“I have always been interested in speaking with other people— interviewing people is one way you can be part of the conversation, literally. From a young age, part of me had ambitions to have my own show, in some way. I wanted to be listened to, and I wanted to be heard.”
-Amelia Dimoldenberg, episode 380 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
What’s the difference between an interview and a first date? For the past decade, Amelia Dimoldenberg has been walking that fine line on her hit YouTube series, Chicken Shop Date. The premise is in the title: filmed at various chicken establishments across London, the show features a series of funny (sometimes awkward) ‘dates’ with everyone from Paul Mescal to Billie Eilish.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her beloved series, Amelia and Sam have a cup of tea to discuss her recent sit-down with Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds (5:00), her upbringing in London (7:20), and how Mary-Kate and Ashley inspired the young creative ambitions (11:10) that lead to Chicken Shop Date (17:17). We also highlight a few pivotal episodes of the show with rapper Ghetts (24:50), actor Daniel Kaluuya (32:10), and documentarian Louis Theroux (32:52).
On the back-half, we unpack Dimoldenberg’s comedy influences—from Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation to Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns (36:34), how she continues to expand her reach as an independent creator (43:00), why the ‘anti-interview’ genre has come into vogue (49:12), and what she hopes for in the decade to come (1:02:12).
For questions, comments, or to join our mailing list, reach me at [email protected].
Watch this conversation on YouTube:
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Show-notes:
- Watch Chicken Shop Date on YouTube.
- Learn more about Amelia’s work at Dimz Inc.
- Follow Amelia on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
- For more talks, hear our conversations with Jenny Slate, Ziwe, and Tom Hanks.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Reference photograph by Annie Reid.
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