les dennis and gino d'acampo
TV

Family Fortunes veteran Les Dennis attacks Gino D’Acampo’s reboot of ITV show

Oh dear!

Family Fortunes with chef Gino D’Acampo at the helm hasn’t gone down well with Les Dennis.

In fact, the one-time host of the show has admitted he thinks the new format is “boring” and overly long.

Les, 67, hosted the show from 1987 to 2002 and enjoyed fantastic ratings throughout his lengthy stint.

ITV bought it back last year with Italian chef Gino D’Acampo, 44, hosting.

Family Fortunes with Gino D'Acampo
Gino D’Acampo now hosts Family Fortunes (Credit: ITV)

What did Les say about Family Fortunes?

Speaking to The Sun, Les said: “It’s a different show now, it runs an hour, we were only half an hour.

“I think that it’s quite long at an hour.”

He added of Gino: “ITV hasn’t served Gino well there.”

Read more: Carol Vorderman wows fans in racy red swimsuit

Les went on to argue that he thinks the questions are now too predictable and similar.

ITV hasn’t served Gino well there.

And that when he was hosting, the questions were deliberately all unique and challenging.

Les Dennis’ version was just half an hour long (Credit: ITV)

Gino does it ‘his own way’

On Loose Women last year Les again commented on the show being longer now.

But he also heaped praise on Gino.

Addressing the panel, the comedian said: “He [Gino] does a really, really good job.

Read more: Line of Duty star Martin Compston on ‘out of hand’ fan messages

“People say to me: ‘Why don’t you go back?’ But that will be like Adam West being Batman again.

“He does it in his own Gino way and it’s terrific.”

Les Dennis actor
Les has moved onto acting since quitting Family Fortunes (Credit: SplashNews)

Gino on Family Fortunes: ‘It’s going to be done my way’

Gino said he deliberately didn’t study old episodes of Les hosting the show – instead opting to begin filming with a completely clean slate.

Speaking to Heart.co.uk, the chef explained: “One thing I wanted to do was not to watch old Family Fortunes with Vernon [Kay hosted a celebrity version] and Les Dennis.

“I entered it as Gino and thought ‘if I’m going to do this, it’s going to be done my way.”

He added: “I wanted to do it as Gino, I didn’t want to get any tips and I didn’t even talk to Les or Vernon because I didn’t want to be influenced by them.”

YouTube video player

Why did Les leave the show?

Les is said to have left the show back in 2002 because he was disappointed with format changes.

At the time he said: “I have been with Family Fortunes for 15 years and although I have had great times with it, I am working on new projects both in TV and other areas.

“I have great affection for it. I wish it all the best and I’m sure it will run for many more series in its new slot.”

What do you think? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor