a bike." He's the high-energy Neapolitan who seems like he never sleeps and definitely never stops talking. But behind the TV persona and the constant banter with Gordon Ramsay, there is a surprisingly quiet, disciplined, and remarkably long-term marriage that serves as his anchor.
Gino D'Acampo and wife Jessica Stellina Morrison have been a "thing" since they were practically children.
Honestly, in the world of celebrity chefs where messy divorces and tabloid scandals are basically part of the job description, their relationship is a bit of an anomaly. They’ve been married since 2002. Before that? They were teenage sweethearts. If you’re looking for the secret to how they make it work, it isn’t some romantic fairy tale. It’s actually much more practical—and slightly "bizarre" by modern standards—than you might expect.
How a Marbella Kitchen Sparked a 30-Year Connection
It all started in a restaurant kitchen in Marbella, Spain. The year was 1994. Gino was just 18 years old, working at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King restaurant. Jessica was a waitress there.
He was his first love. She was his first love. It sounds like a movie script, but the reality was a bit more grounded. They didn't just stay together in a straight line from that moment to now. They actually split up for about a year early on. Gino has often said that spending that time apart was what made him realize he couldn't actually live without her. They reconciled in 1995, moved to the UK together, and the rest is history.
Well, history with a few bumps.
In 1998, a few years before they officially tied the knot, Gino found himself in a prison cell. He’d been convicted of burgling singer Paul Young's home. It’s the kind of thing that would end most relationships, especially when you’re in your early twenties and still figuring life out. But Jessica stayed. She didn't just stay; she became the catalyst for him to get his act together. Gino credits that period—and her support—with turning him from a kid making "serious mistakes" into a man with a business plan.
The Secret "Separate Lives" Rule
If you ask Gino why they’ve lasted over two decades while other celeb couples crumble, he’ll tell you something that sounds kinda counterintuitive: they don't spend that much time together.
He’s not being mean. He’s being realistic.
Gino is famous for his "separate lives" philosophy. He’s gone on record saying that he hardly ever phones Jessica when he’s away for work. If he’s filming in Italy or Malta for three weeks, he isn’t FaceTiming her every night to check what’s for dinner.
"What’s the point in bothering your wife to the point I need to pretend to want to make a phone call? It’s insane!"
🔗 Read more: Who was Chrishell married to? What most people get wrong about her relationships
That’s a real Gino-ism for you. He believes that by not suffocating each other, they actually have something to talk about when they finally do get home. It’s about maintaining a "single life" within a married one. Jessica goes to dinner with her male friends, Gino goes out with his female friends. There’s a level of trust there that most people would find terrifying, but for them, it’s the secret sauce.
No Date Nights?
Another thing that surprises people is their stance on "date nights." Gino thinks they’re for teenagers or people who have something to prove.
Instead of a scheduled Thursday night at a fancy restaurant because the calendar says so, they focus on the daily stuff. Jessica once told him that after nearly 30 years together, he still makes her feel like every day is a "date day." It’s a traditional vibe but with a very modern, hands-off execution.
Growing the D'Acampo Dynasty
The couple has three children who have slowly started appearing more in the public eye:
- Luciano (born 2002): The eldest, who is now working closely with his dad in the restaurant business. You might remember him from the headlines when he briefly dated Gordon Ramsay’s daughter, Tilly.
- Rocco (born 2005): Who Gino famously took back to his hometown of Torre del Greco to show him his Neapolitan roots.
- Mia (born 2012): The youngest and clearly the apple of her father's eye.
While Gino is the one in front of the cameras, Jessica is the one running the show behind the scenes. She’s half-Italian and half-English, which Gino says gives her the perfect balance of "understanding the madness" of his heritage while keeping him grounded in British reality.
Facing the 2025 Headwinds
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing lately. In early 2025, Gino faced some pretty heavy allegations regarding his behavior on set. ITV even pulled some of his shows from the schedule for a while.
Through all that noise, the family unit stayed tight. Gino firmly denied the claims, and by later that year, he was back on screens with projects like Spaghetti Wars and An Italian in Malta. Throughout the career highs of winning I'm a Celebrity and the lows of public scrutiny, the constant has always been the same: Jessica.
Actionable Lessons from the D'Acampo Marriage
Whether you love his "cheeky" persona or find it a bit much, there are some genuine takeaways from how Gino D'Acampo and wife Jessica have stayed the course:
- Trust is a choice: If you try to "cage" a partner, they’ll eventually want to escape. Giving each other freedom—real freedom—actually builds a stronger bond.
- Space is healthy: You don't need to be joined at the hip. Having your own hobbies, friends, and "away time" makes the "together time" valuable rather than a chore.
- The "boring" stuff matters: Gino cleans Jessica’s car every week. He does the cooking. It’s those small, repetitive acts of service that often outweigh a big, expensive anniversary gift.
- Resilience over perfection: They survived a breakup, a prison sentence, and the pressures of fame. A long marriage isn't one that never breaks; it’s one where both people decide to keep fixing it.
If you want to see this dynamic in action, look for the episodes of Gino’s Italian Family Adventure. You’ll see a man who is clearly the boss in the kitchen, but who very much knows who the real boss is at home.
To keep up with Gino's latest recipes or his travel updates across Italy, you can follow his official platforms, but don't expect to see Jessica posting every five minutes. She's far too busy keeping the D’Acampo world spinning while the cameras are off.