Dave Myers
Dave Myers (right) with Si King
Born
David James Myers

(1957-09-08) 8 September 1957
Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England
Years active1984–present
Spouse
Liliana Orzac
​
(m. 2011)​
Children2 (step children)
WebsiteHairy Bikers official site

David James Myers (born 8 September 1957) is an English television presenter, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, along with Si King. He is also known for his appearances on the BBC celebrity talent show Strictly Come Dancing. Together, Myers and King have presented a number of television cookery series for the BBC. They have also launched their own product called The Hairy Bikers Diet Club.[1]

Early life

Myers was born in Barrow-in-Furness where his father worked as a foreman in a paper mill.[2] He attended Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School for Boys where he had an inspirational art teacher, Mr Eaton. He went on to earn a fine art degree at Goldsmiths, University of London and a master's degree in art history.[3] The first bike Myers bought was a Cossack Ural Mars Mk III, with a sidecar, when he was a student.[4]

Myers then became a professional make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics. He met Si King in 1995 on the set of a TV drama titled The Gambling Man.

Career

Hairy Bikers

The duo first appeared on the BBC's show The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook. The programme presented a mixture of cookery and travelogue, using a similar style to chef 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[5][6] 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.

On 24 August 2009, they hosted a 30-part daytime series for BBC Two, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, which aired weekdays. The series saw them visit a different county each day and cook what they considered to be that county's signature dish.[7]

In January 2010, a six-part series titled The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best was broadcast on BBC Two.[8]

On 25 October 2010 a new 40-episode series, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, was launched on BBC Two. 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 plus a little song and dance. It explored their youth, how they met and their love of food.

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.[9]

October 2011 saw a new series, Meals on Wheels, air on BBC Two. The series fronted a campaign with BBC Learning to save local 'meals on wheels' services around the UK.[10]

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 BBC Two (apart from the show's final week, in which it aired on BBC One). The series celebrated British recipes and championed local produce. In January 2012, continuing into February, BBC Two showed hour-long re-versions including recipes from various episodes of the series.[11]

After they had signed new contracts with the BBC in 2011, a new series was commissioned. The Hairy Biker's Bakeation saw the Hairy Bikers doing what they love best – a gastronomic road trip, uncovering the best baking on offer across Europe, from Norway, the Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), Germany, Eastern Europe (Slovakia, Hungary and Romania), Austria, Italy and France to Spain.

In March 2012, Good Food commissioned The Hairy Biker's 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.

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 (15.8 kg (35 lb)) in three months, and comfortably passed their target weights.[12]

In February 2014, they launched a new series, The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure for BBC Two which saw them travelling in Asia sampling the local cuisine, meeting local people and cooking up some native dishes themselves. The series follows in a similar style to the Bakeation series in 2012.

In March 2015, they co-presented The Nation's Favourite Food on BBC Two alongside Lorraine Pascale.

After having experienced their own success with balancing eating the food they love while also being conscious of their health and losing weight, they wanted to help others to do the same. In January 2014, they launched The Hairy Bikers Diet Club,[1] which includes recipes and tips and tricks to help people to live a healthier and trimmer life, while not starving to be "skinny minnies".

In September 2017, along with his Hairy Bikers partner Si King Myers was initiated into the showbusiness charity the Grand Order of Water Rats.

Health

In May 2022, Myers revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment.[13] In January 2023 he appeared on the BBC Breakfast show, announcing a new series of The Hairy Bikers TV show, and gave an update on his continuing treatment.[14]

Theatre

2014: Cinderella (Pantomime) Hexagon Theatre, Reading, support role, season 2014–15[15]

Filmography

Guest appearances

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2013, Myers participated in Strictly Come Dancing (series 11), partnered with professional ballroom dancer Karen Hauer. They were voted out on 10 November.

Week Dance/song Judges' scores Result
Craig Revel Horwood Darcey Bussell Len Goodman Bruno Tonioli Total
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Moves Like Jagger" 2 5 5 4 16 Safe
2 American Smooth / "How D'Ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning?" 3 5 5 4 17 Safe
3 Paso Doble / "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" 2 5 5 4 16 Safe
4 Waltz / "Take It to the Limit"[21] 5 6 6 6 23 Safe
5 Salsa / "Cuban Pete" 3 5 5 4 17 Safe
6 Jive / "Monster Mash" 4 5 6 4 19 Safe
7 Tango / "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" 4 6 6 4 20 Eliminated

Personal life

In 1998, Myers lost his fiancée to cancer and then at the end of the year he suffered lots of migraines and memory loss. Doctors scanned him and he was told that he had a shadow on his brain, which turned out to be a benign arachnoid cyst, and emergency surgery successfully drained it.[22]

In 2011, Myers married his girlfriend Liliana Orzac whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania for the BBC. He has two stepchildren from Orzac's previous relationship.[23] In 2015, Myers co-wrote an autobiography with Si King, entitled The Hairy Bikers: Blood, Sweat and Tyres.[24]

In 2018, Myers was informed that he was suffering from glaucoma.[22] In October 2021, fellow Hairy Biker Si King announced that Myers was recovering after contracting COVID-19.[25]

In May 2022, Myers announced he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 "Hairy Bikers' Diet Club - Welcome - Lose Weight With Us". Hairy Bikers Diet Club. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Dave Myers Family Values at The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2014
  3. ↑ My best teacher – Dave Myers at Times Educational Supplement 2009 Archived 19 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2014
  4. ↑ "Riders' Lives Special ~ 'Hairy Biker' Dave Myers". 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. ↑ "Two Hairy Bikers and one lucky winner". World of BMW. 31 May 2006. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  6. ↑ Welch, Andy (18 August 2008). "Crumbs – more hairy moments". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "The Hairy Bikers rev up for their Food Tour of Britain for BBC Two Daytime". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  8. ↑ kazy (20 January 2010). "Mums Know Best – Series 1 – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "Mums Know Best – Series 2 – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Meals on Wheels – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Best of British – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "BBC Two – Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "Hairy Bikers: TV chef Dave Myers reveals cancer diagnosis". BBC News. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Hairy Biker Dave Myers gives update on cancer treatment". BBC News. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Meet the Cinderella Reading Cast #2". Imagine Theatre, Coventry. 15 December 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "BBC - Holiday Of My Lifetime - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  17. ↑ "The BBC Children in Need Sewing Bee on BBC2 tonight with Hairy Biker Dave Myers, DJ Edith Bowman, Dr Dawn Harper from Embarrassing Bodies, Wendi Peters & Jenny Eclair". 21 October 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  18. ↑ "Ballet star shows off charity portraits".
  19. ↑ "All Star Family Fortunes Episode 1". Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  20. ↑ "Dave Myers' Egypt, A Cook Abroad - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "Week 4 Dances". Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  22. 1 2 "Hairy Biker Dave Myers on latest health scare". Belfast Telegraph. 22 September 2018.
  23. ↑ MIDGLEY, DOMINIC (6 November 2013). "Dave Myers is the Strictly hairy dancer turned make-up artist and antiques fanatic!". Express. Express. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  24. ↑ "Book reviews: The Hairy Bikers, Slade House and more". Daily Express. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "Hairy Bikers star Si King says best friend Dave Myers is 'not very well' amid Covid battle". standard.co.uk. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  26. ↑ "Hairy Bikers: TV chef Dave Myers reveals cancer diagnosis". bbc.co.uk. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.