The Michelin guide for 2022 has just been released, and whilst there were no new stars for Yorkshire this year many were retained whilst new openings were praised by judges.
The guide is generally accepted as one of the foremost authorities on fine dining across the globe, leading to great excitement when its annual editions are released - but it seems not everyone is in agreement.
In fact, TV personality and celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo has caused quite a stir after branding the Michelin system 'absolutely c***'.
Speaking at his new restaurant Luciano, the chef was pretty damning when asked about the highly-prized rating system – saying that he ‘didn’t believe in it’ and thought it was ‘absolute nonsense.
Insisting that he didn’t want his cooking to be judged by people that ‘know less’, the TV personality pointed to his thirty-year cooking career as proof that he knows what he is doing.
Image: Instagram
According to reports in Cheshire Live, when asked about the area’s recent loss of its only star D’Acampo said that he didn’t believe in the star system and that he couldn’t accept the organisation.
He went on to call the majority of stars awarded ‘nonsense’ before adding ‘it is the best marketing ever’.
He also jested that he would create his own ‘Gino Star’, insisting that he would go to a Chinese restaurant and ‘judge them’ – a reference to the fact that Michelin guides are published by a French tyre company.
Speaking to Cheshire Live, the chef said: “Most of the Michelin stars are absolute nonsense. It is the best marketing ever, but the worst idea ever. Because if you think about it, you get judged by people who know less than you.
Image: Instagram
“I’ve been in Italian cuisine for 30 years, are you telling me that you’re going to get some French guy, he is going to come here and he is going to sit in my restaurant and judge the way I cook? I don’t think so.
“I’m not interested in the idea, and I’m not interested in restaurants that have got a Michelin star.
“It always upsets me when I have a friend of mine that maybe lost the star and they get so upset.”
“You should not think about stuff like that. Cheshire should not think about a Michelin because they are a nobody. They are no-one. Who are they?
“Tomorrow I can come up with s**t like that. I can say, ‘I’m going to call it the Gino Star’. I’m going to go to a Chinese restaurant and I’m going to judge them.
Following the recent closure of a number of his Gino D’Acampo’s My Restaurants, including a longstanding site in Manchester’s Corn Exchange, the chef has launched a new eatery in Alderley Edge and hinted at plans to open a new restaurant in Leeds.
Called Luciano, it promises to bring premium Italian ingredients to metropolitan diners as part of a new, fine dining menu.
Feature image - Instagram
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2:22 A Ghost Story at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House: When silence becomes the scare
The supernatural thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story arrived at Leeds Grand Theatre as part of its UK tour, bringing Danny Robins’s hit production to a packed audience.
Since its West End debut in 2021, the play has become known less as a straight horror and more as a gripping psychological debate wrapped in a ghost story.
At the centre of the story is one key question: do ghosts actually exist? Set during a dinner party between two couples, the drama unfolds as Jenny becomes increasingly convinced their home is haunted, claiming she hears strange noises every night at exactly 2:22am.
Her husband Sam dismisses her fears as irrational, while friends Lauren and Ben challenge both sides, turning the evening into a lively clash of belief and scepticism. What begins as a conversation gradually becomes something far more tense, as personal fears and buried tensions rise to the surface.
Image: Supplied
Rather than relying on traditional horror, the production focuses on atmosphere and psychological tension. The script builds unease through sharp dialogue, awkward silences and shifting power dynamics between the characters. Instead of delivering constant shocks, it keeps the audience questioning what is real and what might simply be a coincidence or imagination.
That said, the play does use theatrical jump scares effectively. Sudden loud noises, abrupt lighting changes and eerie sound cues interrupt the dialogue at key moments, creating jolts of tension without ever fully tipping into outright horror. These moments are brief but impactful, designed more to unsettle than to terrify.
Image: Supplied
The cast works strongly together to maintain this balance. Shvorne Marks brings emotional intensity to Jenny’s growing fear, while James Bye plays Sam with grounded scepticism that slowly begins to crack. Natalie Casey adds sharp humour and bite as Lauren, and Grant Kilburn provides openness and curiosity as Ben, keeping the debate lively and unpredictable.
The production design is another standout element. The modern, stylish home feels realistic and lived-in, but subtly shifts in tone as the story progresses. Careful lighting and precise sound design ensure the space never feels entirely safe, even in silence, reinforcing the idea that something might be just out of sight.
Image: Supplied
As the final moments unfold, the play returns to its central idea: the waiting. The quiet anticipation of night, the smallest unexplained sounds, and the creeping awareness of time passing.
Ultimately, 2:22 A Ghost Story succeeds because it is not really trying to scare its audience traditionally. Instead, it plays with uncertainty, asking viewers to decide what they believe and how far they trust their own senses. And let’s be honest, you might find yourself thinking what might happen if you were still awake when the clock strikes 2:22.
Running until 16 May at the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House - tickets available here.
Leeds Jazz Festival returns to the city this month complete with best lineup yet
Clementine Hall
The 2026 edition of the Leeds Jazz Festival is here, and it's set to be bigger and better than ever before.
If you're a lover of jazz, then you're going to want to keep reading.
Now in its fifth year, Leeds Jazz Festival showcases the best of local, national, and international music through gigs, screenings, DJs, talks and more.
The festival is set to take place across the city from Thursday 21 to Tuesday 26 May 2026, making it the perfect event to enjoy across the bank holiday weekend.
Image: Supplied
Kicking the festival off is Submotion Orchestra, a boundary-pushing musical collective originally formed in Leeds who will be making their return to The Wardrobe for a very special gig.
Over in Chapel Allerton, Jazz Leeds will bring Donovan Haffner to Seven Arts, fresh from his wins for "Jazz Newcomer of the Year" at the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards and "UK Breakthrough Act" at the 2026 JazzFM Awards.
Leeds Jazz Festival legend DJ Lubi has curated a fantastic night of live Cuban music, alongside a Cuban dance class and a DJ after-party at Howard Assembly Room.
Image: Supplied
Elsewhere at The Domino Club there'll be a whole host of different events taking place, including Three or Four Shades of Mingus, Alligator Gumbo, and two special shows celebrating the 100th birthday of jazz icon Miles Davis.
For more laid-back chill vibes on Bank Holiday Monday, Mercury Music Prize-nominated pianist Kit Downes will play an intimate performance in the stunning acoustics of Mill Hill Chapel. Now that is something not to be missed.
For full details on the lineup as well as information on free activities as well as ticketed gigs, visit the Leeds Jazz Festival website.
Georgina Pellant -
21st March 2022 
