Si King issues heartbreaking insight into life after Dave Myers death: ‘Doesn’t stop him being my best mate’
Si King has spoken emotionally about his enduring friendship with his late Hairy Bikers co-star Dave Myers, who passed away in February.
Myers died earlier this year after battling cancer – although he did not specify which type of cancer he had.
On the day he died, King issued a heartfelt statement on behalf of Myers’ wife Liliana Orzac, saying that it would take a long time for him to move on from his death.
During a Q&A screening for his upcoming tribute show to Myers, he admitted: “Look, just because Dave’s passed, it doesn’t stop him being my best mate. It’s not how that works. You’re mates for life and death,”
The 58-year-old chef described Myers as “a joyous man” who “embraced and loved the life that he led.”
“That was the essence of my best mate. Now it’s incumbent on me to look after the legacy of the Hairy Bikers,” King added.
King has revealed he will not continue making the same style of shows that defined the Hairy Bikers duo and admitted: “It would be different because that was Dave and I, and he’s no longer with us. So it would have to be different.”
Instead, the chef is pursuing new ventures, including opening a “takeaway restaurant kind of vibe” in Sunderland, with other upcoming projects including completing a book and moving house.
“Dave was very, very clear and adamant, as I would want for him if the shoe was on the foot, you have to do some other things,” King shared.
King has been candid about his struggle with grief in recent months.
“There’s no real timescale to grief. It comes and goes,” he reflected.
In a vulnerable interview, King revealed the depth of his emotional turmoil: “More than once I was on the verge of jumping on my bike and heading into the sunset. Not telling anyone where I was going.”
He described feeling rage “at that bloody disease, at God and anything else I could think of.”
Despite these difficulties, King remains committed to honouring the Hairy Bikers’ legacy while pursuing his own path forward.
“I’m a great believer in never taking anyone for granted,” he said, acknowledging the support he’s received.
The BBC Two tribute show “The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone” will air on December 23rd at 9pm.
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The one-hour special features never-before-seen footage and follows King as he leads a motorcycle convoy of 46,000 riders covering 300 miles to Myers’ hometown of Barrow-in-Furness.
Following the overwhelming success of this “Dave Day” tribute, the event will return in June 2025.
“It was all of those things, that brotherhood, that community, that opportunity for people to openly grieve,” King reflected on the event.
The programme will also include archive material from over 30 series and their 650,000 miles on the road together.