“WE’RE LIVING THE DREAM”

16 years on from their first cooking series, Dave and Si toast food… and friendship

When you spend as much time together as Si King and Dave Myers do, you would imagine they would have a fair few disagreements.

The telly chefs – known to most as the Hairy Bikers – have been working on foodie travelogues and recipe books together for 16 years now and are firm friends off-screen, too. But surprisingly, the worst fight they’ve ever got into was over mayonnaise.

“It was during our first big show together – TheHairy Bikers’Cookbook, back in 2004 – and it was so pathetic. I got on my high horse about how to make it, and he got on his. We nearly had a punchup,” laughs Dave (62).

“I think we were only fighting because we were stressed out of our heads about it going well,” chips in Si (52). “We’re best mates and we get along famously. It’s never got any worse than that.”

The lads – who got their moniker thanks to their ample facial hair and the motorcycles they travelled on for their shows – laughingly admit they probably spend a little too much time together.

Dave had his first Valentine’s Day alone with his wife, Liliana Orzac, this year because he’s usually away filming with Si. And on Dave’s last birthday, Si – who is engaged to Australian chef

Michele Cranston – headed over to his friend’s house for a dinner date in his garden, eating rib-eye steaks washed down with beer.

It’s no surprise, then, that the pair have found the recent lockdown particularly difficult – especially as they would have been on the road right now filming a foodie travelogue for BBC2.

With the show put on hold due to coronavirus, they have instead been working hard on a new recipe book called Eat ToBeatType2Diabetes. It’s the latest in a string of healthy cookbooks, in which the

Bikers aim to show us that we can still eat our favourite foods while staying trim.

The subject is close to both their hearts; just 10 years ago, they were, by their own admission, “morbidly obese”, had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Dave was also borderline for Type 2 diabetes.

It was filming their Hairy Dieters series in 2012 that turned their lives around. With great advice and lots of support from experts, they shed more than six stone between them.

“The fact that we were filming a TV series put pressure on us. It gave us the kick up the backside we needed. But what I was astounded by was how shedding the pounds reversed the diabetes. I had my blood sugars taken afterwards and they were fine,” says Dave.

“You realise the kind of

“OUR MANTRA IS, GIVEITAGO!

IT’S WORTH HAVING THESE DAFT IDEAS”

health problems you could be facing because you’re overweight,” agrees Si. “We knew we needed to sort this out and we did. But it wasn’t easy. Hopefully we can help others with this book.”

The Bikers have always struck a chord with people for their cheery, down-to-earth natures. And, unsurprisingly, when it comes to healthy eating they have a fairly normal approach too.

“We never said that we weren’t going to have a pie and a pint again. We’re not diet bores,” laughs Si. “We’re two Northern lads who like their comfort food! You might as well give up now if you’re going to deprive yourself of everything.”

Dave and Si have had an incredible journey since becoming the Bikers. Prior to

their professional partnership, they worked in the film industry – Dave as a make-up and prosthetics artist and Si as a locations director. They admit it was a huge leap of faith to turn their back on it all and try something different.

“We felt a lot of apprehension. Working in film… that industry forgets you very quickly,” recalls Dave. “But the chance of doing what we dreamed of doing – riding motorbikes, cooking and eating, and getting paid for it – was too good an opportunity to miss. It is a dream. Our mantra is, ‘Give it a go!’ It’s worth having those daft ideas because you never know where they can get you.

We’re proof of that.”