Hairy Biker Si King opened up about the loss of his best pal Dave Myers, on Tuesday, following his tragic death earlier this year.
Dave passed away in February at the age of 66, with his family and co-star, 58, by his side following a lengthy battle with an unspecified cancer.
Si has worked to continue Dave’s legacy and a special documentary, The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone, will see him close the chapter on an incredible 25 years of memories with his biking brother, when it airs on December 23.
The BBC One programme will feature archived and new interviews, along with previously unseen footage, to help celebrate Dave’s life, charting a journey that took him around the world, cooking up a storm as one of television’s greatest ever double acts.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Si explained how his friendship with Dave, which dates back to 1992, has endured beyond his death and admitted he is ‘always chatting to him’ still.
He said: ‘We’ve had so many experiences together, that remains, there’s a resonance there and that energy stays. Just because he’s passed, doesn’t mean he’s stopped being my mate.’
Hairy Biker Si King opened up about the loss of his best pal Dave Myers, on Tuesday, following his tragic death earlier this year
Dave passed away in February at the age of 66, with his family and co-star, 58, by his side following a lengthy battle with an unspecified cancer (pictured together in April 2023)
Si has worked to continue Dave’s legacy and a special documentary, He confessed that the pair had been so close for so many years that he sometimes forgets that Dave has gone and even recently almost gave him a call.The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone, will see him close the chapter on an incredible 25 years of memories with his biking brother, when it airs on December 23 (pictured on special)
He confessed that the pair had been so close for so many years that he sometimes forgets that Dave has gone and even recently almost gave him a call.
Si said: ‘I nearly rang him up the other day, I thought I haven’t heard from him in yonks, where’s he gone? It’s just that reflex, it’s that reference point.
‘We were each other’s reference points because of our friendship together. I’m always chatting to him.’
He also voiced his admiration with how strong Dave had been in filming their last episode together, as he recalled how his pal came alive on the screen.
He said: ‘The filming schedule was the same and it’s tough. And the energy of the man and determination to do one last show, it still astounds me.
‘Look Dave is a born performer, he loved it. He was braver than me in that way, in the sense that he’d get dressed up – I mean he did Strictly as you know.
‘You always got a heart and soul performance with Dave and that was wonderful to be next to and to be part of.’
He went on: ‘The energy of Dave remains with us all that who knew him and loved him. He was just fun, he just loved his life. He loved performing, he loved what he did for a living.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Si explained how his friendship with Dave, which dates back to 1992, has endured beyond his death and admitted he is ‘always chatting to him’ still (pictured together in 2006)
He confessed that the pair had been so close for so many years that he sometimes forgets that Dave has gone and even recently almost gave him a call
‘We both thought ourselves very privileged, because we’re two working class guys from the North and we never took that for granted and that was lovely.’]
Si also recalled how he and Dave had first met, as he joked that it was ‘love at first sight’ for the pair.
He explained: ‘Dave was a fine artist, he trained at Goldsmiths. He was makeup artist and a very talented prosthetics artist.
‘We met at pub over poppadums and a curry because Dave was working with me on a drama in 1992, and that’s how we met. He always brought a talent to everything he did, that was Dave all over.’
He then quipped: ‘It was kind of love at first sight. He shared his poppadum because I was so hungry, and that’s when I knew he was a good guy!’
And fans watching at home were full of admiration for Si’s candidness about his grief and took to social media to praise his and Dave’s enduring bond.
Writing on X, they shared: ‘Si King is holding a lot in for Dave. He needs a good cry, God love him.❤️’
‘Si’s such a lovely man, you can miss someone more as time goes on’; ‘An example of friendship at its very best.’
He also voiced his admiration with how strong Dave had been in filming their last episode together, as he recalled how his pal came alive on the screen
And fans watching at home were full of admiration for Si’s candidness about his grief and took to social media to praise his and Dave’s enduring bond
Last week, Si confirmed he will continue creating new programmes solo, but the Hairy Bikers series would be retired, admitting the future projects will be ‘very different’ without his long-time collaborator.
At a screening for The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone, he explained the show was intended as both a tribute to Dave and a way to give fans closure.
He admitted: ‘It’s quite emotional. You never want to make a programme like that, do you? But it was important to celebrate the man and what he’s achieved. And it was important to give our audience a goodbye as well.’.
Si, who broke down in tears in the final episode, spoke poignantly about the courage Dave displayed during their final series together.
He recalled: ‘I was driving on the A1 north, and he rang me. He went, ‘King, it’s me. I’ve got something to tell you. Do you want to pull over?’ So I pulled over, and he told me that he had cancer.
‘I could only admire the courage of the man as we rode side by side once again. The last series that we did together, not just myself and Dave but all of our crew that we’d worked with for 10, 15, 20 years in some cases, was a testament to his determination.
‘He was absolutely adamant that he wanted to get back on the road, back on the bike, and feel like he wasn’t just a cancer patient anymore. He wanted to feel like one of the Hairy Bikers again, and I think that kept him going.’
The TV chef admitted that he feels a responsibility to preserve Dave’s memory and the shared legacy they built together.
At a screening for The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone, he explained the show was intended as both a tribute to Dave and a way to give fans closure
As he moves forward, he said he is confident Dave’s spirit will remain with him, and concluded with a sentiment that encapsulated their partnership (pictured in 2009)
He said: ‘It’s my duty to look after his memory, to look after the legacy that he built, to look after the legacy of the Hairy Bikers.
‘Dave was a joyous man. He embraced and loved the life that he led, and that was enormously important to him. That was the essence of my best mate.’
Si continued: ‘The programme was an exclamation mark. It was brotherhood, community, and an opportunity for people to openly grieve the loss of a decent, straightforward man.’
As he moves forward, he said he is confident Dave’s spirit will remain with him, and concluded with a sentiment that encapsulated their partnership.
He said: ‘In the spirit of the Bikers, Dave would want me to continue to have fun, to educate, to inform, to enlighten, to be slightly edgy. And I know that’s what he’d want for me.’