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Dave Myers and Si King
aka The Hairy Bikers
Si King (L) and Dave Myers (R)
BornDave Myers:
8 September 1957 (age 58)
Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England
Si King:
20 October 1966 (age 49)
Kibblesworth, County Durham, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Television presenters, TV chefs
Years active2004–present
EmployerBBC / UKTV
TelevisionThe 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
WebsiteHairy Bikers Official Site

David Myers (born 8 September 1957)[1] and Simon "Si" King (born 20 October 1966)[2] collectively known as the Hairy Bikers, are British television presenters who have fronted the series The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, 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, Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight, The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure, The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure and The Hairy Bikers' Pubs That Built Britain for BBC Two,[3] and The Hairy Bikers' Mississippi Adventure for Good Food.[4]

Biographies

Both Myers and King have a background in TV and film production. Myers is 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.

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.[5] Both have a tattoo of Che Guevara on their right arm. Simon King is a supporter of Newcastle United.

TV shows

File:Hairy Bikers - Mums Know Best Book Cover.jpg
The front cover of Mums Know Best – The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook

The duo appeared on the BBC's The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook. Their TV shows are 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 feature the pair riding motorbikes, including the BMW R1200GS, F650GS[6][7] and Triumph Rocket III. The show also features 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 pair have appeared on several episodes of Saturday Kitchen on the BBC, as well as on Richard & Judy on Channel 4. They both appeared on a celebrity chefs special of The Weakest Link and in the première episode of James Martin's Brittany with Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin.[8][9]

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.[10]

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.[11] The hour long Hairy Bikers' Twelve Days of Christmas was shown on BBC2, 16 December 2009.[12]

A new six part series titled The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best commenced broadcast in early January 2010 on BBC2.[13]

On 25 October 2010 a new 40 episode series, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, was launched on BBC2. The programme includes 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.[14] 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.[15]

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.[16]

After they had signed new contracts with the BBC in 2011, a new series was commissioned. The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation saw them on a gastronomic road trip, looking at baking 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 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 will be produced by Mentorn Media and the Bikers' first interactive iOS app, also produced by Mentorn, will be released to accompany the series.[4]

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 stones (15.8 kg (35 lb)) in three months, and comfortably passed their target weights.[17]

In August 2012, Myers appeared on Channel 4's Countdown in dictionary corner, and again in January 2013.

Myers took part in the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnering Karen Hauer. On 10 November 2013 he was the sixth celebrity to be eliminated from the contest.[18]

American version

History Channel released an American version of the show starring Paul Patranella and Bill Allen. The show aired for 10 episodes and was spoofed in an episode of South Park entitled "A History Channel Thanksgiving".[19][20]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ Graham Young (21 November 2008). "Hairy Bikers' star Dave Myers says his biggest fear is going blind". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  2. ^ "News – Chronicle News – Hairy Biker Simon King in hospital after crash". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  3. ^ "BBC Two - The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure". BBC.
  4. ^ a b "The Hairy Bikers make exclusive series and unveil first interactive app with Good Food". UKTV.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  5. ^ 'How We Met' at The Independent.co.uk Retrieved 8 September 2013
  6. ^ "Two Hairy Bikers and one lucky winner". 31 May 2006. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009.
  7. ^ Welch, Andy (18 August 2008). "Crumbs – more hairy moments". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  8. ^ "James Martin's Brittany". The Daily Mirror. 31 August 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  9. ^ "HAIRY BIKERS DOUBLE WHAMMY on Tonight's Television". The Hairy Blog. The Hairy Bikers. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009. [dead link‍]
  10. ^ "The Hairy Bikers rev up for their Food Tour of Britain for BBC Two Daytime". hairybikers.com. 15 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009.
  11. ^ "Hairy Bikers star Simon King injured after motorcycle accident". Daily Record. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  12. ^ "UK TV listings schedule – What's on TV tonight?". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  13. ^ kazy (20 January 2010). "Mums Know Best – Series 1 – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  14. ^ "Mums Know Best – Series 2 – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  15. ^ "Meals on Wheels – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Best of British – Shows". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  17. ^ "BBC Two – Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  18. ^ "Strictly Come Dancing's Dave Myers exits the show but says "I've had the time of my life", Mirror TV, 10 November 2013. Accessed 11 November 2013
  19. ^ "Hairy Bikers – Episode Guide –". History.com. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  20. ^ "A History Channel Thanksgiving (Season 15, Episode 13) – Full Episode Player". South Park Studios. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  21. ^ Alison Flood (5 December 2012). "EL James comes out on top at National Book awards". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
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