Channel 4 orders Celebrity Rebrand from Amelia Dimoldenberg
- Jimmy Carr, Romesh Ranganathan and Rosie Jones are among the famous faces getting an image makeover in a series of shorts
- The series is Channel 4's latest collaboration with Ranganathan's Ranga Bee production company
- "I take my role as Celebrity Brand Visionary very seriously," maintains Dimoldenberg
Jimmy Carr, Romesh Ranganathan and Rosie Jones are among the celebrities being given an image refresh in a new Channel 4 series from Chicken Shop Date star Amelia Dimoldenberg.
In Celebrity Rebrand, Dimoldenberg approaches some of the best known faces currently appearing on the channel to suggest how they might change public perceptions of themselves, broadening their appeal. Coaching her clients through a series of unexpected branding exercises, her methods invariably backfire.
Trying to teach Carr how to seem less mean, the "Celebrity Brand Visionary" only provokes the one-liner comic's cruel streak, as shown in this clip, exclusive to British Comedy Guide:
Advising outspoken stand-up Jones how to make the transition to action hero, Dimoldenberg also struggles to school the Twitter-averse Ranganathan into becoming a social media mastermind, as part of the six 10-minute shorts for Channel 4's own social media channels.
Ironically though, the online sketches, which begin dropping from 16th December and also features horse racing presenter Clare Balding, Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing and Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson, are being made by Ranganathan through his Ranga Bee production company.
The spoof publicist, who made a short comedy with Ranga Bee for Sky in 2019, Amelia Dimoldenberg: PA For The Day, as part of the channel's curated Romesh Presents... strand, claims: "I take my role as Celebrity Brand Visionary very seriously.
"I can't wait to get my hands on some of Channel 4's talent and really get to know them, so I can totally transform every single thing about their brand. Thank goodness for me!"
The erstwhile journalist began building her comedic reputation in 2014 with her web series of awkward online interview "dates" with celebrities, including Daniel Kaluuya, Ed Sheeran, Maya Jama and Big Nastie, all conducted in fried chicken restaurants.
Since then she has appeared on ITV2's hip hop-themed panel show Don't Hate The Playaz as a "roving reporter" and made the 2018 documentary Meet The Markles for Channel 4, in which she travelled to the US to speak to members of Meghan Markle's family.
Executive produced by Dimoldenberg, Ranganathan, Benjamin Green and Shereen Docherty, the series was commissioned for Channel 4's digital platforms by digital commissioning executive Evie Buckley and head of digital commissioning Sacha Khari.
"It is an absolute thrill to be working with Amelia again, and helping her to reinvent brands of celebrities that absolutely did not need reinventing" said Green, co-founder of Ranga Bee.
Buckley added: "Celebrity Rebrand is a rare gem of an idea that expertly marries our favourite TV and digital talent with a witty, anarchic and purposefully-awkward premise.
"Ranga Bee and Amelia have tapped into what we love about these household names and the internet's best cultural faux-pas to create a series that ticks all the boxes as to what we're looking for in digital commissioning."
Last week Channel 4 announced that married comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont would be presenting a Christmas Sleepover for the channel, made by Ranga Bee, also featuring Ranganathan, Rob Beckett and Roisin Conaty.