Uncanny Valley | WIRED
What’s the ‘Chicken Shop Date’ Creator’s Secret? Creative Control
05 May 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
From WIRED, this is The Big Interview, where we'll get to know the people beyond the headlines in conversations that explore the intersection of technology, power, and culture. I'm Katie Drummond, WIRED's Global Editorial Director. You may have seen our next guest, Amelia de Moldenburg, on the red carpet at the Oscars in March.
here at the Oscars red carpet, what does it smell like? Sweat. And success. And success. What's the vibe? What's the energy like in the room? There's like sizzling energy. It's surreal. It's hot right now. I feel like we should not have done that because it's already so hot in here. I could start to feel the sweat dripping from my butt cheek down my leg.
Thank God I'm wearing pants because otherwise people would be like, is she? Is she peeing herself right now? I'm like, yeah.
That clip is from the Academy Awards and Amelia's creative studio, Dimms Inc. It was her third time on the Oscars red carpet. And that star turn comes on top of her wildly successful interview series that I first saw, admittedly, as very short clips on TikTok, Chicken Shop Date. If you haven't seen them yet, I don't know why, but you're in for a treat.
Amelia sat down for dates with Conan O'Brien, Sabrina Carpenter, Andrew Garfield, the list goes on, and each episode takes place in, yes, a chicken shop. Amelia now has more than 3.3 million subscribers on YouTube. And she joins me now. Amelia, welcome to The Big Interview.
Thank you for having me. Thank you for being here. Sorry, that clip you played, I was like, wow, that is real boots on the ground journalism right there. How did it feel to hear yourself back talking about butt sweat and pee? Well, it's interesting because that is definitely part of the genre of my interviews. However, there's so much more to them than that. There is.
So it's that's obviously just like one slice of it that's, I guess, a bit more playful. And I mean, they're all kind of it's all playful in a way. But yeah, I guess I was cringing a bit. I'm sorry, I didn't pick that clip.
So I'm going to blame the producers. Always blame the producers when you have the opportunity. But how do you actually get ready for those interviews? I mean, this was your third time doing the Oscars red carpet, which is, and I've been a journalist for a very long time, intimidating environment. How do you prep?
I spend a good few months. Months. Obviously not every day, but I'm thinking about it for like two months running up to the Oscars. And I am researching every single nominee, watching all of the movies. And me and my sister and our other writing partner, I write with my sister Zoe, we prepare questions, individual questions for every nominee that the Academy would like us to interview.
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Chapter 2: How does Amelia Dimoldenberg prepare for red carpet interviews?
maybe nearly five years ago now for the GQ Man of the Year Awards. And I remember at the time it being such an exciting moment because I don't think many non-traditional talent had taken those roles. And I think since then, the space has become quite, I guess, oversaturated, but like how anything would. I guess it's always been important for me to make sure I stand out in a crowded space always.
But yeah, I'm interested in creating... a moment, something that people can connect to that kind of stands out online because, you know, there's so much content now. See of it. So you really do have to be able to make your mark. And it's actually something that I've always been quite successful at doing. So I feel... But that's just through the pre-planning of it.
Like, I watch so many interviews with said talent that I'm meant to be interviewing to get a sense of... their vibe, their energy, the type of personality that they are, and therefore what kind of questions they would respond well to. And I think it's through all of that that I'm able to preempt the moment.
For example, Ethan Hawke, my interview with him went quite viral from the Oscars this year. And that was because I spent a lot of time
understanding the way that he approaches interviews and he has this ability to like say something really poetic and I don't think everyone kind of knows that about him I think you do have to be like in a wormhole of of his interviews to kind of know that if you just are a fan of his work for example and so I thought it would be interesting to ask him a more kind of
philosophical or like a question, not deeply philosophical, but just something that would provoke that kind of answer in it. And it worked. So in a way, I think that's my approach.
It's interesting because you you certainly I mean, you bring the like the academic training of a journalist. And certainly the obsessive need to prepare or over prepare before an assignment. You know what I mean?
You sound like a bit of an obsessive person. And I say that is the highest compliment. Well, I don't think I could go into anything that I do without preparing. And sometimes I feel like maybe it's unnecessary to the level because I think it comes from sometimes with me anyway, like maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence.
in myself or something like that that I feel the need to be so prepared for something but at the same time it just makes me feel comfortable because then I know I can just feel good about it even if it didn't go well I can say well at least I did the best I could beforehand yeah and then it's kind of out of your
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Chapter 3: What strategies does Amelia use to create engaging interview content?
I'm not allowed to over-prepare.
Absolutely not.
Your Friday, you were off the clock. You were having drinks with the girls. I wish that the Oscars is airing on YouTube for the first time in 2029, which when I saw that, my first thought was, what's taking them so long? How is it possible that it's going to take them? Is it all that minimal? Like three more years to put it on YouTube?
Put it on YouTube tomorrow, you guys, but still a sign of the times. The Oscars, we're getting there. We're getting on YouTube. What else would you like to see an award show like the Oscars do to kind of meet this moment, right? You've talked about four or five years ago, it was ludicrous to think that there would be like a quote, non-traditional person on the red carpet. Now it's all there is.
But what else? Like where are award shows like the Oscars, but not exclusive to them, still sort of behind the times when it comes to the way people actually consume music? entertainment, the way they find content, for lack of a better term?
That's a good question. I mean, I think there's still a long way to go in terms of awarding or taking seriously online content.
Sure. Yeah.
I mean, this year with the Golden Globes, they had a podcast category. Wild. Yeah. And I think that was a really interesting move. And I think that there's a long way to go as well with like other award shows, taking shows... Like, chicken shop date. Like, why can't we win certain awards? Why can't we win chicken shop date? It's not going to win an Oscar. No, no, no.
But what could you win that you couldn't, like, that you couldn't submit yourself for now? Like, is it an Emmy?
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Chapter 4: How does Amelia balance creativity and control in her projects?
Like people making things on the internet and putting them on platforms. It's like $250 billion a year, right? Like it's massive. And it is... For many people, like the only thing they watch, right, is TikTok or YouTube or so on and so forth. People like you are celebrities to those many, many millions of people like that. It is a thing.
And yet somehow I think from where I sit, at least it still doesn't seem like it is received with the same level of respect and maybe like deference or credibility as like Hollywood acting or something more traditional or conventional. Yeah. Why do you think that is? And is that something you have experienced? And how have you experienced that maybe change since 2014 when you launched the show?
Well, it's a great question. I think it's one of those things where it's like the changing of the guard. I think that there's a lot of people in positions of power that they grew up watching consuming television. And that is kind of the be all and end all of what they deem to be legitimate in terms of
a successful career within entertainment so I think that as people die things will change but more more to that I think since it's personally in my journey within my career it's always been important to me to kind of bridge the gap between the online world and then more of the traditional media because I've always seen the value in people taking traditional media seriously so
It's been a real need of mine to make sure that I kind of straddle both in a way. So taking opportunities within traditional media when they seem beneficial, but then also making sure that I'm really like planting myself on YouTube and on TikTok and doing all those things.
I think you need to be super strategic about things and to understand that there are different audiences for both spheres and you can speak to both of them and there's a way to speak to both of them.
I mean there's been different people I guess throughout kind of history of online culture that have kind of paved the way for like being taken more seriously from like people like Emma Chamberlain for example. I think that she's been someone that people look to who has really kind of crossed over.
And then even people like Mr. Beast or people who get to that level of fame within internet culture. I also think these people are all entrepreneurs and they all are business-minded creators. And I think that having that aspect to their personality and their drive has really also made people in the public be more aware of them.
But also with my show, for example, with Chicken Shop Day, I honestly see that as a... It's a show on YouTube. You know, I'm not vlogging... I'm not doing something that's kind of more native to the online space. I'm kind of doing something that traditional media has done for decades, but I am interpreting it to the YouTube audience.
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Chapter 5: What insights does Amelia share about the evolution of online content?
Yeah.
That an audience, that pressing a different button is like such an effort that you really see the format living in a certain ecosystem. Yeah. And that is fascinating to me. That is interesting. And I have had conversations with streamers before about this. Well, this was actually a question I'm curious.
The show has been running on YouTube now for, what, 12 years? Yeah. Have you ever given any consideration to taking it off YouTube? Like, what would that potentially look like for you? I have had offers to take off YouTube. I bet you have. For, like... Much money.
Much money. And I've said no because, again, I just... believe and think that that is what will happen. The audience will be like, why is it on another platform? Yeah, I don't want to press the button. Yeah. And I think what's what I love about YouTube is that it's very democratic. You know, you just have to have access to the internet to be able to watch it.
And my audience really likes consuming it there. And I think it's very difficult to like change the behavior of an audience. with a show that they already know. I would love, and I'm trying to work with streamers, but on separate projects that I feel like would work for the platform itself.
You know, I'm developing a TV series and like, for example, and I feel like people love watching TV series on streamers. And I think that would make sense. And, you know, who knows, maybe the podcasting will find an audience on streamers, but it might just take a few years. People are going to have to really think about pressing that button. Or maybe it will just only work with new podcasts.
That you associate with the Netflix. Yeah, I honestly think it is maybe something to do with that.
I mean, how have you, you talked a lot about sort of creators as entrepreneurs and like a Mr. Beast. You yourself are very much entrepreneurial and you've had to be. You've had to be entrepreneurial. You've had to be strategic. This is a big question. I'm sort of sorry for asking it this way, but it's what's coming to mind.
What have you had to learn about strategy since 2014 when you decided to launch the show? OK, great. You've now built it into a real meaningful business for yourself. What have you had to learn along the way?
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Chapter 6: How does Amelia view her role in the creator economy?
I think the main thing that I've learned is how important it is and how thankful and happy I am that I own my own copyright. Tell me about that. When did you make that decision? When did that come up? Well... When I started the show, so the show started in a youth club and it started as a column in a youth-run publication from when I was 17. The Cut. The Cut, not The Cut, but The Cut.
It was called The Cut. And then, yeah, when I was at my first year of university, I went to St. Martin, studied fashion journalism. I thought, oh, this would be great if this was filmed because it's funny and awkward and... And if only I knew someone with a camera to help me film it. And finally I met someone, started making them on YouTube.
And it then got to a point after making maybe like five episodes where I just, I couldn't ask people for favors anymore. You know, everyone was doing it for free. I was a student. I was even persuading the shops to, the shops weren't even closing. They were open. There were people like eating chicken around you. And we'd have to pause, keep pausing intermittently.
Like when people were ordering stuff because I didn't have enough like budget to shut the shop. I didn't even know that you could even do that. I just didn't know anything about production. So it got to a point where I honestly didn't have any means to make an episode anymore. And so I thought, okay, how am I going to do this? So I spoke to a record label and they were going to help me do it.
And I would maybe have to do a set amount of their artists on the show. And then I was allowed to do other ones. But they wanted to buy the rights from me. And the deal was really terrible, actually. And luckily, that's when I got a manager for the first time. They looked over the contract and said, you cannot sign this. Ooh. So thank you to them.
And then I tried to get funding through a media company. And they again were like, we want the copyright. And they wanted to buy it for a ridiculous amount of money. How much money? £500. No. Is what they offered me. Yeah. To buy the copyright. Can you imagine if you had signed that? I know. And something just in me, I don't even know. I wasn't getting any really other advice.
Like something in me just, I just knew like that is not, I cannot do that. So I then ended up getting a brand deal because I also came up at the time when being an influencer was beginning. So brands were understanding that they can go direct to the person. They can cut out the middleman. They can cut out the agency. Yeah. They don't have to buy this big billboard.
The billboard is now on someone's phone. So I got a brand deal and the brand deal paid for me to be able to never think about funding it again. More than 500 pounds. More than 500 pounds. Yeah. And not to say that like set me up for the rest of my life. But I mean, it just meant that I could then make episodes. Then I was making money on the AdSense then.
And it just like just became this returning investment. And now I fund the episodes with the money that I make from the Google AdSense.
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Chapter 7: What challenges does Amelia face in the competitive media landscape?
Comprehensive.
Witty.
Speculative.
Critical.
Insightful. Profound. Wide-ranging.
Hopefully doesn't take itself too, too seriously.
I'm David Remnick, and each week on The New Yorker Radio Hour, my colleagues and I try to make sense of what's happening in this chaotic world. I hope you'll join us for The New Yorker Radio Hour wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thoughtful.
Exquisite.
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