Comedian and presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg, also known as the sarcastic host of Chicken Shop Date, has been appearing on more than just YouTube screens as of late. Recently, she swapped the greasy floors of chicken shops for the grandest of red carpets, interviewing A-listers for Vanity Fair’s TikTok Oscars live stream. That’s not to say that she didn’t already have access to stars through Chicken Shop Date; in the last year, she’s held interview dates with Lando Norris, Cher, Jennifer Lawrence and Central Cee. From this impressive roster, it is clear that since the series’ premiere in 2011, Amelia has expanded her range of guests from UK artists to global celebrities in various industries.
Chicken Shop Date is a YouTube series hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg that sees her ‘dating’ various musicians and celebrities in chicken shops across London.
While it is now a show dominated by Amelia’s visual awkwardness, the series first started as a column. It was featured in a magazine called The Cut, run by a youth club in Northwest London. While the magazine has since stopped publishing, in its time it provided a crucial platform for young individuals to express their creativity and interest in the music industry.
Fascinated with interviewing the UK Rap and Grime artists she loved, @AmeliaDimoldenberg, aged 17, started Chicken Shop Date and hosted the interviews in an unusual location hoping to unnerve her dates. By doing so, she offered a unique experience that veered away from traditional, more structured interviews. It was in her first year studying at Central Saint Martins, that she made the jump from page to screen, introducing us to the show we now know and love. Often described as awkward and direct as a teenager, Amelia brings her humour and amplifies it, hoping to capture her interviewee’s true nature and create an enjoyable watching experience for her viewers. It also allows for a real connection to be built between Amelia and her guests, as the interaction is playful and candid rather than formal.
In addition to being a correspondent at many impressive red carpets such as the Barbie and Dune Part 2 premieres, and the BRIT awards, she has also hosted mini-series with various outlets. Most recently, she hosted a series called Fake News for Pro: Direct Soccer’s YouTube channel, where she speaks with various sports stars and breaks down outrageous statements. She also hosted a Channel 4 series called Celebrity Rebrand for their YouTube channel, where she transformed stars such as Comedians Jimmy Carr and Romesh Ranganathan. It is clear that Amelia’s influence is growing, as she covers a growing variety of shows.
It isn’t just Amelia Dimoldenberg who has been invited to interview at highly coveted events. An increasing number of British influencers are now filling these roles. Furthering his association with sweet treats, founder of Candy Kittens, Jamie Laing, and his wife and co-podcaster, Sophie Habboo, hosted the Wonka world premiere in London late last year. As well as this, in hopes of creating exposure for their podcast, Staying Relevant, Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson, interviewed stars on the BRIT Awards carpet last month. Following their infectiously energetic showcase on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! earlier this year, they are an undeniably great dynamic duo to have had on the red carpet.
Interviews on red carpets are now, more often than not, run by influencers with an enormous social media following. This calls into question whether hosting and presenting are being reserved for those already in the public eye? Journalism seems to be the next industry colliding with social media and influencers like Amelia Dimoldenberg. It also seems that having an established platform is the way to secure a high-profile entertainment correspondent role.
No matter how far Amelia Dimoldenberg spreads her wings, she seems committed to Chicken Shop Date and building on a spectacular resume of interviewees. Going forward I would love to see her ‘date’ R’n’B singer SZA and Rap duo D-Block Europe. Amelia has sparked quite the conversational connection with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield from her times interviewing on red carpets, so it only seems natural for the two stars to be future guests.
What started as a passion project in the local music industry, has become a distinctive global platform, with Amelia attracting viewers with her wit and forthright questions. It is clear that she has made her mark in the world of infotainment and will continue to do so.
Edited by Cameron Cade; Written by Rhea Patel
Amelia Dimoldenberg - New York Times
I love Amelia Dimz work, I never knew she started at CSM😀