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Hairy Bikers

The Hairy Bikers were a pair of English celebrity chefs comprising David Myers and Si King, whose television programmes combined cooking with motorcycling travelogue. Between 2004 and 2024 they hosted over 30 television series and specials for BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 5, and Good Food, and wrote a number of tie-in cookbooks.

The Hairy Bikers

Dave Myers:
(1957-09-08)8 September 1957[1]
Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England
Si King:
(1966-10-20) 20 October 1966[2]
Nettlesworth, County Durham, England

Dave Myers:
28 February 2024(2024-02-28) (aged 66)

English

Television presenters, TV chefs

2004–2024

BBC / UKTV (former)

The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, Hairy Bikers Come Home, The Hairy Bikers Ride Again, The Hairy Bakers, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, The Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best, Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels, Hairy Bikers' Best of British, The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation, The Hairy Bikers' Mississippi Adventure, Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight, The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure, The Hairy Bikers' Pubs That Built Britain, The Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure

Myers and King, who both had backgrounds in television production, had known each other since the 1990s. Their first appearance on UK television as presenters was The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook (2004–2008). Their other series include The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain (2009), The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure (2014), Hairy Bikers: Route 66 (2019), and The Hairy Bikers Go North (2021). They also wrote 27 cookbooks, including eight diet books, and The Hairy Bikers Blood, Sweat and Tyres: The Autobiography (2015).


In May 2022 Myers revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer, and whilst he received treatment they made The Hairy Bikers Go Local and The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas (both 2023). Myers died on 28 February 2024, during the airing of their final series, The Hairy Bikers Go West (2024).

Presenters[edit]

Both Myers and King had a background in TV and film production. Myers was a professional make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics, while King served as locations manager on numerous productions including the Harry Potter films and Byker Grove.[3]


They met in 1995 on the set of a TV drama entitled The Gambling Man which was based on a Catherine Cookson novel. King was the second assistant director and Myers was head of prosthetics, hair and make-up on the production.[4] Both got tattoos of Che Guevara on their right arm, in 2006 while filming in Argentina.[5] Simon King is a supporter of Newcastle United.[6] Myers died on 28 February 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer.[7]

The Hairy Bikers Cookbook, BBC TV, 2006 – 2008(The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook (renamed The Hairy Bikers Ride Again for the third series and The Hairy Bakers for the fourth series)

[30]

The Hairy Bakers' Christmas Special, BBC TV, 2008

[31]

The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, BBC TV, 2009. 30 Episodes

[32]

Hairy Bikers' Twelve Days of Christmas, BBC TV, 2009

[33]

The Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best: Series 1, BBC TV, 2010. 6 Episodes

[34]

The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, BBC TV, 2010. 40 Episodes

[35]

The Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best: Series 2, BBC TV, 2011. 9 Episodes

[36]

Meals on Wheels, BBC TV, 2011. 4 Episodes

[37]

Hairy Bikers: Best of British, BBC TV, 2011. 30 Episodes

[30]

The Hairy Bikers' Twelve Days of Christmas, BBC TV, 2011

[38]

The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation, BBC TV, 2012. 8 Episodes

[39]

Hairy Dieters, BBC TV, 2012. 4 Episodes

[40]

The Hairy Bikers' Mississippi Adventure, BBC TV, 2012

[41]

Hairy Bikers Everyday Gourmets, BBC TV, 2013. 6 Episodes

[42]

Hairy Bikers' Best of British: Series Two, BBC TV, 2013. 19 Episodes

[43]

The Hairy Bikers: Mum Knows Best – Series 2, BBC TV, 2013

[30]

The Hairy Bikers' Restoration Road Trip, BBC TV, 2013. 3 Episodes

[44]

Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels, Back on the Road, BBC TV, 2013. 2 Episodes

[45]

The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure, BBC TV, 2014. 6 Episodes

[22]

The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure, BBC TV, 2015. 6 Episodes

[46]

The Pubs That Built Britain, BBC TV, 2016. 15 Episodes

[47]

The Hairy Builder with Dave Myers, BBC TV, 2016. 15 Episodes

[48]

The Hairy Bikers – Chicken & Egg, BBC TV, 2016. 6 Episodes

[49]

Operation People Power, BBC TV, 2016. 5 Episodes

[50]

The Hairy Bikers' Comfort Food, BBC TV, 2017. 30 Episodes

[51]

Kitchen Garden Live with the Hairy Bikers, BBC TV, 2017

[52]

The Hairy Bikers Home For Christmas, BBC TV, 2017

[53]

Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure, BBC TV, 2018. 6 Episodes

[54]

, BBC TV, 2019. 6 Episodes[55]

Hairy Bikers: Route 66

The Chocolate Challenge with The Hairy Bikers, C5 TV, 2020. 5 Episodes

[56]

, BBC TV, 2021. 8 Episodes+1 Christmas Special[57][58]

The Hairy Bikers Go North

The Hairy Bikers Go Local, BBC TV, 2023. 8 Episodes

[59]

The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas, BBC TV, 2023. One-off Christmas special

[60]

The Hairy Bikers Go West, BBC TV, 2024. 8 Episodes

[61]

American version[edit]

History Channel released an American version of The Hairy Bikers starring Paul Patranella and Bill Allen. The show aired for 10 episodes and was spoofed in the South Park episode "A History Channel Thanksgiving".[62][63]

2012 , "Food & Drink Book of the Year" for The Hairy Dieters[64]

National Book Award

Food and Drink Awards 2022, "Personalities of the Year" for The Hairy Dieters[65]

Fortnum and Mason

The Hairy Bikers Blood, Sweat and Tyres: The Autobiography (, 2015) ISBN 9781474600507

Orion

Official website

Hairy Bikers on the BBC