The dynamic duo first graced our screens as the presenters of The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook on the BBC back in 2004.
It didn’t take long before fans fell in love with hosts Dave Myers and Simon King as they delighted viewers with their cheeky banter and delicious recipes. Over the past 10 years, the pair have toured up and down the country with various cooking shows as well as jetting off overseas to explore more mouth-watering cuisines.
But on Wednesday night (February 28), Dave, 66, sadly lost his battle with cancer as his co-star Si confirmed the heartbreaking news online. He told his fans his “best friend is on a journey that for now, I can’t follow” as he shared the devastating news.
READ MORE: Hairy Bikers’ Dave Myers’ cause of death after tragic cancer and anorexia battle
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The grieving star added: “I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime.” The TV presenter didn’t specify what type he had been diagnosed when he opened up about his diagnosis in 2022 but received waves of support from his famous friends and fans at the time.
(Image: PA)
As viewers celebrate his life and mourn his loss, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside the famous duo’s jobs before they became beloved TV chefs. Dave was born and raised in the northwest of England int he heart of Barrow-in-Furness.
He went on to earn a fine art degree at Goldsmith’s University in London before he went on to complete a master’s degree in art history. Before he became known as a culinary expert, the doting dad put his artistic skills to good use when he became a make-up artist who specialised in prosthetics.
Dave had a string of credits in some of the biggest TV and movies hitting the silver screen including Prime Suspect and The Forsythe Saga. Meanwhile, Simon worked as an assistant location manager for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
(Image: PA)
Dave and Si first met on the set of a show called The Gambling Man back in 1995 when Si worked as a producer. Speaking to The Independent in 2012, the cooks revealed how they immediately bonded over their love of food.
Simon gushed: “We met on the set of a Catherine Cookson TV drama, The Gambling Man. I was the second assistant director and Dace was head of prosthetics, hair and make-up.
“At lunch, most of the crew were ordering salads and mineral water at the local pub, while I was having a curry and two pints of larger. When Dave came in, he took one look at my lunch and went, ‘I’ll have what he’s having’.
(Image: PA)
“Pretty quickly we discovered that we both loved eating, drinking and motorcycling.” Since then, the pair remained inseparable and even led Dave to meet his wife during one of their UK tours.
Dave married Lilliana Orzac, a fashion designer, after they met in 2005 when he and Si were filming in Romania. At the time, his doting wife worked as the manager of their hotel, and later confirmed it was “love at first sight.”
He told The Mirror: “It was love, or lust, at first sight, but probably not on her part! We became pen pals and love grew from there.” Following the news of his death, his famous friends and loyal legion of fans showered the grieving family with their sympathies and support online.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
