for TV
The Hairy Bikers are back on the box – and this time they ’ve gone West! Here, Si talks fabulous feasts and firm friendships and an emotional Dave explains why he is just happy to still be here…
The boys are back! This seven-part series follows dynamic duo Si King and Dave Myers as they travel 600 miles down the west coast, from Scotland to Devon. Along the way, the Hairy Bikers base themselves in stunning locations and enjoy tasty treats. We caught up with dad-of-three, Si, 57, who welcomed back his pal in an emotional first episode, in which Dave (who is undergoing treatment for cancer) explained, ‘I’m doing alright… I’m living with it, my weight is stable… What can I say?’ Adding later, ‘It’s good to be alive.’
Tell us about the joy of being back on the road with your best friend…
Dave is a west coast lad and we had a blast visiting some of his old haunts and our favourite places. Our focus was to get out on the bike and to bring a level of normality back for him and his family and that’s got him through that particular portion of his treatment. It was so joyous. There was a lovely moment on the first day of filming where Dave overtook me on the road, it was like ‘aw, he’s back’. It was like old times.
In this series you talk about the beginnings of your friendship – why did you clicked so quickly?
We had similar interests, we were both food obsessives and loved motorcycles, and we love chatting to people. We are just two naturally inquisitive blokes and also naturally enthusiastic so there was always, right from the beginning, a sound basis for a very long-term and fruitful friendship. We’re part of each other’s existences and lives, that doesn’t change off-screen.
Yes, we give each other space because we’ve been around the world four and a half times together and around the UK more I care to mention.
This journey was a lot like going down memory lane for you both..
It’s always quite nostalgic. What was lovely is, as always, it’s the people that make it and thei
