TV chef Gino D’Acampo has been caught by Border Force attempting to fly into the UK with cannabis.
According to The Sun, the celebrity chef was caught by sniffer dogs attempting to bring cannabis into the country with him after landing in the UK alongside fellow TV hosts Fred Siriex and Gordon Ramsay.
Having landed at Farnborough Airport, Hampshire, the trio had arrived in Britain after spending time filming a show in Spain.
However, upon touching down Border Force dogs reportedly began circling the famous Italian chef as he arrived at the Hampshire airport.
Officials then stopped and held all three for ‘some time’ whilst Gino tried to ‘laugh it off’, but in the end it became ‘clear who the dogs were after’ and GIno’s luggage was searched.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gino pictured with Fred Siriex and Gordon Ramsay. / Image: Gino D’Acampo
TV Chef Gino D’Acampo. / Image: Gino D’Acampo
Officers then found a small box containing the Class B drug inside the Italian Escape presenter’s bags, before letting the tv chef go with a caution.
Gino was officially given a warning and a fine for carrying a prohibited substance, but the TV personality was not arrested. He has since said that he was smoking the drug to help with back pain.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on the debacle, a source told The Sun that both Fred and Gordon were ‘pretty cross’ after being held alongside Gino for some time.
“Gino and the gang had been filming in Spain, and flew back home on Gordon’s private jet. When they landed, out of nowhere sniffer dogs suddenly started circling Gino.
“Gordon, Fred and Gino were all held for some time by Border Force, as Gino initially tried to laugh it off.
“Eventually, it was clear who the dogs were after, and Gino went away with uniformed police for questioning. It was Gino’s bags that were stopped and searched, and a small box with some weed inside was found.
“Neither Fred nor Gordon, nor anyone else on the jet, had a single trace of anything suspicious.”
The source continued: “The next day Gino called Gordon and Fred.
“He said he was smoking it to help his bad back, and he had been released by cops without issue.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Both Fred and Gordon were obviously pretty cross at being caught up in the drama. Gordon, especially, has always been very vocal about his anti-drugs stance.”
It’s not the first time that the trio has been caught up with cannabis, having all previously sampled some THC-infused food together on their show Gordon, Gino & Fred: American Road Trip two years ago.
Whilst in San Francisco, Gino took his fellow TV chefs to a restaurant that specialises in cannabis-infused dishes – most specifically, ‘High Tea’.
TV chef Gino hasn’t had the best luck of late, having recently been forced to close his Alderley Edge restaurant Luciano just 12 months after it opened.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gino only launched the restaurant a year ago, taking over the space formerly home to Piccolino.
The restaurant has now been taken over by competing Italian restaurant group San Carlo, which has just announced plans to close the restaurant for an extended time in order to complete a £2m redesign.
Featured image: Luciano
TV & Showbiz
Gig Review | Mika shines at the AO Arena in Manchester on the first night of his world tour
Aimee Woodcock
Mika’s Manchester stop on his ‘Spinning Out’ global tour was a vibrant, high-energy celebration of all things pop.
Not happy with just walking on stage – this is Mika we’re talking about – he made his entrance on a spinning hamster wheel, bathing the AO Arena in kaleidoscopic lights.
Opening with ‘Modern Times’ and ‘Eleven’ from his latest discography before leaning into one of the classics, ‘Relax, Take it Easy’, the atmosphere inside the packed arena felt charged.
His stamina was something that stood out from the get-go, delivering every track with that signature Mika flair, accompanied by choreography and a live band that matched his energy – no mean feat.
The production leaned heavily into colour and movement, with swirling visuals and playful stage design that mirrored the tour’s theme of motion and momentum with nods to themes of LGBTQ+ rights.
Working through this current album, and after a quick outfit change, we were treated to an a cappella intro to another classic, ‘Lollipop’ with Mika dressed in a full pink suit (and shoes).
Between songs, Mika’s easy rapport with the crowd added warmth and intimacy to the arena-sized performance.
He shared anecdotes and playful banter, encouraging the crowd to sing along, uniting the fans.
Highlights included a rendition of ‘Grace Kelly’, which sparked one of the loudest reactions of the night, and a heartfelt performance of his more reflective ‘Happy Ending’ offered a welcome contrast to the glittering pop anthems.
Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd April 2023 
