Amelia Dimoldenberg

Amelia Dimoldenberg ( ; born 30 January 1994) is an English comedian, writer and presenter. She is the creator and host of the web series ''Chicken Shop Date'', in which she interviews celebrities in fried chicken restaurants while subjecting them to her sarcastic, deadpan, and awkward sense of humour.

Early life and education

Amelia Dimoldenberg was born on 30 January 1994. She is the daughter of retired librarian Linda and public relations executive and longtime Westminster City Council member Paul Dimoldenberg. She has a sister, Zoe. She is Jewish.

Dimoldenberg grew up in Marylebone, in an apartment opposite Edgware Road tube station, and attended St Marylebone School. She gained A-levels in English, art, politics, and IT, before studying for a foundation diploma in Art and Design and a BA in Fashion Communication at Central Saint Martins, where she graduated in 2017. She said that her time at university was spent "on the outskirts of the ultra-fashionable scene" and that she "left the party-going to those who had the stamina, and the invite".

Career

''Chicken Shop Date''

''Chicken Shop Date'' began as a humorous column written by Dimoldenberg for the youth magazine ''The Cut'', which was based at the Stowe Centre youth club on Harrow Road. It was other members' interest in grime music that led her to interview grime artists, as she wanted to know more about the music, and she began by interviewing "friends of friends". Dimoldenberg had the idea to frame the interviews as dates, and the location of a chicken shop was chosen as it was "somewhere you wouldn't usually go on a date". The first filmed episode was released in March 2014, featuring a "date" with grime MC Ghetts.

Each episode takes around 40 minutes to film, with the finished episode being edited down to a maximum of seven minutes. Dimoldenberg has described her persona in the show as "an exaggerated version" of herself, adding that "in the edit is where the character comes through, we chop and cut things, we make it more awkward". While noting that ''Chicken Shop Date'' is "not as popular" as American interview formats like ''Hot Ones'', ''Between Two Ferns'', and ''Carpool Karaoke'', Jonah Engel Bromwich of ''The New York Times'' has described it as "notable for the way in which it has grown through tapping into a specific subculture" and that "capturing an audience of music enthusiasts has given the show credibility".

Dimoldenberg is known for surprising her chicken shop guests by posing preposterous questions about aspects of their image, art, or public perception. For example, Dimoldenberg asked Phoebe Bridgers, a singer who wore a skeleton onesie for the duration of a 2-year tour, if she thinks "dressing as a skeleton is promoting an unhealthy body image?"

Television

In early 2018, Dimoldenberg presented the Channel 4 documentary ''Meet the Markles'', in which she travelled to the United States to meet members of Meghan Markle's family. ''The Telegraph'' called it "an entertaining ride ..slicked by moments of real hilarity" and the ''Evening Standard'' described it as an "instant hit". Later that year, she appeared in an episode of '' The Big Narstie Show''. In October, she appeared as a "roving reporter" in the first series of the ITV2 hip hop-themed comedy show ''Don't Hate the Playaz''. The series was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. Dimoldenberg did not appear in the second series.

In 2020, Dimoldenberg appeared on Channel 4's '' Celebrity Come Dine with Me'' with Marcel Somerville, Dave Benson Phillips, Anthea Turner, and AJ Odudu.

In December 2021, it was announced that Dimoldenberg would host a web shorts series titled '' Celebrity Rebrand'' for Channel 4. The first season, consisting of six episodes, was released via the network's social media channels. The comedy show features Dimoldenberg as a "celebrity brand visionary" attempting to assist various Channel 4 stars in rebranding their image.

In January 2023, she appeared on a "New Year's Treat" episode of '' Taskmaster'' alongside Self Esteem, Mo Farah, Greg James, and Carol Vorderman. In 2025, she participated in series 8 of ''The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off''.

Other ventures

In the ten years since launching ''Chicken Shop Date'', Dimoldenberg has worked to broaden her comedic repertoire. In 2025, it was reported that most of her income came from sources other than the show. She has reported on several red carpets, starting with the MOBO Awards in 2017, followed by the Brit Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and the premiere of the film ''Barbie'' (2023). She writes hundreds of questions before each event to ensure she is prepared. She established a production company in 2018 called Dimz Inc, which houses shows like ''Chicken Shop Date'', ''Amelia's Cooking Show'', and ''Fake News''. Dimoldenberg plans to launch Dimz Inc Academy alongside an in-person exhibition for visitors to "be inspired and create their own ideas", inspired by ''Chicken Shop Date''s youth club origins.

In 2022, Dimoldenberg became a brand ambassador for Olay. She is also an ambassador for Bumble and Levi's. On 29 January 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Dimoldenberg as their red carpet correspondent for the 96th Academy Awards, a role she continued in 2025.

References

External links

*
Amelia Dimoldenberg
at ''The Guardian''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimoldenberg, Amelia
1994 births
Living people
21st-century English comedians
21st-century English non-fiction writers
21st-century English women writers
Alumni of Central Saint Martins
Comedians from the City of Westminster
British comedy YouTubers
English documentary filmmakers
English television presenters
English women comedians
English women journalists
Jewish English comedians
Jewish women comedians
People from Marylebone
The Guardian journalists
Vice Media
Writers from Westminster
YouTubers from London