Borkowski Media Trends: Gino D'Acampo, GRAMMYs + Ye's 'Stunt'
Oh No D’Acampo
An 11th hour addition to our media trends this week as another TV foodie fav came under fire this morning for inappropriate behaviour. Italian chef Gino D’Acampo has been a mainstay of ITV’s This Morning for many years, with further appearances on travel and game shows. The investigation from ITV News mirrors the claims made last year against MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace, which prompted a fall from grace (expedited in Wallace’s case by some misjudged PR decisions, previously covered here). The accusations against D’Acampo include sexual comments towards young female staff, and intimidating behaviour that left colleagues feeling “afraid.”
Clearly not keen to prolong the painful noise elicited by the Wallace fiasco, ITV has taken decisive action, pulling D’Acampo’s roadshow Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South from the broadcast schedule. The organisation has also pushed some of the responsibility back onto production companies, stating that it is these bodies which “have the primary responsibility for the duty of care of everyone they work with, both on and off screen.”
D’Acampo himself has vehemently denied the claims via a statement, saying they are “deeply upsetting.” However, in the case of a TV personality as omnipotent as D’Acampo, it is unlikely that this kind of pushback alone will stem the tide of negative news stories. Clips of D’Acampo making sexually explicit comments live on This Morning and images of him standing in very close proximity to stars like Amy Childs and Denish Welch have continued to surface throughout the day.
D’Acampo’s future at this stage is uncertain, but what we can predict, is that in a media landscape where the understanding of acceptability has shifted so significantly over the past few decades, this is unlikely to the be last British TV star we see drawn into controversies of this nature.
The GRAMMYs: Bianca UnCensori
There were many talking points at this year's GRAMMYs: Kendrick Lamar's clean sweep - picking up FIVE awards for his Drake diss track 'Not Like Us' - a total humiliation for Drizzy. There was 'Best New Artist' Chappell Roan using her platform to advocate for her fellow musicians, demanding that "labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars...offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists", and several stellar live performances, most notably Doechii, who picked up 'Best Rap Album'. Most of the winners deserved their awards, and the buzz was largely positive....unless you’re a Drake stan.
And then there's Kanye West. The discourse has unsurprisingly centred on the fallout of his wife Bianca Censori's startling outfit, which wasn't much of an outfit at all, giving the effect that she was totally naked. Much of the virality was driven by many unanswered questions. Why was she in a see-through dress while her husband remained fully clothed? Was it simply a stunt? What are they promoting?
Her 'fashion choices' have become so predictable that the outfits are no longer the talking point. However, this moment felt like a turning point with many concerned about this potentially coercive relationship playing out in plain sight. It remains to be seen whether Censori's appearance will go down in pop culture history or whether there's something more menacing at play, marking another chapter in Kanye West's downfall. With Julia Fox's look-alike display - poking fun at her ex, and Ye's foul rants on X, it's hard to imagine the West's come out on top.
Ye leveraging shock factor to promote his art is a warn-out playbook, but reports suggest he's promoting an upcoming artistic film starring Bianca might answer some of the questions we've posed. Mr West might best a master at capturing the world's attention, but are we too desensitised to move past the shock?