S Poddar
Si King, part of the popular duo Hairy Bikers, has spoken candidly about the painful blow that the loss of his dear friend and fellow presenter Dave Myers has dealt with his life. King said the last few months have been some of the hardest of his life, speaking during interviews following Myers’ death from cancer in February at age 66.
His television journey ended as it came to be on the way of motorcycles-riding culinary adventures. The duo was indeed special, having spent 30 years of bonding together. Myers’ death has created a huge vacuum in King’s life.
One of the emotional reflections on the journey since his friend’s passing that King made is where he wrote in a first-person article for the Sunday Times: “I’ll be honest with you, the past few months have been a struggle. More than once I was on the verge of jumping on my bike and heading into the sunset. Not tell anyone where I was going. Just clear off and never come back.”
At times, the weight of his pain was too much for King. “Other times I was raging. Raging at that bloody disease, at God and anything else I could think of,” he said, laying blame at life’s doorstep for its unkind treatment. “People were asking what I was going to do next.”. I was planning to spend some time thinking about how I used to live with my mate. And then how to move forward with life as one should. Which is exactly what Dave would have wanted me to do: move forward, don’t dwell on the past.
King also announced that he has been compiling a new anthology of classic Hairy Bikers recipes in his tribute to his and their legacy together. He dropped other hints about future activities, but his take on life appears to be much more laid back now. “Even if I end up doing nothing more than making bacon sarnies and playing a few gigs with my band, that’s fine by me. Happy days!”
Thinking back about what he and Myers achieved, King was proud of what they accomplished: “I keep getting asked if the Hairy Bikers left a legacy. Yeah, I’d like to think we made a little bit of difference, here and there. Just two regular blokes, having a go at beef rendang or apple pie. Hopefully we caught the attention of people who didn’t normally watch swanky cooking programmes on telly.”.
One stood out, however-not just for their cooking skills but also for their relatability. “Overweight, scruffy, working-class northerners don’t often get presented with an opportunity like the Hairy Bikers,” King said, musing about the uniqueness of her journey. “It was a beautiful, magical thing and I’ll miss it. I’ll miss him. But there is a future for me, and I’m excited for what’s coming next.”.
King and Myers met in 1992 over a love of food and motorcycles. “That was sealed over a tandoori chicken masala, four poppadoms, and three pints of lager,” King recalled with a chuckle. They were inseparable, and their first joint television appearance was to come in 2004’s The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook. The presentation is an entertaining mix of travel and cooking while a couple travels by motorcycles across Portugal in the first episode.
Since Myers died, his fans and friends have done their best to remember him. In June, a huge memorial motorcycle ride happened for his honor. The “Dave Day” saw thousands of motorcyclists ride from London to Myers’ hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, all paying tribute to the man who has been turned into national treasure through his funny personality and passion for food.
It is now left to Si King and navigating a future without his closest friend by his side. Yet, he does not let that sadness cloud the positive feelings he knows await him on the road ahead. The memories he shared with Myers will see him through, no doubt. Without Dave, the Hairy Bikers will perhaps never be the same; yet their impact on the small screens of British television and the hearts of its fans will surely last for years to come.
As King continues to be moved along, one can see that all that love, humor, and joy brought into everyone’s life are not easily forgotten. There was this down-to-earth quality about them plus cooking curiosity that made them come across quite different from the other poised, dashing TV chefs. Beyond good food, to fans and to King, the Hairy Bikers will forever symbolize friendship, adventure, and living life to the full.
