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In Conversation with Amelia Dimoldenberg Dimoldenberg certainly seems to be Dimoldenberg filmed a six-episode With plans to write her own screenplay making ‘awkward’ fashionable, something investigative series for Dave, called ‘Who “in the long term”, she’s also taking Prakrit Prasad interviews she tells me is a bit of a conscious mission: Cares?’, posing questions to the British some time off. We both take a moment to “I feel like awkward is a negative public about topics including the housing lament the fact that neither of us own a Amelia Dimoldenberg on the term,” she pauses. “If you’re crisis, billionaires and fast picturesque lake house to which we might origins of Chicken Shop Date, being called awkward it’s fashion. How did she manage go on a writing retreat. not something you’d the transition from the Just before we end the call, I ask the re-defining awkward, and re- shout about. But I’m “I’m interested more light-hearted question that I’d been waiting to ask trying to turn it into a nature of Chicken Shop since we started. When are we going to claiming her own name. in making iconic pop positive (…)So many Date to more serious see Drake on Chicken Shop Date? She Starting as an ambitious crossover interactions are while laughs. It’s no secret that Drake has been culture moments, which conversations between chicken nuggets and grime, awkward. Especially maintaining her comedic her dream date since the show started. I feel like I’m kind Amelia Dimoldenberg’s YouTube show, dates and just meeting personality? “Drake did slide into my dm’s just Chicken Shop Date, launched her career people generally. I “I’m not propositioning before the pandemic hit. That was just an as an interviewer and presenter at the top think it might be quite nice them for a date, and I’m insane thing that happened that I just of her game. Having now amassed 100 for people to see someone being not flirting with them on the street. can’t get over and it’s just incredible and million views and close to one million awkward and think ‘oh god, I can relate’, I’d probably get arrested!” means so much to me that he subscribers, she quite literally ‘dates’ pop or if you can’t relate, then it makes you Dimoldenberg laughs. “I’m even watched the show. culture figures from Ed Sheeran to Maya feel better about yourself,” she trails off trying to use humour to get Fingers and toes Jama in chicken shops across the U.K. A in laughter. something interesting crossed. I’m thinking “If you’re not hilariously cringey five-minute interview As we talk about the filming process, out of the conversation. in my head that laughing, what’s the ensues, brought to life by an exquisitely Dimoldenberg explains that a lot of the That, I guess, is the when he comes back tuned combination of awkward silences, humour is derived from how the footage kind of thread between to do another tour, point in even having this sarcastic wit and unaffected questioning. is edited, and she’s a wholehearted all my work – my tone which I’m sure he Who else would ask Jack Harlow if he was proponent of ‘less is more’. of voice, the deadpan will, that that’s the clip in it.” able to read, or tell Aitch he “look[s] “We film for about forty minutes. humour,” she says wisely. perfect time. He’ll be in a bit like a prawn”? Minimal is used. That’s the While Dimoldenberg is London. I’ll slide in again: Logging into the zoom beauty of it really. I watch so most well-known for these skills as ‘You owe me a favour, Drake. call, I half-expect to be much content where I’m an interviewer, I wonder whether she has Hello. I’m available.’” “In my head met by this same stonelike ‘this could be half considered making content on her own. Image Credit: Who Cares? with I’m saying: ‘say faced, self-professed the length. So much Perhaps the recent change in name of Amelia Dimoldenberg airs weekly on the serial dater I had so of this stuff is like, her YouTube channel from ‘Chicken Shop Dave YouTube channel. Watch Chicken something funny, say enjoyed watching over not interesting’. That Date’ to ‘Amelia Dimoldenberg’ speaks to Shop Date and Amelia’s Cooking Show on the years. Instead, I something funny, please comes from a place of a desire to establish herself as a comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg’s YouTube. am greeted by almost me watching so many in her own right? can this be funny’. the antithesis: an things and me being “Of course, most of the stuff that I do incredibly personable, like, ‘I don’t want it to is opposite someone. I’m interviewing And if it’s not funny smiling Dimoldenberg be like that’. If you’re someone and I actually love that. That’s sitting in her brightly-lit not laughing, what’s the my favourite type of thing to do and that’s then at least it kitchen. point in even having this what I think I will be doing for a long, long “I feel like it’s obviously an clip in it.” time. As you said, it needs that dynamic exaggerated version of myself,” Whilst Dimoldenberg’s content is and something to riff off. But at t h e Dimoldenberg explains. “I’m just well-understood and loved in the context same time, to build my audience and t o extending aspects of my personality that, of British humour, I wonder how she deals build my name, I need to be doing stuff o n if I pushed them further, would be funny with situations where the person she is my own. Working with talent i s and would get a reaction from the person interviewing might not quite ‘get it’. amazing and you get such brilliant I’m interviewing, in the best kind of way, “The ideal with any guest is you content from it, but it also can be that would make for a really entertaining want someone that is coming back such a hassle (…) Maybe it would be video.” with something interesting to say.” She easier if I was just vlogging in my pauses briefly, and changes her mind. bedroom and all I needed was me and m y Dimoldenberg initially created Chicken “No, funny first. In my head I’m saying: camera and my handbag with all the Shop Date as a written column in a youth ‘say something funny, say something stuff I was going to show you that’s club magazine, and was first introduced funny, please can this be funny’. And if in it. But I don’t think that’s what I’m to grime and rap through fellow it’s not funny then at least it should be interested in making. I’m interested i n members. She then decided to interview interesting. And if it’s neither of those making iconic pop culture artists in order to learn more about their then you’re a bit like ‘oh, goodness’. If moments, which I feel like I’m music. Having seen journalists pose the someone’s sitting opposite me and giving kind of doing. I think you need t o same unoriginal questions to celebrities me back one word answers it is tough, but have celebrities involved. But I think time after time, Dimoldenberg was keen to my advantage with Chicken Shop Date, it is important for me to make sure m y to do something different: “I wanted to it thrives off the awkwardness. It’s meant name stands out on its own.” She do an interview in a way that you don’t to be a terrible interview and terrible pauses deliberately. normally do an interview, so I thought I’d date. It’s spinning it all on its head, like “Still, so many people don’t do it as a date. I also really wanted to go the inverse of what those things should know my name in terms o f on a date as well. Then someone said you be and that’s where the comedy people that watch Chicken “I should go on a date somewhere where comes from. So I’m actually Shop Date. So many people you would never normally go to make pretty lucky that if someone just call me ‘the girl am very it fun and that’s how the chicken shop maybe just gives me one from chicken shop happened. Luckily there’s quite a few in word answers I can make date’ or like on the picky. Like everyone London to go to.” that the punch line, street they’ll be is with who they date. Unlike traditional media interviews, make that the ‘thing’ like ‘CHICKEEN’ or Dimoldenberg’s show is as much about of the interview and ‘CHICKEN GIRL’ It goes through criteria. the interviewer as the interviewee. She that’s funny in its and I will just turn attributes her success to people wanting own way.” Are they exciting enough? Is around because to see how typically composed celebrities So how does I turn around to manage the gloriously uncomfortable Dimoldenberg select there a buzz around them? Do that now. But atmosphere that she so effortlessly the ‘ideal guest’? more and more we think they’re going to be creates through her ‘chicken girl’ “I am very picky. I find people are persona. ‘Chicken girl’, of course, being Like everyone is with like ‘Amelia!’ and big if they’re not already? one of the many names she has turned who they date. It goes that’s when I know Watching previous around to in the streets of London, through criteria. Are I’m doing something alongside the simple, but effective, they exciting enough? right - when people interviews, do they ‘CHICKEENN’(spellings may vary). Is there a buzz around start to remember my “I think that people like the show them? Do we think they’re actual name.” have charisma? because of my awkwardness. They want going to be big if they’re not As our conversation to see whatever guest, how they interact already? Watching previous draws to a close, she tells me with my awkwardness and how it makes interviews, do they have charisma? about what’s in store for the rest of them appear. I hope that through my Are they funny?All these different the year. In addition to monthly uploads own awkwardness and weirdness, their things.” of new Chicken Shop Date episodes, she personality comes out because they’re The more we talk about her career, the hopes to continue filming with members affronted with something they don’t more I get a sense that Dimoldenberg of the England football team: expect (…) It just makes them act in a is certainly not to be seen as a one-hit “I’m fully obsessed (…) I would love different way that actually maybe makes wonder. From starring in her own cooking to do more football episodes but at this them a bit more relaxed because they’re show to presenting a documentary, ‘Meet point I don’t know if I could because I thinking ‘oh my god at least I’m not as the Markles’ for Channel 4, she seems keen don’t know if I would be able to control weird as her!’” to diversify her portfolio. Most recently, myself and my emotions!” With her tremendous success,
