Amelia Dimoldenberg has announced she is ending her YouTube show Chicken Shop Date after 12 years, saying she is moving on to a "new adventure." The comedian, 32, who describes herself as "refreshingly awkward," has used the show to interview huge names including Cher, Andrew Garfield and Jennifer Lawrence.
Dimoldenberg shared the news on her Instagram page on Thursday with a photo of a note scribbled on a napkin that read: "All good dates must come to an end." She said the series will wrap up with "a few final dates" coming soon.
Explaining her decision, Dimoldenberg wrote: "When I was 17 I had a fantastic idea that I might meet the love of my life on a date in a chicken shop. I've spent my entire twenties sitting across from the most incredible people, people I'd always dreamt of meeting. All of them charmed me (some more than others) and I definitely charmed them."
"To me the show is my very own romcom and I have loved creating so many stories for you to watch," she continued. "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 onto a new one. But before I say goodbye forever, I want to celebrate everything Chicken Shop Date has been for me with a few final dates... coming very soon. Love Amelia x."
Fans flooded the comments section with messages of support and sadness, with one calling it the "worst break up yet." Writer Elizabeth Day commented: "As ever, I admire you so much. Knowing when to stop - and leaving on such a high, after shaping the culture - is the quintessential power move. Congratulations. Love you xxx." Comedian Grace Campbell wrote simply, "Love you," while singer Rita Ora shared a string of heart emojis and Diversity dancer Perri Kiely wrote: "You really paved the way! Congratulations man!"
How Chicken Shop Date began
Chicken Shop Date started life as a print column around 2011 in The Cut, a youth-run magazine, when Dimoldenberg was just 17. The idea of framing interviews as first dates came from wanting to do something different, and she chose a chicken shop setting because it was somewhere "no one goes on dates."
She began interviewing friends of friends in the music scene alongside her studies, and her online articles started gaining traction. When people in "big places" struggled to know what to do with the concept, she began filming her chats herself and posting them on YouTube.
The video version of the show launched in March 2014 with grime artist Ghetts as her first guest, an interview that now has 1.3 million views. Dimoldenberg and Ghetts, who remain good friends, marked the show's tenth anniversary last year by going on a second date together.
Her signature awkward style
Dimoldenberg began featuring women as guests in 2017, having initially worried the dating premise wouldn't work with female interviewees. She told Complex she wanted to be "the antithesis of a bubbly presenter," calling her on-screen persona "an exaggerated version of myself" that was never originally intended as a character.
She has cited broadcaster Louis Theroux, who has since appeared on the show himself, as an inspiration for her deadpan style, which she said grew out of genuine nerves when meeting rappers early on. Describing filming with artist Stylo G, she said: "Whatever was happening was funny, just this little blonde girl in a chicken shop... It was just a weird situation and super awkward."
A-list guests and awards
Since then Dimoldenberg has interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Cher, Paul Mescal, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish. A fan-favourite episode came in 2024, when Andrew Garfield made a flirty appearance on the show.
Chicken Shop Date now has 2.9 million subscribers on YouTube, with episodes routinely drawing at least a million views. It is thought Dimoldenberg earns around £6,000 per episode. The series won a Stremy Award in 2022 and the Content and Entertainment award at The Drum Awards in November 2024.
Red carpet work and what comes next
Beyond her own show, Dimoldenberg has become a familiar face on the red carpet, hosting interviews at the Baftas, the Brits, the MTV VMAs, the GQ Awards and film premieres including Barbie.
Before the show ends for good, Dimoldenberg has said she still has a handful of dates left to film in one final series. A teaser for the next episode, captioned "We Need To Talk," hints that her next guest will be Paul C. Brunson, the name of his own podcast.
Dimoldenberg has previously named Drake as her dream guest, someone she has yet to interview. Her upcoming projects include starring in a romcom from Amazon MGM's Orion Pictures and writing a Skins-style drama with the BBC, which has not yet been greenlit.
