I for one was fairly horrified that the celebrity chef seems to be so hands-off with his family (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Does anyone else, parent or not, feel incredibly sorry for Gino D’Acampo’s wife, Jessica, right now? And his children Luciano, 20, Rocco, 16, and Mia, nine? I certainly do.
Because in an interview with Giovanna Fletcher this week, the TV chef has described, in surprising detail, just how disinterested he is in being a dad.
‘I don’t want to say I don’t like children, because it’s not true. […] I don’t like the children when they’re children,’ he said, on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.
‘I don’t want to do children things – colouring, all that crap, glittering, not interested, never been interested, never, ever, ever… I don’t have patience for kids. For me, they can come to me and start to talk to me sensibly after about 13 – they need to be teenagers. I’m more present now for my boys than I was before.’
Revealing that he only saw his own dad on evenings and a couple of hours on a Sunday, he has an unlikely culprit for working fathers spending more time with their children: David Beckham.
And I for one was fairly horrified that the celebrity chef seems to be so hands-off with his family – unlike Gino, I don’t think that being a dad is a good enough excuse not to participate as a parent. Mums and dads are equally responsible for bringing up their children.
He said ‘I don’t like the children when they’re children’ (Picture: @iamgindacampo)
Explaining his ‘rationale’, D’Acampo said: ‘Before David Beckham, dads, they used to go to work and they used to see the kids in the evening, then he came around, or people like him, and we started to have social media, so everybody started to see what other celebrities [were doing].’
‘They used to take their kids everywhere, they used to take the kids to school, they used to take the kids to work – it was like: “that f**k’s ruined my life that man, now I have to do the same.”’
Just because he’s saying it in a rather playful Italian accent and a jokey manner doesn’t make these, quite frankly, horrible words true.
David Beckham is undoubtedly a good dad – but I don’t think that should be applauded or even remarked upon. After all, no-one is cheering on his wife Victoria, despite her being a working mum, are they? So what is the big deal if he’s actually doing what a parent should be doing?
That is what should be expected from any parent, mum or dad. As someone who has chosen to bring these children into the world, of course they should spend time with their children.
Mums and dads are equally responsible for bringing up their children (Picture: @iamgindacampo)
Unquestionably, more is expected of dads nowadays than ever before, but Gino seems to think they’ve never done anything in the past, which certainly wasn’t the case in our house.
My mam worked in a hairdressing salon as a beautician on a Saturday while my sister and I were growing up, and we had the whole day with my dad, every week.
He’d take us to the library to get new books, and other times to our grandma’s house for soft boiled eggs and soldiers – or sometimes into Newcastle city centre for a full English breakfast.
I’ll always remember him allowing us a Pot Noodle (a real treat back then) and then putting on Sweet Valley High for us when we got home. These are days I look back on with great fondness, even now.
I’d have been absolutely devastated if I asked him to play Lego or watch a film with me, and he said no, the way that Gino claims he does.
Back then, dads did tend to work full-time, while more mums stayed at home or had part-time jobs. But that doesn’t mean that fathers didn’t want to spend time with their children – and I feel extra lucky that we had that one-on-one time with my dad.
Now, however, very few families have the luxury of only one parent working. So I’m sorry to say, Gino, if both parents are working, both parents should be parenting.
And not only should be, but should want to.
I think that’s the bit that shocked me most about Gino’s words. He just doesn’t seem interested at all in his children – so why have them? I genuinely can’t understand. I feel sorry for them, and what they’ve missed out on by their father being apparently so disinterested in them growing up.
Whatever your gender, if you choose to bring children into this world, you’re setting yourself up for a life-long commitment to love and look after them. You can’t wait until they’re 13 to start liking them, and show an interest – because by that point, they probably won’t be interested in you.
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One of the things I love best about my husband Tom is the fact that he’s such a good dad. He adores our two children, Theo, five, and Immy, three, and loves nothing more than cuddling them while watching a film, getting down on the floor to help with a jigsaw or reading them their favourite book, I’m Sticking With You, for the millionth time – or whatever it is they want to do. The same way I do.
When it comes to looking after the children when they’re off from nursery or school sick, we take it in turns. The same as when it comes to taking them to their various classes, making their packed lunch boxes or running their baths.
I’m no more of a parent just because I’m their mum, the same way he’s no less of a parent because he’s their dad.
Sorry, Gino, but you’ve shown yourself to be a real chauvinist chef and your words are certainly not to my taste.
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I’m sorry to say, Gino, if both parents are working, both parents should be parenting
