Want to master the art of the interview? Amelia Dimoldenberg has you covered. The 'Chicken Shop Date' queen herself is breaking down her six golden rules for conducting the perfect interview—and trust us, they’re anything but ordinary. From stalking (ahem, researching) your guests to embracing awkwardness, making friends, and even flirting your way to the best soundbites, Amelia shares the secret sauce behind her effortlessly charming and hilariously offbeat style.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Can I get the lights on, please?
00:03I'm Amelia de Moldenberg.
00:08Long name.
00:10And this is Interviewing 101.
00:13I'm going to teach you how to be the greatest interviewer of all time.
00:17Well, second greatest, because I'm still around, obviously.
00:23Okay, number one.
00:26Stalk your guest.
00:28So, when I say stalk your guest, I don't mean, like, actually stalk them,
00:31like, you know, getting, you know, the police involved.
00:34I mean, do your research.
00:36Did you used to sing at weddings?
00:37Bitch, how do you know that?
00:39I know.
00:40You know, you've got to be prepared.
00:42You've got to know everything about this person.
00:44I hear you love chicken nuggets.
00:45Yes.
00:46Who told you that?
00:47Oh, I know. I've got my sources.
00:49And actually, saying that, I have gone to shows, like, gone to gigs and concerts
00:55specifically to try and speak to a certain person, to try and get them to do an interview.
00:59So, you could say that was kind of stalking in a way.
01:02Yeah, I've held up a sign at a gig once that said, date me.
01:05And it was like a, then it was like an arrow to me.
01:09Didn't work.
01:10Harry Styles, if you're watching, I'm still trying to get a date.
01:14So, for the class, I'm going to show you an excellent example of when I was once a stalker.
01:18I got you vegan chicken nuggets and chips for your lunch.
01:21I heard.
01:22Because I'm not available on the menu yet.
01:24Damn, I was really hoping that it could be you.
01:27So, as we've just seen, Billie Eilish is a vegan, which isn't my usual type,
01:33because obviously I love chicken nuggets, but that's okay.
01:36We can always get them vegan nuggets and they can always have fries.
01:39But yeah, I needed to do my research to find out that she was a vegan,
01:43so I didn't scare her with the real chicken.
01:45And remember, it's not stalking, it's research.
01:47So now, let's move on to step two, food.
01:50I know that a lot of people don't like eating on a first date,
01:53but I do.
01:55Eating while talking is a great way to make things more conversational.
02:00I think that it creates an easy atmosphere that is very familiar,
02:04whether it's eating or driving or walking.
02:08There's so many different things you could choose that isn't so formal.
02:12And so that's why I think that it's so great for interviewing,
02:14because I feel like people, you get people maybe when they're a bit more loose.
02:20It's almost like when you have the food there,
02:22they like forget that it's an interview.
02:23They think they're just like out for lunch,
02:25when actually they're not. It's very serious business.
02:28So are there any questions in the classroom?
02:31Oh, wow.
02:35Who has been your favorite guest when you've been eating?
02:38You know what? Hate to break it to you, but I don't have a favorite guest.
02:42I have numerous favorites.
02:43I mean Cher, Icon, The Legend, Jack Harlow, Louis Theroux, Daniel Kaluuya,
02:51SZA, Billie Eilish. God, there's Elmo.
02:56There's just so many to choose from and I can't choose one.
02:59I mean, I love all of my exes equally. Any other questions?
03:03Wow. Where is your favorite chicken shop in London?
03:10Maybe I'm going to have to say Morley's.
03:12I just really love the aesthetic. It's just the red and the white.
03:15I just think it just always is so gorgeous in there.
03:18The lighting, strip lighting.
03:20We love it and really, really nice chicken nuggets.
03:23Okay, we are done with questions. Let's move on to step three.
03:28Make your guest comfortable.
03:39It's very important. I kind of pride myself on this.
03:43I feel like it's just something I've always had from when I was younger.
03:47I've been able to like make friends with people quite easily
03:49or been able to talk to people that I don't know
03:53and like create some kind of bond or chemistry with them from like the get-go.
03:58And I feel like that's like a skill that I've just used in my job
04:02and it's made me good at it.
04:03So you're not into bald men? Mr. Queen.
04:06No, no, no, sir. I'm good.
04:08My mom always used to say that when I was in the playground,
04:10I would just go up to like all the kids no matter what age they were
04:13and be like, hey, do you want to be friends?
04:14And that's kind of what I do when I'm like on the red carpet
04:18or when I'm interviewing people.
04:19I just act like I'm already friends with the person
04:23and I feel like that's a way to make someone feel really comfortable.
04:25There's an electric chemistry between us.
04:27Yeah, there is. We go way back.
04:29We do. Last year.
04:31With a nervous celebrity, then I normally act really weird.
04:34And if I'm like weird or like quirky, like do a little dance or something.
04:45Then they're like, OK, whoa, she's weird.
04:48I don't feel nervous anymore because I was worried that I was being weird,
04:51but now she's even weirder than me.
04:52So I think that's how I kind of like settle people.
04:55And again, I just think it's just acting like they're your friend already,
04:59like you've known them for ages.
05:00I've never really been starstruck by celebrities
05:03and I feel like that's really helped me in this job
05:06because yeah, I just meet them and I just think, well, we're all the same.
05:11Maybe I'm just got a massive ego and I just think I'm same as every A-list ever.
05:15Yeah, it's helped me, you know.
05:16Also, I think telling someone to not be nervous helps.
05:19Stop being nervous. Shake them, you know.
05:22Step out of it. Sometimes I say that to people.
05:24Right. And that takes it to my next step. Let it be awkward.
05:29Sorry. Let it be awkward.
05:39Is that how you spell awkward?
05:40I really should know that. It's like my number one word.
05:44Awkward.
05:45Well, well, well.
05:47Well, well, look who it is. This is awkward, actually.
05:50Me? Awkward? No way.
05:52Okay, the reason why you got to let it be awkward is because awkwardness is a part of life, right?
05:56And I feel like everyone is awkward in their own way
05:59or goes through life and has awkward moments.
06:02And our first reaction is to be like, oh God, let's try and remove that
06:06or like let's pretend that didn't happen or I'm so embarrassed about that.
06:09But actually that's real.
06:11And I think like I've just decided to keep those moments in what I do.
06:16And I think that's why people connect with them because it feels relatable in some way
06:21or it feels like true to life or it's funny.
06:23Like awkward things can be really funny.
06:26I also would say that I'm an incredibly awkward person.
06:29Just I have been throughout my whole life.
06:32And so this is just an example of me being myself.
06:35And that's what I would say to anyone watching,
06:38is that the key to being great at anything is to be yourself.
06:42That's why I let it be awkward. And I think maybe you should too.
06:46I'll show you a good example of this. It's me and Florence Pugh.
06:51Nope.
07:02I like that interaction. She loved it.
07:04I mean, maybe the Oppenhomies group chat is not very fun, you know,
07:07maybe they're just sending really, really boring memes.
07:10So really she's, it's probably good she's not in it.
07:16Moving on to our next step.
07:19Always make friends.
07:25God, my handwriting is just getting worse and worse as this goes on.
07:30Forget subtitles for that.
07:32So always make friends is very important
07:34because you're probably going to see these people more than once
07:37on numerous red carpets, numerous different interviews.
07:41So you want them to have a good impression of you.
07:43You want them to kind of want to talk to you again.
07:46It would be good.
07:47My girl. My guys, so good to see you.
07:51I'm ready for another chicken shanty.
07:53Just make sure there's a friendly atmosphere going on.
07:55But at the same time you don't want to be too friendly
07:58because at the end of the day we are journalists here
08:00and we have a job to do but to do that they have to want to talk to you.
08:04So don't be mean, don't be a meanie, be nice.
08:10I've missed you.
08:10I have too, I've missed you.
08:11You have to make this feel like you're just chatting with a friend.
08:15Like that is what I always try and do.
08:18And to be fair, it is a skill in itself.
08:20Not everyone can do it, but I have faith in you guys.
08:24Just believe you can be friends with anyone and it will happen.
08:27Now moving on to our final step.
08:29Do we have enough space on the whiteboard?
08:31We will find out.
08:33Flirt.
08:37You gotta flirt.
08:39Yeah.
08:40My heart's beating really fast right now.
08:41Oh, I think that's just because you're next to me.
08:42Do I look all right?
08:43You look amazing.
08:44Thank you. Chill out.
08:46Stop flirting with me, please.
08:47Flirting to me is the best way to interview someone
08:52because you're able to catch the person off guard.
08:56They're like flustered.
08:57They're like, oh my God, what is going on?
08:59Then they start saying things they probably never would have said before.
09:03You're creating a fun atmosphere.
09:04Like people like watching other people flirt.
09:08Like it's an interesting exchange, you know.
09:11There's a buzz.
09:11There's a chemistry there.
09:12Like that's interesting to watch.
09:14You know, that's entertaining.
09:16So I think flirting is a hundred percent a surefire way to get a great interview
09:21and it served me very well.
09:23Yeah.
09:23I mean, I'm trying to flirt because I'm trying to find the love of my life
09:26and that's not happened yet.
09:29But I do feel like it's on the way.
09:32It's coming for me.
09:33We must stop meeting like this.
09:34I only ever want to see you.
09:36What?
09:37On like a...
09:39That's not the end of the sentence.
09:40That's not the end of the sentence.
09:42I only ever want to see you in these kinds of situations.
09:46What about other kinds of situations?
09:47Not interested. Not interested.
09:49Okay, this is actually a bad example
09:51because I wasn't actually trying to flirt.
09:53But this is the thing that happens, you know.
09:55I don't even try and it just happens just without me knowing.
09:59So that was an example of letting it be awkward while also flirting.
10:04You can layer these steps.
10:05You know, it's not just like one after the other.
10:07It's just like a put them all in the blender and go...
10:11And then like you become the greatest interviewer of all time.
10:14Okay, everyone.
10:15Thank you so much for coming to my lesson.
10:18I've always wanted to be a teacher.
10:20I don't really think I...
10:21I don't know.
10:22Have we done a good job?
10:22We'll find out.
10:24And class is now dismissed.
10:27So go on home, everyone.
10:28You're probably all at home, aren't you, anyway, watching this.
10:32Go to the other room.
10:34Go to the bathroom.
10:37Get a snack.
10:39Close your laptop.
10:40Goodbye.