Amelia Dimoldenberg She had experienced over 80 initial meetings before she ultimately found her perfect partner in a North London fast-food joint back in November 2023.
The British comic and online sensation, renowned for gaining recognition via her flirtatious interviewing style with stars on her hit YouTube show "Chicken Shop Date," was at last facing someone who could grasp the significance of poultry within her professional journey.
"This might just be the ultimate crossover ever," Dimoldenberg declared. Sean Evans , the host of First We Feast's YouTube interview series " Hot Ones which markets itself as 'the show featuring scorching questions alongside blazingly spicy wings.'
"Marvel, I don't believe, has anything over us," she said with a flat expression.
In the realm of emerging talk shows, the pairing of Dimoldenberg at 31 years old and Evans who is 38 might aptly be compared to "The Avengers." They stand at the heart of a novel type of celebrity interview program that bypasses traditional television broadcasting and often becomes an internet sensation.
Despite having a similar focus on poultry-themed concepts, "Chicken Shop Date" and "Hot Ones" are brought together primarily through their skillful approach to delivering engaging and memorable interviews. Regardless of whether Dimoldenberg puts celebrities at ease using unexpected flirtation or Evans challenges them with tough queries amidst the escalating heat from the Scoville scale, these chicken-centric shows have crafted distinct formulas for captivating content that audiences enjoy watching—and stars find appealing enough to join in.
Throughout the past ten years, both programs have strived to demonstrate that they aren’t merely fleeting trends, gathering substantial followings. hundreds of millions or, in the instance of "Hot Ones," billions ) of views, millions of subscribers, and generating more than 100 episodes per season. The intense fandom for both shows has escalated to such an extent that " "Hot Sauces" from "Hot Ones" is now available for purchase. Meanwhile, Dimoldenberg's hugely popular "Chicken Shop Date" episode with Andrew Garfield inspired such enthusiasm that fans dressed up like the duo for Halloween.
Each of these shows also profits from maintaining independence: BuzzFeed sold First We Feast. In 2024, the studio responsible for "Hot Singles" was sold to a collective of investors for $82.5 million, with Dimoldenberg being part of this transaction. called Her choice to retain control of "Chicken Shop Date" through her production company, Dimz Inc., was "the best thing I've ever done."
Opting out of having a corporate overseer hasn’t limited these shows’ chances for prestigious industry recognition. Both "Hot Summers" and "Fried Chicken Encounter" can now compete for Emmy awards. “Fried Chicken Encounter” joined the 2024 contest in the Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series category. Meanwhile, "Hot Summers," which had earlier received nominations for Daytime Emmys, successfully lobbied to be included in the Outstanding Talk Series category at the Primetime Emmys, placing it among top contenders like popular late-night programs.
As reviews for classic midnight chat shows Continue to lose relevance, shows such as "Hot Ones" and "Chicken Shop Date" are attracting attention in popular culture as a more appealing option.
"They aren’t just a passing trend,” asserts Liza Anderson, founder and president of Anderson Group Public Relations, speaking with Business Insider. “I genuinely believe these shows represent the path forward.”
"Hot Ones" and "Chicken Shop Date" move beyond their premises to reveal an uncensored aspect of celebrities.
Before the advent of the internet, television appearances played a crucial role in what we now call a traditional celebrity promotional circuit. During these brief segments lasting between five to ten minutes on nationwide broadcasts, celebrities had the opportunity to plug their latest projects—be it a new series or movie—by responding to pre-set queries from hosts. This method allowed them to connect with vast audiences watching live at home.
All the activities from about a decade back were pre-planned," Anderson shared with BI. "Whenever I got someone onto a significant talk show, we received the questions beforehand. We practiced our responses. We anticipated exactly what would be asked.
The surge in popularity of social media and streaming services has significantly altered viewer preferences. Despite the persistence of morning chat programs and late-night interview shows, substantial portions of younger demographics have shifted towards online platforms. Here, they enjoy brief, unconventional segments featuring celebrities on digital series and engage directly with these personalities through social media interactions.
Anderson mentioned that previously, when you encountered a television or film celebrity, you refrained from uncovering their personal side or getting acquainted with them as individuals. This mindset suggested that doing so would detract from your perception of the characters they played. However, nowadays, this perspective has flipped. Currently, people prefer watching performers whom they can relate to on an individual level rather than merely appreciating them for their professional roles.
Nowhere did that longing become more apparent than in their desire for a parasocial connection more evident than in the said and currently legendary 2024 episode of "Chicken Shop Date" featuring a guest Andrew Garfield After two years of playful exchanges at red-carpet events, Dimoldenberg and Garfield eventually had what could be called a "date," which was so seamlessly breaking the fourth wall that their admirers insisted they should pursue a relationship off-screen as well.
"I can’t believe the top romantic comedy of 2024 turned out to be an 11-minute promotional chat between Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield," commented a user. X .
Flirting with Dimoldenberg wasn’t the only way Garfield promoted his A24 romantic dramedy " We Live in Time However, amidst attending numerous press interviews, being featured on magazine covers, and carrying a cardboard stand-in of his co-star Florence Pugh along the red carpet, yes, really ), Garfield's standout performance in "Chicken Shop Date" might have been his most influential appearance. The video garnered over 11 million views.
Even genuine celebrities from older generations are now realizing that chicken—or more precisely, digital interview series—are essential for remaining pertinent to a generation that resides online.
"The other evening, I was interviewed by Amelia, the chicken nugget," said Nicole Kidman. told The Guardian of Dimoldenberg. That’s what my daughter adored, and I cherished that.” Therefore, Kidman checked out Dimoldenberg's exhibition and fell under the spell of her artistry. “I enjoyed her collaboration with Billie Eilish, along with Andrew Garfield; they were hilarious together. Now, I find myself excited for a date with her.” I'm asking for the date."
Celebrities' public relations specialists also appreciate these distinctive ideas, as they assist in presenting their clients as well-rounded individuals. "From a strategic standpoint, this is beneficial since it offers something new and original," stated Beth Booker, who founded and leads the company. Gracie PR .
As traditional PR methods remain relevant, we must incorporate digital elements to ensure our campaigns are truly impactful since a simple press release or radio appearance isn’t sufficient these days," she noted. "It’s crucial to stand out from the crowd, and these programs provide an excellent chance to achieve that.
With declining late-night viewership figures, talk shows are turning to socially media-attractive online segments to stay relevant.
During their peak in online buzz, late-night talk shows revolutionized celebrity interviews with quirky segments such as "Day Drinking" featuring Seth Meyers, "Carpool Karaoke" hosted by James Corden, and "Wheel of Musical Impressions" led by Jimmy Fallon.
Magazines such as Vogue, BuzzFeed, and Elle also launched their own specialized celebrity interview programs, and even some recently introduced daytime talk shows joined this trend; for instance, the team behind "The Jennifer Hudson Show" has participated in this movement. backstage hype-up chants For visitors, referred to as the "spirit tunnel," this continues to be utilized. viral .
Still, it's no secret that traditional late-night is in its downsizing era. In 2024, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" was cut down to four days a week, And "Late Night With Seth Meyers" discontinued its live house band , 8G, apparently because of funding reductions.
Even though late-night programs still feature games and various segments with celebrities, they face increased competition and declining benefits. The highest-viewed clip on Seth Meyers' "Late Night" YouTube channel remains his daytime drinking episode featuring Rihanna, uploaded five years back. Meanwhile, the top-performing video on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" YouTube page is an acapella performance with actors from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," shared eight years ago.
"I'm not sure if we'll still have late-night television shows on network TV in 10 years," Jimmy Kimmel stated in August 2024 during an interview with ABC News. "Politickin'" podcast There’s an abundance of content available nowadays, and with various streaming services, individuals have the freedom to watch whatever they want whenever they desire.
Booker remains hopeful that late-night programming isn't obsolete just yet — although it is currently undergoing a transitional phase.
"Frankly, I believe the late-night shows will endure because many of them are incorporating more of those shareable segments," she stated.
Anderson mentioned that currently, traditional talk shows still have a place during press tours. Nonetheless, many individuals likely prefer browsing through the newest gossip and popular segments from these programs via platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X instead of watching them as they air.
If you have a breakout moment on ['The Drew Barrymore Show], it can either make or destroy someone’s career," Anderson stated. "However, nobody watches Drew from their homes anymore.
The dynamics behind what goes viral have evolved. The era where a highly gimmicky format (consider James Corden’s “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts” or Jimmy Fallon’s “Egg Roulette”) was enough to ensure views is over. Ultimately, viewers tend to connect with segments that employ a staged scenario but still manage to evoke authentic emotions from their guests.
When late-night icon Conan O'Brien took on Evans' challenge and worked his way through it, which is often regarded as one of the most notable challenges of this kind. The top "Hot Ones" episodes of all time , he halted his torrent of lively stories for a short interval of earnestness.
"I've seen your program. You excel as an interviewer," O’Brien told Evans.
“I mean, this is enjoyable; I enjoy it, understand your appeal for it, and find it genuinely engaging,” he remarked, gesturing towards the hot sauces, chicken wings, and the camera, “yet you’re quite an intense interviewer. You approach it with seriousness, and you pose some excellent questions.”
Evans chuckled and expressed his gratitude, somewhat taken aback.
"Stop doing that. It won’t work here. Won’t get any laughter," O’Brien stated.
It made it to the final cut.
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