Rise of Chicken Shop Date highlights how YouTube turned the tables on TV
Amelia Dimoldenberg says publicists ignored her interview show for years but she can now be picky over A-list guests Just a decade ago, Amelia Dimoldenberg found it impossible to drum up any mainstream celebrities to come on her mock date YouTube show, in which she chats awkwardly with guests over chicken and chips. Even persuading a local actor connected with her London youth club to come on…
Amelia Dimoldenberg, once a struggling publicist's interview show, has become a media powerhouse after transitioning to YouTube. Ten years ago, celebrities avoided her mock date show, where she awkwardly chatted with guests over chicken and chips. Managers of high-profile talent sought spots on primetime TV chatshows. However, Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date has since grown in influence, now competing with Graham Norton’s chatshow or BBC Radio 1 for celebrities.
She credits the rise of YouTube for reshaping the media world, with younger viewers increasingly turning to the platform. Her guests have ranged from Ed Sheeran and Charli xcx to Jennifer Lawrence, although the latter mispronounced her name. Notably, Paul McCartney appeared for a date at a vegan chicken shop. Dimoldenberg now meticulously selects guests who genuinely want to be on the show, rejecting those seeking press opportunities.
This shift highlights YouTube's growing influence in the TV world, with the platform's head for Europe, the Middle East and Africa praising the platform at the Edinburgh TV festival. Other media personalities, such as Holly Willoughby and Amol Rajan, have also launched YouTube channels and shows. Dimoldenberg herself is writing a teen drama for the BBC and a Hollywood romcom, drawing inspiration from her experiences as a journalist who interviews celebrities.
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