Amelia Dimoldenberg has announced the conclusion of her YouTube show, "Chicken Shop Date," after a 12-year run. The comedian, known for her "refreshingly awkward" interview style, shared the news on Instagram, stating that "all good dates must come to an end" and signaling her move towards a "new adventure."
Dimoldenberg, 32, began the video version of "Chicken Shop Date" in May 2014, with the grime artist Ghetts as her first guest. Initially, she focused on interviewing figures within the grime music scene. In 2017, the show expanded to include female guests, a move Dimoldenberg had previously hesitated on, questioning if the dating premise would translate. Over the years, she interviewed a wide range of notable personalities, including Cher, Andrew Garfield, and Jennifer Lawrence.
Dimoldenberg described the show as her "very own romcom" and expressed gratitude to her audience for following her journey. While she had not initially anticipated ending the series, she feels it is time to transition to new endeavors. Before permanently concluding the show, she plans to release "a few final dates."
Fans and fellow personalities reacted to the announcement on social media. Many expressed sadness at the show's end, with one fan calling it the "worst break up yet." Others, like Elizabeth Day, praised Dimoldenberg's decision to end the show on a high note, calling it a "quintessential power move."
The concept for "Chicken Shop Date" originated around 2011 as a print column in The Cut, a youth-run magazine, when Dimoldenberg was 17 years old. The show's distinctive format involves Dimoldenberg meeting guests in chicken shops, ostensibly for a date, engaging in often humorous and candid conversations.