Hairy Bikers’ Si King has opened up in an emotional interview about his late friend’s brave words following a cancer diagnosis.
In a candid chat with The Sunday Times Magazine, the 57 year old TV chef reflected on the loss of his friend and co-star earlier this year.
He recounted the heart-wrenching moment he learned of Dave’s illness, sharing: “When he called and told me about the cancer diagnosis in May 2022, it was a real body blow. I was struggling to know what to say, but then it dawned on me: I had to take my lead from Dave.”
Si recalled how Dave’s indomitable spirit shone through, saying: “He didn’t want people feeling sorry for him. He wanted to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in. It was all about the fight. He was a naturally optimistic character and always looking for the positives. You can’t lose hope, can you? If you lose that, what have you got left? We even had a laugh about it. A touch of black humour – in a suitably mild and appropriate fashion.”
The TV star also shared the touching resolve his friend expressed during their conversation: “Almost immediately, he said: ‘I want to get back to work. I don’t want to just be someone with cancer. I’m still me’.”, reports the Mirror.
Despite the diagnosis, the duo went on to film their last series together, The Hairy Bikers Go West, showcasing Dave’s determination to continue living life to the fullest.
He shared: “And he wanted to travel up and down the west coast of the UK – an area he loved and where he’d been born. Oh God, that last series was by the far the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life. The crew felt it too; some of whom had been with us since the start. All of us trying to carry on as normal, trying not to lose it. But that paled into insignificance compared with what Dave must have been going through.”
Dave, a Barrow-in-Furness native, tragically passed away in February this year, having publicly battled cancer for two years.
The dynamic duo rose to fame around 20 years prior, becoming icons for their culinary adventures across the UK and internationally, showcasing their passion for food while exploring on motorbikes.
During his conversation with The Sunday Times Magazine, Si opened up about his feelings since Dave’s passing, confessing that he often senses Dave’s presence, especially when he’s cooking and can almost hear his friend’s voice.
Reflecting on the recent past, he confided: “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. Other times I was raging. Raging at that bloody disease, at God and anything else I could think of.”
“People were asking what I was going to do next. The answer is I am going to take some time to reflect on the life I had with my best mate, and think about moving forwards. Which is exactly what Dave would have wanted. Move forward, don’t dwell on the past.”