Amelia Dimoldenberg launched her web series “Chicken Shop Date” in 2014 with special guest grime MC Ghetts, a British rapper who rose to fame in the early 2000s.
Dimoldenberg takes celebrities out for a fried chicken meal and asks them questions — some silly, some invasive, and all amusing. She pokes fun at her guests, but in a way that brings them out of their shell and allows viewers to still find her endearing.
Nearly ten years later, freshly 30, Dimoldenberg has amassed over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.7 million followers on Instagram — and she’s still growing.
On January 26, Amelia released her ‘date’ with Irish actor and heartthrob Paul Mescal, famous for his role as Connell Waldron in Normal People, and most recently for his film All of Us Strangers. From the looks of it, her reigning reputation as a charmer remains following Mescal’s appearance.
Fans of the YouTube series flooded the comments with remarks about Mescal’s nervousness at the hands of Amelia, his quips back at her, and, of course, their undeniable chemistry. Dimoldenberg even nearly breaks character several times, which is just a testament to the entertainment quality of the date.
In the beginning, Dimoldenberg pulls out a Guinness, a nod to Mescal’s home country of Ireland. Mescal tells her she has to “split the G,” meaning chug all the way down to the Guinness name branded on the glass. She attempts to do this, but fails miserably, making Mescal laugh and setting a playful tone for the episode.
Later in the interview, Dimoldenberg asks Mescal to read a script she has written for him, fitting for his status as an up and coming Hollywood actor.
“Amelia, you look so beautiful today. I’ve never in my life seen someone so gorgeous in a chicken shop,” Mescal reads.
Once he’s finished, she responds: “Great, if you could just start reading the script now.”
Moments like these are plentiful, making it an enjoyable episode that will have you grinning from ear to ear.
Aside from Mescal’s dreamy appearance on the show, Dimoldenberg has interviewed a long list of notable names over the span of ten years, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kaytranada, Keke Palmer, and Jack Harlow.
Her most-viewed video, however, which currently has over 10 million views, features British rapper Central Cee. People have described his personality as contagious and adorable, while also praising Dimoldenberg for fostering an authentic connection with the rapper.
Central Cee also added to the romantic tension usually created by Dimoldenberg in these videos by stating he wanted to go on a date with her before his career flourished.
In addition to this popular web series, Dimoldenberg has broadened her content to feature other short-form content, where she voices her opinions on culture, the dating world, and also hosts a cooking show. She uses a similar comedic style, all while exploring different elements that might not be found in “Chicken Shop Date.”
And Dimoldenberg is not going away anytime soon. In January, she was named this year’s Oscars Social Media Ambassador, so she will be interviewing all of the most beloved celebrities on the red carpet.
Social media, while a vast space designed for creativity and innovation, can be particularly insincere. Aside from friends and family, a majority of the content people see are either blatant advertisements or slightly more subtle pushes to buy a certain product. The use of retouch filters on platforms like TikTok are also particularly misleading, perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards.
That being said, almost no person with an online social media presence is a stranger to these things; it’s unfortunately the name of the game.
So, in a world that can often seem artificial, from the things we buy to the content we consume,
Dimoldenberg is a breath of fresh air. She is entirely self-made and carries herself with humility, grace, and humor. Her videos make people laugh and smile, and give them a temporary escape from any of the heaviness their day might bring.
What more can we ask of public figures nowadays?