Phillip Schofield was unexpectedly showered with kisses by Gino D’Acampo when they were reunited on Thursday’s episode of This Morning.
The TV chef, 44, was back on the programme after a long break and greeted Phillip, 58, and co-host Holly Willoughby, 39, through a plastic screen to maintain distance.
Gino put his hands through a pair of tubes and gave Phillip a hug and began to plant kisses all over his face through the screen.
Greeting: Phillip Schofield, 58, was unexpectedly showered with kisses by Gino D’Acampo, 44, when they were reunited on Thursday’s episode of This Morning
Thrilled to see Gino again, Holly said: ‘It is emotional.’
‘What a world we live in,’ Phillip replied, referring to the fact they had to hug through the screens.
Holly said: ‘I know, I know. One day we won’t have to do all this nonsense.’
Gino appeared at the very beginning of the show where he jokingly pulled his pants down and mooned Holly and Phil while they were presenting to camera.
Safety first: Gino was back on the programme after a long break and greeted Phillip and co-host Holly Willoughby through a plastic screen to maintain distance
Holly exclaimed: ‘Oh no! Gino D’Acampo! Someone get disinfectant wipes!’
It comes after Gino recently told that his wife Jessica is not ‘jealous’ of him being ‘surrounded by women’ and believes that if he wanted to be ‘unfaithful’ he would ‘do it anyway’.
Gino revealed he employs ‘more than 700 women’ in his restaurants and prefers the company of females because they are ‘more interesting than men’.
However Gino said his marriage to Jessica Stellina Morriso, who he met aged 18, works on a ‘matter of trust’ and he was given ‘a lot of freedom’ from ‘day one’.
Reunited: Gino put his hands through a pair of tubes and gave Phillip a hug and began to plant kisses all over his face through the screen
Distance: ‘What a world we live in,’ Phillip said, referring to the fact they had to hug through the screens.
Speaking to Weekend magazine, Gino said: ‘When I met my wife I realised she was an extremely generous, clever woman.
‘My friends’ girlfriends stopped them doing things, but from day one Jessica gave me a lot of freedom.
‘If you try to cage men it won’t work. I can do pretty much what I want. If I say, “I’m taking friends out” she doesn’t say, “But you’ve been away for the past week”. There’s no point having a man around if he doesn’t want to be there.’
The This Morning star continued: ‘I employ more than 700 women in my restaurants. In TV, I’m surrounded by women. I love it. Women are more interesting than men, but my wife loves it too.
Holly said: ‘I know, I know. One day we won’t have to do all this nonsense’
‘She doesn’t get jealous. She understands that if you want to be unfaithful, you’ll do it anyway. It’s a matter of trust.’
And Gino revealed that he is understanding of Jessica’s decisions, explaining: ‘If she wants to have dinner with an ex-boyfriend, I couldn’t care less.
‘I want her to be happy. If that makes her happy that evening, I’m doing my job.’
Gino has been with Jessica, who is half-English, half-Italian, for 25 years, after the pair met while working in Sylvester Stallone’s restaurant in Marbella, Spain.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2002, share three children together, Luciano, 18, Rocco, 15, and Mia, eight, with the family spending lockdown fishing and on boats.
Family: Gino and his wife Jessica are parents to Luciano, 18, Rocco, 15, and Mia, eight