Major ITV star reveals he wants to replace Gino D’Acampo on ‘best TV show’: I’ve been waiting for that’

D’Acampo, 48, is facing dozens of accusations of sexually inappropriate and ‘distressing’ behaviour on TV sets

Joel Dommett has revealed he would “love” to replace Gino D’Acampo on Family Fortunes following the misconduct allegations surrounding the Italian chef.

D’Acampo, 48, is facing dozens of accusations of sexually inappropriate and “distressing” behaviour towards colleagues over the past 12 years, which he denies.

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ITV has pulled pre-filmed episodes of the game show Family Fortunes, which D’Acampo hosts, from their schedule amid the controversy.

Dommett, who is the presenter of The Masked Singer and I’m A Celebrity: Unpacked, said Family Fortunes has the “perfect format” and he would love to add it to his programme roster.

“Now Gino D’Acampo is gone, maybe I’ve got the chance to slide in. I’ve been waiting for that,” the comedian, 39, admitted on the Always Be Comedy podcast.

“Honestly, Family Fortunes for me is the best show on telly and I know people will say, ‘What are you talking about?’ The perfect format is where the right answer or wrong answer are both satisfying, but that’s so hard to achieve.”

Dommett, 39, said Family Fortunes is the ‘best TV show’ (Scott Garfitt/PA)
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In the quiz show, two families compete against each other in trying to guess the most popular answers to a series of survey questions to win a cash prize.

Family Fortunes began in the UK in 1980, with stars like Bob Monkhouse, Max Bygraves, Les Dennis, and Andy Collins all hosting the show before it ended in 2002.

Vernon Kay presented an All-Stars version from 2006 to 2015 and D’Acampo has fronted two series of the show since its return in 2020.

Dommett said he would like to present a different “version” of the show that takes inspiration from the American original, Family Feud, which began in 1976.

“I really think Family Feud, the American version, is the best telly show in the world. So I would love to do the UK gig, but I would turn it into a different show,” he said.

“The American one leads you down a fun garden path with every answer, so when they say ‘name a race’, they want you to say ‘the 100 metres’ or ‘a heptathlon.’ but someone says ‘Chinese people’ and everyone laughs. That’s what you need in it!”

ITV pulled pre-filmed episodes of Family Fortunes earlier this month
ITV

Earlier this month, D’Acampo was accused of “horrendous” misconduct on various TV shows in an ITV News investigation.

The This Morning star reportedly told a female colleague he would “like to turn me over and f*** me up the a*** against the kitchen counter” in one alleged incident in 2011.

He also allegedly made “disgusting” sexual comments about whether he would sleep with his ITV co-star Holly Willoughby or her close friend, presenter Fearne Cotton.

The Road Trip star has “firmly denied” the allegations and described them as “deeply upsetting”.

“I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied,” he said in a statement.

“I would not do anything that I thought would upset or distress anyone. This is simply not in my nature. I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.”