San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
TV chef was half of ‘Hairy Bikers’
LONDON — Dave Myers, best known as one half of Britain’s adored “Hairy Bikers” TV chef duo, has died after a battle with cancer, his co-star and long-time friend Si King said. He was 66.
Myers and King found fame in the U.K. and beyond with their “Hairy Bikers” TV series, an unlikely combination of motorbike travel show, humor and cookery program. The formula proved hugely successful and the bearded duo has published more than 25 cookbooks.
Myers first announced he was receiving treatment for cancer in 2022. He didn’t provide details about his diagnosis.
King said in a post on social media that Myers died peacefully at home Feb. 28.
“I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can’t follow,” King said. “I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. I wish you god’s speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world.”
Myers was working as a make-up artist specializing in prosthetics when he first met King on the set of a BBC television drama in 1995.
The pair first appeared together in “The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook” on the BBC in 2004. The show features them riding around countries including Portugal and Namibia, sampling local dishes and having a go at cooking them themselves.
They went on to film many more series in numerous locations around the world, from Vietnam to Argentina to cities along Route 66 in the United States. Myers and King also documented their weight loss in “Hairy Dieters: How To Love Food And Lose Weight” and shared health tips and recipes with their diet club.
Following his cancer diagnosis, Myers briefly took a break from work before filming his last show with King, “The Hairy Bikers Go West.” The show, which is currently airing, sees them travel down Britain’s west coast from Scotland to Devon.
Myers was married to Liliana Orzac and was stepfather to her two children, Iza and Sergiu.