BEST WAY TO UNWIND
A pint of Guinness, a packet of Wotsits and watching reruns of Only Fools and Horses. The combination of those things makes me very happy. I also like playing the guitar and writing songs. I find that very relaxing.
Travelling trio: Gordon, Gino and Fred
I was filming a show with Gordon [Ramsay] and Fred [Sirieix] and we were in a bar in Scotland one lunchtime and this woman came up and asked for a picture. I asked her when her baby was due and she said, ‘I'm not pregnant, I’ve just had a couple of very bad years and I put a lot of weight on.’ She walked off and Gordon and Fred started laughing at me and I wanted to die. From now on, even if I see a super-pregnant woman giving birth I won’t ask if she’s pregnant. I never want to be in that situation again.
Making gnocchi with my grandfather. I was between eight and 10 years old and that’s when I realised I wanted to be a chef. My grandfather was a chef and I remember thinking the gnocchi was so amazing and he made it using so few ingredients. All the food he cooked was incredible.
How can I choose just one? I am a big Oasis fan so I’ll say Don’t Look Back in Anger. I think that is a proper tune and when people sing it together it feels great and brings people together. When you listen to the words, it doesn’t make much sense, but I think that’s the beauty of many songs.
Of course, I have to say my [online] cookery game, Gino's Big Town Chef. Honestly, even if it wasn’t my game I’d play it. It’s a lot of fun and I find it really intriguing. It also helps people to learn how to cook, which I love, and it’s 100% my focus at the moment. I also sometimes play Track and Field, but don’t tell anyone that!
I got given a framed picture of my NFT [nonfungible token, or digital asset] from Gino’s Big Town Chef signed by Pete and Tom, who created my game. There’s only one and I’ve put it up on my wall, and I’m very proud of it. It’s special because it was gifted to me and it’s not something
I’d be able to buy myself.
Parrots. I love them. The idea of an animal that can talk like a human freaks me out but I’ve always been fascinated by them.
I’m not a big dessert person but I love Tiramisu. I think it’s one of those desserts you can have for breakfast because it’s got coffee in it, and I love coffee. It’s the perfect, ultimate dessert.
When I proposed to my wife, Jessica. We were in Brighton on the beach and even though it was very sunny, the water was freezing. I thought, ‘This is a great woman and I don’t want anyone else to have her.’ It was very selfish of me but thankfully she said yes! We’ve known each other since I was about 18 and we’ve been together for over 27 years now.