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Amelia Dimoldenberg Reveals the Secrets Behind Chicken Shop Date | FULL INTERVIEW
Jul 31, 2026
"He's just not my type..."
Amelia Dimoldenberg joins Jamie Theakston and Zoe Hardman on Heart Breakfast to reveal how Chicken Shop Date grew from a youth-club idea into one of the internet's most distinctive interview formats.
She shares the secrets behind its brilliantly awkward chemistry, reflects on dates with stars including Andrew Garfield and Sabrina Carpenter, and explains how Dimz Academy is supporting the next generation of young creatives.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Coming Up...
0:50 The Story Behind Chicken Shop Date
3:31 Behind the Scenes of Chicken Shop Date
4:15 Dating Rules, Famous Guests and Dream Dates
8:28 What's Next for Chicken Shop Date?
9:04 Dimz Academy and Supporting Young Creatives
#chickenshopdate #AmeliaDimoldenberg #PassengerPrincess
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
You see, I thought you two were getting on like a house on fire
0:02
Yeah, I did. Yeah, we did. The house was burning. It was burning down. It was burning to the ground. What about ****
0:06
I'm going to pass, yeah. Oh. It's not for you. Not for me, no. No. It's not my type
0:11
Anyone that you've been trying to get out on a date who hasn't agreed to come on
0:16
Um, there's no spice in my show. Like, honestly, mayo is the spiciest thing that we're offering
0:22
Amelia de Moldenburg joins us now. Amelia! Pap yourself. I am paping myself
0:28
Is that, do people normally do that? You clapped longer than anyone else
0:34
I did, because, you know, I need support. It's early in the morning. And we clapped when you came in
0:38
There's been a lot of clapping since you've been in. I actually have quite a loud clap. You do
0:43
It's quite loud. But you don't have big hands, if I might say. Which is even more impressive
0:48
Do you think? Yeah, it's even more impressive. Now, listen, explain to us, for those who might not know
0:53
what Chicken Shop Day is all about. Well, Chicken Shop Day is a dating show
0:58
where I attempt to find the love of my life in a chicken shop
1:02
And I'm always dating amazing celebrities, so lucky me. I'm unsuccessful so far
1:08
but still time, you know, got some more dates ahead of me
1:12
Why do you think you've been so unsuccessful, bearing in mind, is it now 12 years
1:16
12 years, yes. Thank you for reminding me, yes. It's been over a decade. I don't know, maybe people think
1:22
that they're coming in to promote something. Oh, mistake. It's just a big mistake
1:28
It's a big mistake. When you started it, did you, even in your wildest dreams
1:32
think that this was what was going to happen to your career? I'd like to be kind of humble and say no
1:37
but the answer is actually yes. I think I was very deluded from a very young age
1:42
I mean, I started the show in a youth club in North West London and I always had the ambitions that it could be as big as
1:49
Graham Norton or something like that. I always wanted that. And I had high ambitions for the calibre of guests as well
1:56
from very early on. but it took me longer than I thought. I think maybe I'd do that in about six months
2:02
I love the confidence. Why not? And it did take me a decade
2:06
but I think that is a good thing. I wouldn't have had it any other way. But yeah, I'm so happy with how the show has grown
2:14
and the range of different people I've had on. Don't do anything weird
2:20
Like bring out a ring or get down on me. I'm not in the mood today
2:25
I hear you. Well those guests, let's talk about those guests. Like Paul McCartney, let's just start off again
2:30
Oh wow, forgot about Paul. Um, Paul McCartney! Paul McCartney um wow I mean first of all what a legend I was super nervous for that of course And he just the loveliest guy So generous with his time
2:44
And, of course, when you're speaking to Sir Paul McCartney, I was really racking my brain, like, what's the angle
2:49
Or what do I talk about with him where he's had, like, such an incredible life
2:54
and so many stories? And I think that people really appreciated that, like, the interview was very different
3:01
from something that he'd maybe done before. and I think he liked that too. He did probe me at the end though
3:06
He did say, so you're going to ask me about the album? Right. I was like
3:10
this is not really that kind of show. What about Sabrina Carpenter
3:15
Oh my goodness. I mean, she's amazing too. I was so lucky to get to interview her
3:20
especially like, really she just put out her new album and everyone was like abuzz with Sabrina Carpenter
3:26
and she's hilarious. She could be a stand-up comedian, I think. And are you sort of chatting before it starts
3:32
like what lip gloss do you wear oh i like the way you've done your hair i don't really i used to be
3:38
quite method where i would like just not talk to the guest at all before like not really at all
3:44
because i didn't want to like ruin the illusion because i am like playing a persona um and then
3:49
i got a bit better at realizing amelia it's fine you can like say hi and say thank you for coming
3:54
um so i kind of do a bit of an in between where i just say i i also because i direct the show
3:59
um I explained to them how it's going to work before so I'm like we film for 45 minutes we
4:05
don't do any pickups like um have fun enjoy it like you can make fun of me I'm gonna make fun of
4:09
you that type of thing um so I do that and like here's your mic let's try and break down why
4:16
you've been so unsuccessful in your dates yes please let's do that let's do that so first of
4:22
venue is that an issue the venue um conducive to love i thought so yes i mean i love chicken
4:31
nuggets and chips oh me too that's my favorite exactly and also bite size so when you're when
4:36
you're on a date you don't want to be eating you know like like bolognese do you um so you want to
4:40
be having something that you can just pop in your mouth right so um there you go it's a nugget okay
4:46
got it it's a nugget okay um and also i feel like these big celebrities you know it's good to like
4:51
humble them sometimes take them out of their comfort zone and put them in the chicken shop so i actually think it's perfect place one thing that i i thought was quite interesting i remember
4:59
watching an interview you did on on a u.s chat show and i didn't realize that in america they
5:04
don't have chicken shop or the concept of a chicken shop well it's not the same as it is here
5:09
isn a thing in america like a wing stop or well i guess they have more like big franchises like kfc or all those type of things but i think you know in the uk it like such a staple of the high street isn it And they all individual and you know you have your local one that you would like to go to
5:25
So, yeah, it's not really the same. I guess like, I mean, like in New York, you'd have like a dollar slice pizza
5:30
or like in LA, maybe you'd have like a taco truck. There's like equivalents and yeah
5:37
So if it's not the venue, is it the choice of dates that maybe
5:41
I mean, for instance, the Andrew Garfield one, I know is one of the most popular ones
5:46
You see, I thought you two were getting on like a house on fire. Yeah, I did. Yeah, we did. The house was burning
5:50
It was burning to the ground. Right. And then what happened? Well, I'm busy, guys
5:56
Excuse me. I'm like very... I'm on a really busy schedule. I don't have the time to be taking Andrew Garfield
6:03
So hang on. So he was keen. You felt like you couldn't give him the attention that he craved
6:10
Exactly. He was craving a lot of attention, very needy. And I'm just not really..
6:15
Not really. Okay. I don't really have that time for that. So he got knocked back
6:20
I love that from you. Talk us through some of the do's and don'ts on a date
6:24
Do's and don'ts on a date? Remember their name. Okay. That's happened to me before where, unfortunately, they haven't
6:31
What, is it you've given them another name? No, they just forgot who I was, to be honest
6:37
Well, Sabrina Carpenter thought she was on a different show. she thought she was on hot one and i supposed to like try one and and then you put more sauce on
6:45
it or is that a no that's hot one oh sorry she got a bit confused with the format which i mean
6:53
there's no spice in my show like honestly mayo is the spiciest thing that's good that we're offering
6:59
um but another tip i would say of course you ought to be yourself yourself you know what if
7:06
if you're like, who am I? It's about hard. Where am I? Who am I? Sense of humour
7:10
Yeah, oh my gosh. You need to be cracking jokes the whole time
7:15
And they need to be bouncing them back to you. I think having fun on a date and laughing is the best
7:22
Anyone that you've been trying to get out on a date for a while
7:27
who still hasn't said, hasn't agreed to come on? Yeah, quite a lot of people
7:31
Oh, really? Miss Piggy. Miss Piggy won't come to the chicken shop
7:35
She's got to get the jet and stuff, like fly, like she's got quite a big..
7:39
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's quite a big production, like to get her to move around, you know
7:44
What about Barbie? Is it tricky to get a pig to eat chicken? Oh, I've never thought about that
7:49
Maybe that's what's going, maybe that's the stumbling block. Well it better than sausages You can have a pig eating sausages Well exactly yeah No but they could maybe eat chicken Chicken yeah yeah they eat anything weren they I think so that actually true that is a defining characteristic of a pig
8:03
that they will eat anything anything exactly and also who else would I love Stormzy
8:09
I'd love to interview Stormzy right never before I've got an idea yeah what about Prince William
8:13
I'm going to pass yeah oh it's not for you not for me no no
8:18
it's not my type oh okay fair enough what's your type It's probably just like not..
8:24
Not royal. Not royal, yeah. What's next then with chicken shop franchise as a whole
8:31
Where can we spin this out to? Maybe set up some of your own shops
8:36
Oh. We. We. You part of it now. You're getting involved. No, I'm going to keep the chicken shops to the boss men
8:44
I think they can run the shops themselves. I feel like it's just, again, you know, my schedule is so busy
8:49
I don't know if I can really, you know, take out the time to open a shop
8:54
But I'm filming new episodes, so I'm really excited about that. And in the autumn, they're going to be coming out
9:00
So it's very exciting. Yeah, very exciting. Busy bee. Now, tell us a bit more about the DIMS Academy
9:07
Am I saying that right? Yeah, DIMS Academy. Yeah. What's that all about? And how can people get involved
9:12
Well, like Chicken Shop Date started off in a youth club. And I got so much out of that
9:18
I mean, I wouldn't have Chicken Shop Date without being able to be around like like minded young people who are given like the support and mentorship from a really young age to like make their idea become some sort of reality
9:28
And I've always wanted to be able to do that for young people myself. All the young people that we're working with, like they have different ambitions, like whether they want to be a camera operator or whether they want to be a producer, like all within video production
9:40
That's what we're specializing in. This is amazing. Yeah. And then this year, there's going to be even more knowledge and skills that these young people can learn
9:47
And also the time that they're going to get to be together. Because I think one big thing about the Academy for me
9:53
was like providing a space where young people could come and be in real life and could connect
9:59
and make these relationships that then would benefit them through their career
10:03
Because I've always been collaborating with people that I met, whether it's at the youth club or just like in real life
10:10
those connections, because nothing is ever done on its own. And you can't do anything really on your own
10:15
It's impossible. So yeah, I really wanted to be able to open those doors and use my platform in that way
10:20
and I'm super excited about it. Yeah, you should be. Thank you
10:23
It's been lovely having you on this one. Yeah, it really has. It's been great. Amelia de Moldenburg, how about it
10:27
Thank you. Thank you, Amelia. Thank you. This is hot
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