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
In May 2022, Myers revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer; 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
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] While filming in Argentina in 2006, both men got tattoos of Che Guevara on their right arms.[5] Simon King is a supporter of Newcastle United.[6] Myers died on 28 February 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer.[7]
TV series
The duo appeared on the BBC's The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook. Their TV shows were a mixture of cookery and travelogue, using a similar format and style to that previously associated with Keith Floyd, including the habit of frequently referring to the cameraman and other crew. Most shows featured the pair riding motorbikes, including the BMW R1200GS, F650GS[8][9] and Triumph Rocket III. The show also featured elements of the Two Fat Ladies format, including regular banter between the two stars, use of various unusual cooking locations and the use of motorbikes.
The Hairy Bikers at the Dundee Food Festival in 2010, with fellow chef, Rosie Brooks of Dundee College
In summer 2009, they filmed a 30-part daytime series for BBC Two, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, which aired weekdays starting on 24 August 2009. The series saw them visit a different county each day and cook what they considered to be that county's signature dish.[12]
In October 2009, filming of a BBC Christmas show featuring the Hairy Bikers was halted after King was injured in an accident on Tyneside. King came off his bike when a car pulled out in front of him, while he was riding through Gosforth during rush hour. His TV partner Dave Myers was riding some distance behind him. King was taken to Newcastle General Hospital for treatment to bruising to his right leg and ribs.[13] The hour long Hairy Bikers' Twelve Days of Christmas was shown on BBC2, 16 December 2009.[14]
A new six part series titled The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best commenced broadcast in early January 2010 on BBC2.[15]
On 25 October 2010, a new 40-episode series, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, was launched on BBC2. The programme included a cook off between two families and celebrity guests.
From January to May 2010, the Hairy Bikers performed their "Big Night Out" show in theatres throughout the UK. Directed by Bob Mortimer, the show was a fun mixture of cooking and chat with a little song and dance thrown in. It explored their youth, how they met and their love of food. In October 2010, the Hairy Bikers were guests on the BBC TV series Genius hosted by comedian Dave Gorman.
In June 2011, the Bikers appeared in the second series of Mum Knows Best. The series, made up of eight episodes, featured three 'Star Mums' whose recipes were tested and shared with the public.[16] In addition, one of the episodes featured the world-famous 'pie village' of Denby Dale, where the Denby Dale Pie Company are based.
October 2011 saw a new series, Meals on Wheels, air on BBC2. The series fronted a campaign to save local 'meals on wheels' services around the UK.[17]
From November to December 2011, the Bikers appeared in a 30-part BBC series called Hairy Bikers: Best of British, airing at 3:45pm on BBC2 (apart from the show's final week, in which it aired on BBC1). The series celebrated British recipes and championed local produce. In January 2012, continuing into February, BBC2 showed hour long re-versions including recipes from various episodes of the series.[18]
In March 2012, Good Food commissioned The Hairy Bikers' Mississippi Adventure, the duo's first series for the channel. UKTV gave a description of the series: "In this ultimate food and music pilgrimage, the perennially popular Hairy Bikers are getting back in the saddle as they explore the length of the iconic Mississippi River in America in pursuit of the delicious roots of soul food and Southern music." The series was produced by Mentorn Media and the Bikers' first interactive iOS app, also produced by Mentorn, was released to accompany the series.[19]
In August 2012, Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight showed how the Hairy Bikers' radically changed lifestyles, but stayed true to their love of great food, as they embarked on a campaign to lose two-and-a-half stone (15.8kg (35lb)) in three months, and comfortably passed their target weights.[20]
In August 2012, Myers appeared on Channel 4's Countdown in dictionary corner, and again in January 2013.[21]
The six-part series The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure premiered on BBC2 13 February 2014. The Bikers visited Hong Kong, Bangkok, Thailand, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Kobe & South Korea.[22]
In September 2016, the pair premiered The Hairy Bikers – Chicken & Egg on BBC 2.[24] The show featured the pair biking across Europe, America, and the Middle East in search of the best chicken and egg recipes. The six episodes feature the UK, France, Morocco, US and Israel.[25]
During February – March 2020, the Hairy Bikers presented the C5 five-part series The Chocolate Challenge with The Hairy Bikers, where seven chocolatiers battled it out to create, brand, and name their very own chocolate bar.[27]
In 2024, the BBC announced the return of the duo[28] with The Hairy Bikers Go West. The series marked a significant moment for fans worldwide, with the inaugural episode airing on 6 February 2024, on BBC Two. Amidst the excitement surrounding their comeback, Si King emphasised the profound significance of the series, particularly for himself and Dave Myers, in an interview.[29] King expressed the series' importance, revealing that it held a deeply personal significance following Dave's treatment.
TV
The Hairy Bikers Cookbook, BBC TV, 2006 – 2008[30](The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook (renamed The Hairy Bikers Ride Again for the third series and The Hairy Bakers for the fourth series)
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]
Christopher Richard Stein, is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur, writer and television presenter. Along with business partner Jill Stein, he runs the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK. The business has a number of renowned restaurants, shops and hotels in Padstow along with other restaurants in Marlborough, Winchester and Barnes. He is also the head chef and a co-owner of the "Rick Stein at Bannisters" restaurants in Mollymook and Port Stephens in Australia, with his second wife, Sarah. He writes cookery books and has presented numerous cookery series for the BBC.
Baby Cow Productions Limited is a British comedy television production company based in London and Manchester, founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal. Since its establishment it has diversified into radio, animation and film. According to their website, Baby Cow "produces bold, high-quality scripted entertainment across all genres for television, film and radio." The company's name is a reference to Coogan's early characters Paul and Pauline Calf.
Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Johnston Dickson Wright was an English celebrity cook, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and former barrister. She was best known as one of the Two Fat Ladies, with Jennifer Paterson, in the television cooking programme. She was an accredited cricket umpire and one of only two women to become a Guild Butcher.
James Martin is a British chef and television presenter, best known for his television work with the BBC and ITV.
Kelly Jane Shirley, known professionally as Kellie Shirley is an English actress who works in film, television, theatre, and radio. She hails from Croydon via a large Northern Irish family and started her career by training at The BRIT School. As well as acting, she has also co-presented programmes for BBC2 and Channel 5 and written all 6 episodes of Spirit Studios, podcast drama: ROAR available on Apple. As an actress, she is probably best known for her roles as Kirsty De La Croix in Sky One returning, comedy-series In the Long Run created by Idris Elba as well as the role of Carly Wicks in the BBC continuing drama EastEnders and as Kym in The Office Christmas Specials. She can currently be seen playing new series regular Sophia Peters, who is a psych liaison nurse in the drama series, Casualty.
Dame Mary Rosa Alleyne Hunnings is an English food writer, chef, baker and television presenter. After being encouraged in domestic science classes at school, she studied catering at college. She then moved to France at the age of 22 to study at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, before working in a number of cooking-related jobs.
Saturday Kitchen is a "weekend food show" typically broadcast on Saturday mornings between 10:00 and 11:30 on BBC One.
Gregg Allan Wallace is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer. He is known for co-presenting MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals on BBC One and BBC Two. He has written regularly for Good Food, Now and Olive magazines.
Ching-He Huang (Chinese: 黃瀞億; pinyin: Huáng Jìngyì; Wade–Giles: Huang2 Ching4-i4;, often known in English-language merely as Ching, is a Taiwanese-born British food writer and TV chef. She has appeared in a variety of television cooking programmes, and is the author of nine best-selling cookbooks. Ching is recognized as a foodie entrepreneur, having created her own food businesses. She has become known for Chinese cookery internationally through her TV programmes, books, noodle range, tableware range, and involvement in many campaigns and causes.
Stefan Gates is a British television presenter, author, broadcaster and live-show performer. He has written books about food, cooking and science. He has presented over 20 TV series, mostly for the BBC, including Cooking in the Danger Zone about unusual food from the world's more dangerous and difficult places. He develops half of these TV series himself, including the CBBC children's food adventure series Gastronuts and Incredible Edibles.
The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook is a BBC television cookery and travel programme, that has so far run for four series and a Christmas special. It is presented by The Hairy Bikers; Dave Myers and Si King, both of whom are from northern England, as they travel around the world on their motorbikes tasting the local cuisine, and experimenting with making it themselves. They also talk about the culture and the history of the area that they are visiting, with a sense of humour and passion that has been praised by critics and fans.
Simon James King is an English television presenter, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers with the late Dave Myers. Together they presented a number of television cookery series for BBC television and launched an online weight loss programme, 'The Hairy Bikers Diet Club'. King retired on March 19, 2024 following Dave Myers's death.
The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain is a 2009 BBC television cookery programme which is presented by The Hairy Bikers: Dave Myers and Si King.
Lorraine Pascale is a British TV chef and USA Food Network host and former top model, best known for selling almost one million books in the UK alone. Her TV shows are in 70 countries worldwide. She had her own cooking show on the BBC for several seasons. From 2007 to 2012 she owned a retail outlet in London selling baked goods called Ella's Bakehouse named after her daughter. She is the United Kingdom Government Fostering and Adoption Ambassador and an emotional wellness advocate. She is the mother of Charlie’s Angels star Ella Balinska.
Dawn Caroline Harper, known professionally as Dr Dawn Harper, is an English doctor, media personality and television presenter known for co-presenting the Channel 4 television series Embarrassing Bodies opposite Pixie McKenna and Christian Jessen. She works as a part-time GP in Stroud, Gloucestershire and runs several private clinics.
David James Myers was an English television presenter, and one half of the Hairy Bikers, along with Si King. He also appeared on the BBC celebrity talent show Strictly Come Dancing. Together, Myers and King presented a number of television cookery series for the BBC. They also launched an online weight loss programme, 'The Hairy Bikers Diet Club'.
The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure is a British cookery and travel show presented by The Hairy Bikers, Dave Myers and Simon King. It follows them travelling around Asia trying the local cuisine, meeting local people and cooking some native dishes themselves. The series began airing on 13 February 2014 on BBC Two.
Denby Dale Pies is a manufacturer of pies founded in 2001 in the "Pie Village" of Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, England. Their products are sold in branches of Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Co-op Food, Asda, Morrisons and Booths.
Motherland is a British sitcom set in London, which explores the trials of middle-class motherhood. A pilot episode, written by Graham Linehan, Sharon Horgan, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh was first broadcast on BBC Two on 6 September 2016 as part of its "Sitcom Season". The BBC subsequently ordered a full series of six episodes, the first of which aired on 7 November 2017.
The Hairy Bikers: Route 66 is a UK food lifestyle programme which was broadcast on BBC 2 in 2019. In each one-hour episode, The Hairy Bikers travel along the iconic Route 66 Highway, taking in the culture and history as well as trying local dishes.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
