Gino D’Acampo: Bio, Debt, Net Worth, Michelin Star & More

Anyone who’s watched Gino D’Acampo on television knows his infectious grin and love for Italian cooking. But behind the TV persona, his restaurant business has been navigating serious financial turbulence. In 2024, the company behind his venues reportedly owed more than £11 million when it entered administration (City AM, London financial daily). This article cuts through the noise to give you the verified facts about his debts, net worth, Michelin star status, and more.

Restaurant group debt reported: £11 million+ (City AM) ·
Net worth estimate (2022): £8 million (SquareMeal) ·
Remaining restaurants (2025): 5 (AOL)

The table below compiles the key personal and professional data points drawn from the content plan and public records.

What happened with Gino D’Acampo?

Financial troubles reported

• The company Upmarket Leisure Ltd – which operated several D’Acampo-branded restaurants – was served a winding-up petition by HMRC in March 2024. It entered administration with debts exceeding £11 million, including more than £4.2 million owed to HMRC and £3 million to unsecured creditors (City AM).
• Earlier, in 2022, his My Pasta Bar chain went into liquidation with debts of over £5 million, including £113,975 owed to HMRC and £37,887 owed to staff (SquareMeal).
• A rescue deal in May 2024 saw the remaining five restaurants sold to a new company for around £5 million (AOL).

The pattern: D’Acampo’s restaurant empire expanded quickly during his television peak, but the casual-dining sector’s thin margins and the pandemic’s aftershocks left the group vulnerable. Two separate insolvencies in three years signal structural pressure, not a one-off blip.

Current status

• As of early 2025, five D’Acampo restaurants remain operational in Liverpool, Manchester, London, Newcastle, and Leeds under the new ownership structure (AOL).
• In February 2025, ITV News reported that the broadcaster had no plans to work with D’Acampo again and that his show Family Fortunes was not scheduled for broadcast (ITV News). D’Acampo denied the allegations of inappropriate behaviour and said he had not previously been made aware of them.
• He remains active on social media, with 2 million Instagram followers.

What this means: D’Acampo’s television career faces an uncertain future at a time when his restaurant group is still being restructured. The twin pressures – financial and reputational – create a pivotal moment for the brand.

Is Gino D’Acampo in debt?

Details of the debt

• The core of the debt problem sits with Upmarket Leisure Ltd. According to administrators Begbies Traynor, secured creditor Cowgill was owed more than £2.6 million, and fellow secured creditor Simon Clarke was owed almost £1.6 million as of April 2025 (City AM).
• The My Pasta Bar liquidation in 2022 left 49 creditors collectively owed £4,939,332 (SquareMeal).

The numbers tell a story of two distinct but related collapses: the pasta bar concept failed first, followed by the larger restaurant group. Together they represent over £16 million in liabilities.

Impact on his business

• The rescue deal for Upmarket Leisure was structured as a pre-pack administration, allowing the five remaining sites to continue trading under a new company (AOL).
• D’Acampo’s primary My Restaurant chain (which operates the core venues) was not affected by the My Pasta Bar liquidation (SquareMeal).

The trade-off: saving the flagship restaurants came at the cost of winding down the pasta bar brand and accepting significant creditor losses. The rescue preserved jobs and the D’Acampo name on high-street locations, but the group’s financial foundation is now thinner.

The implication: D’Acampo’s ability to rebuild trust with creditors and the public will depend on the new company’s financial stability and his own reputation.

Does Gino D’Acampo have a Michelin star?

Michelin star record

No. Gino D’Acampo has never received a Michelin star. His restaurants are positioned in the casual and mid-market dining segment, not the fine-dining category that Michelin typically recognises. His own public statements, including a 2023 interview with HELLO! magazine, focus on accessible Italian food rather than culinary awards.

Why this matters: Many celebrity chefs – including his friend Gordon Ramsay – have multiple Michelin stars, but D’Acampo built his brand on personality and television reach rather than starred kitchens. The lack of a star is not a weakness in his business model; it’s a deliberate market position.

What is Gino D’Acampo’s net worth?

Estimated net worth sources

• A 2022 estimate from SquareMeal placed D’Acampo’s net worth at £8 million, with an annual income of roughly £2 million from television, book deals, and restaurant royalties.
• Other outlets have suggested figures between £10 million and £15 million, but these are not backed by public filings.

The gap between the £8 million estimate and the higher figures reflects the difficulty of valuing a celebrity chef’s income streams. Restaurant ownership adds asset value but also liability – the recent debt events likely reduced his personal wealth.

Comparison with peers

• Gordon Ramsay’s net worth is estimated at over £200 million, placing D’Acampo in a different financial tier.
• Compared to other UK TV chefs like Jamie Oliver (net worth around £300 million before his own restaurant collapse) or Tom Kerridge (around £5–10 million), D’Acampo sits in the middle of the pack – high public profile but relatively modest accumulated wealth.

The implication: D’Acampo’s net worth is driven by his ongoing media presence, not by equity in his restaurant group. If his TV income declines, his personal finances could tighten considerably.

Are Gordon Ramsay and Gino D’Acampo friends?

Public friendship

• The two chefs have appeared together in several television projects, most notably the ITV series Gordon, Gino & Fred: Road Trip, which began in 2018 (IMDb).
• In a 2023 interview with HELLO! magazine, D’Acampo described Ramsay as a close friend and mentor.
• However, SquareMeal reported in March 2023 that D’Acampo quit the Road Trip show, citing contract disputes and a desire to preserve his friendships with the other cast members (SquareMeal).

The pattern: The friendship is genuine and commercially fruitful, but the working relationship has had tensions. D’Acampo’s decision to leave the show suggests he values the personal bond over the TV partnership.

The outlook: Any further public alignment between the two chefs will depend on D’Acampo’s ability to navigate his current challenges and Ramsay’s own public stance.

Timeline of key events

• 2018: Gordon, Gino & Fred: Road Trip premieres (IMDb).
• 2022: My Pasta Bar chain goes into liquidation with debts of over £5 million (SquareMeal).
• 2023: D’Acampo opens Luciano by Gino D’Acampo in Alderley Edge; he later quits the ITV road trip series (SquareMeal).
• 2024: Upmarket Leisure Ltd enters administration. HMRC owed £4.2 million; total debts exceed £11 million. Rescue deal saves five restaurants (City AM).
• February 2025: ITV News reports multiple claims of inappropriate behaviour; ITV says it has no plans to work with D’Acampo again. D’Acampo denies the allegations (ITV News).

The timeline shows a clear pattern: rapid expansion followed by financial strain and then personal controversy, marking a critical juncture in D’Acampo’s career.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Gino D’Acampo was born on 17 July 1976 and raised near Naples (Wikipedia).
• He does not hold a Michelin star (HELLO!).
• His restaurant group faced debts totalling more than £11 million in 2024 (City AM).
• He is married to Jessica Stellina Morrison and has three children (Wikipedia).
• He co-starred with Gordon Ramsay on a travel series (IMDb).

What remains unclear

• His exact current net worth is not publicly verified; the most recent reliable estimate is £8 million from 2022.
• The full details of the debt restructuring and future restaurant plans are not yet public.
• Whether he will return to television in the UK after the ITV statement is unknown.
• His exact number of Instagram followers (claimed 2 million) is unverified from a primary source.

The balance of known facts and open questions leaves room for further developments in both his business and television career.

Expert perspectives in their own words

“I’m just an average guy who likes to cook, drink and owns a few restaurants.”

— Gino D’Acampo, social media

“Gino D’Acampo: Restaurant empire’s huge debts revealed.”

— City AM, headline of the 2024 investigation

“He’s a great friend and an incredible chef.”

— Gordon Ramsay, on the friendship (public interview, 2023)

These quotes capture the contrasting narratives of D’Acampo’s public persona and the hard financial realities he faces.

For Gino D’Acampo, the choice is clear: rebuild the restaurant group’s financial health while protecting his personal brand from further reputational damage, or risk being remembered as a chef who over-expanded in a tough market. The next 12 months will decide which story sticks.

Frequently asked questions