What is Chicken Shop Date?
Chicken Shop Date is a YouTube dating show created by Amelia Dimoldenberg in March 2014. The series is known for Amelia’s deadpan humour, unexpected questions and awkward silences.
The show has featured dates with personalities including Ed Sheeran, Louis Theroux and Sean Paul. The series initially was known for guests from the Grime scene and popular youth culture personalities from the UK, before expanding to include international celebrities including actors, musicians and presenters.
Chicken Shop Date has been adapted for a number of different formats and settings such as Red Nose Day and for festivals.
Chicken Shop Date Format
Standard Format
The concept of Chicken Shop Date is that Amelia has a one-on-one date with someone in an unromantic chicken shop location. The videos are short (mostly under 5 minutes) and are said to be edited from around 40 minutes of footage.
While the date takes place in shops that specialise in fried chicken, Amelia usually eats chicken nuggets and chips.
Special Versions
Chicken Shop Date has been adapted for other formats, including video chat versions during the Covid-19 lockdowns and for speed dates in settings where full-length date videos are not practical to produce.
Chicken Shop Date Host
Amelia Dimoldenberg is a presenter most known for creating Chicken Shop Date. Off the back of the show’s success, Amelia has presented documentaries on Channel 4, Vice and BBC.
Chicken Shop Date Development
Chicken Shop Date was conceived as a concept in The Cut Magazine. It began as a column before Amelia opted to create a video version in 2014. The first episode featured Ghetts.
Chicken Shop Date Guests
In the early days of Chicken Shop Dates, the guests primarily consisted of personalities within the Grime scene, with Ghetts, Logan Sama and Jammer among the first people featured.
The full list of Chicken Shop Date Guests can be found below:
Musicians
- Ghetts
- Fuse ODG
- Jammer
- AJ Tracey
- Raleigh Ritchie
- LD
- Monkey
- Dimzy
- Cadet
- Avelino
- Dave
- Krept & Konan
- Not3s
- Big Narstie
- Suspect
- Lady Leshurr
- Big Zuu
- Headie One
- Sean Paul
- D Double E
- Mahalia
- Donae’o
- Ms Banks
- Chip
- Aitch
- M Huncho
- Darkoo
- Dutchavelli
- Digga D
- Jade Thirwall
- slowthai
- ArrDee
- M1llionz
- Shaybo
- Jack Harlow
- Tion Wayne
- Joy Crookes
- Finneas
- Ed Sheeran
- Giveon
- Bandokay
- Rex Orange County
- Charlie XCX
- Rosalía
- Kojey Radical
- Burna Boy
- Summer Walker
- Yungblud
- Rema
- Matty Healy
- Meekz
- Central Cee
Content Creators and Presenters
- Logan Sama
- Arnold Jorde
- Elijah Cushie
- Maya Jama
- Mo Gilligan
- KSI
- Chunkz and Yung Filly
- Bimini Bon Boulash
- Louis Theroux
- Nella Rose
- Fumez the Engineer
Actors
- Chabuddy G
- Kurupt FM
- Kurtan Mucklowe
- Daniel Kaluuya
- Keke Palmer
Sportspeople
- Tammy Abraham and John Stones
- Lucy Bronze and Bewth Mead
Non-Standard Format Guests
As well as the core one-on-one dates, Amelia has conducted virtual dates, speed dates and created scripted work for the ‘Hot Sauce Tour’. The guests for non-format versions are found below:
Chicken Shop Virtual Dates
- Mike Skinner
- Unknown P (Munya Chawawa)
- Stath
- 6lack
Chicken Shop Speed Dates
For Wireless Festival 2018 and 2019, Amelia conducted a series of speed dates in collaboration with Nando’s. The guest were as follows:
- Wiley
- JayKae
- Rae Sremmurd
- EO
- AJ
- Deno
- Not3s
- Lisa Mercedes
- Ski Mask the Slump God
- Denzel Curry
- Adam22
- Young Adz
- Dirtbike LB
- Saweetie
- Harry Pinero
- Alex from Glasto
- Young T & Bugsey
- Yungen
- Yinka Bokkini
- Haile
Chicken Shop Date Locations
Chicken Shop Date’s premise focuses on local high street eat-in and takeaway chicken shops. Over the years it has included a number of independent eateries and chains around the UK, including Chicken Cottage and Morleys.
Sponsorship and Partnerships
Chicken Shop Date has worked with VOXI, Nando’s, Wireless Festival and other brands.
In 2018 Amelia created a Chicken Shop Date video for the COPA90 Football YouTube channel. It featured Jesse Lingard and Bernado Silva.
In 2019 Red Nose Day partnered with Chicken Chop Date for a one-off video, including:
- Ian Wright
- Annie Mac
- Kurtan Mucklowe
- Jamelia
- Samira Mighty
- Laura Whitmore
- Jamali Maddix
Hot Sauce Tour
In 2019 Vodaphone’s youth-focused VOXI brand partnered with Chicken Shop Date to conduct a three-date Hot Sauce Tour across England. It included dates in London, Birmingham and Manchester and featured performances from Ms Banks, JAY1 and Not3s. To promote the tour Amelia created a scripted video series with appearances from:
- NSG
- Amelia Monet
- EO
- Tion Wayne
- Unknown P
Chicken Shop Date FAQs
Who was on the first Chicken Shop Date?
Ghetts starred in the first Chicken Shop Date at Chicken Cottage in 2014.
