Nigeria: Amelia Dimoldenberg to end ‘chicken shop date’ after 10 years
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Amelia Dimoldenberg is closing the doors of her fried-chicken booth for the last time.
The British presenter has announced she will end _Chicken Shop Date_ after more than a decade, calling it the end of one chapter and the start of another.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Dimoldenberg told fans the cult web series that made her one of the UK’s most recognizable interviewers will wrap with “a few final dates” before signing off for good.
Known for her deadpan delivery, awkward silences, and off-the-wall questions, Dimoldenberg launched _Chicken Shop Date_ in 2014. The premise was simple: take celebrities out for fried chicken and treat it like a date.
What started as a low-budget YouTube series became a cultural staple. Over 10 years, Dimoldenberg sat across from rappers, actors, musicians and comedians in mocked-up takeaways, balancing glamour with grease-stained tables.
“To me the show is my very own rom-com and I have loved creating so many stories for you to watch,” she wrote in her announcement. “I am so grateful to everyone who has followed me on this journey and found some joy in these episodes
“I never thought I’d stop _Chicken Shop Date_, I thought maybe it would be a part of me forever, and in some way it always will, but I feel like it’s now time to move on from this adventure and on to a new one.”
Just months ago, Dimoldenberg had said she had no plans to end the show, joking that she would keep going until she found her “one true love.” Now, she says it’s time to move on while the show is still at its peak.
Dimoldenberg, 28, started interviewing grime artists as a teenager for youth magazine _The Cut_. She credits a youth club and that early magazine work with teaching her the basics of interviewing and production.
“I started _Chicken Shop Date_ as part of a youth club, and we made a magazine, and everything I learned there, the connections I made, the mentoring I got, set me up for the career that I have today,” she previously told the BBC.
In 2014, convincing publicists to send A-list talent to a chicken shop for a YouTube interview was not easy. “Some people think it’s been, like, two years,” she told BBC Newsbeat last year. “I spent so much time trying to persuade publicists, managers and talent to come on the show.”
That changed. The series became known for putting celebrities at ease by doing the opposite of a traditional interview. Instead of a press junket setup, stars were met with Dimoldenberg’s awkward charm, unexpected questions, and long pauses.
Recent guests include Paul McCartney, Zara Larsson, Conan O’Brien, and _Wicked_ star Cynthia Erivo. Fans have long campaigned for her dream guest: Drake. With “a few final dates” still to come, speculation is already building over who she’ll book to close out the series.
Entertainment journalist Megan Bull, a longtime fan, says the format’s success came from its anti-interview energy.
“I think Amelia has such a good way of putting celebrities at ease and it’s almost by using an anti-interview format. She’s not traditional at all,” Bull said.
That approach helped _Chicken Shop Date_ break out of YouTube. Dimoldenberg has walked red carpets, appeared on TV, and even had a cameo in _The Devil Wears Prada 2_.
“It’s just proven that these YouTube shows can really expand and become bigger than anyone even really imagined,” Bull said. “Amelia even recently did a cameo in _Devil Wears Prada 2_. She’s become a celebrity in her own right.”
The show also earned respect within the industry. Dimoldenberg told _The Guardian_ last month that _Chicken Shop Date_ now ranks alongside platforms like Graham Norton’s chat show or BBC Radio 1 for artists looking for cultural cut-through.
News of the ending drew thousands of supportive comments within hours. Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing called her “The G.O.A.T.” Author Elizabeth Day wrote: “Knowing when to stop – and leaving on such a high, after shaping the culture – is the quintessential power move.” Rapper Tinie Tempah commented: “Smashed it!”
Dimoldenberg has also used her platform to advocate for young people entering media, speaking openly about apprenticeships and training programs. She has said she wants to help create more pathways like the one that launched her.
Bull believes there are “many” opportunities ahead for Dimoldenberg. “A lot of people will be excited to see what she does next.”
Dimoldenberg herself hasn’t announced specific plans, but said she’s ready for a new adventure. Given her track record of turning a chicken shop into a global brand, expectations are high.
After 10 years, _Chicken Shop Date_ ends not with a fizzle but with influence. It helped redefine celebrity interviews for the social media age — less polished, more human, and often funnier because of it.
“All good dates must come to an end,” Dimoldenberg wrote. For fans, that means a handful of final episodes to look forward to, and a chance to see who gets the last seat across from her.
From grime artists in East London to Paul McCartney in a booth, Dimoldenberg turned an idea born in a youth club into one of the UK’s most distinctive interview formats.
