Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers didn't think he'd make Christmas amid cancer diagnosis

28 October 2023 , 18:13

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Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers didn't think he'd make Christmas amid cancer diagnosis

Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers heartbreakingly revealed he didn't think he would make it until Christmas after his cancer diagnosis.

The much-loved TV chef, 66, shared that he received a cancer diagnosis in May 2022. While he has not specified what type of cancer he has, Dave has shared that during he treatment there have been times where he has been too ill to walk, unable to ride his motorcycle due to being unsteady and his hair fell out, along with his eyelashes.

Dave, who is one half of the Hairy Bikers along with TV sidekick and close pal Si King, took some time off work in 2022 to have a gruelling 30 rounds of chemotherapy. He has since made a return to TV screens after sharing his health is now “going the right way”. The cooking duo returned to This Morning earlier in the week and also made an appearance on Saturday Kitchen together.

Dave has returned to TV screens once again (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Hairy Bikers co-star and friend Si has supported Dave (BBC/South Shore Productions/Jon Boast)

When appearing on the show, Dave made a heartbreaking confession to host Matt Tebutt. He said: "I don’t go on about it too much, but with most Christmas specials you have to cook for somebody, but this was kind of like the Hairy Bikers best ever Christmas. Because it was the Christmas I never thought I’d be here for."

He added: "I had to learn to walk and I had to learn to ride my motorcycle again." Sharing what it was like to be back filming on their bikes, Si said: "It was really emotional." Si carried on working alone while Dave underwent treatment. He shared: "He’s my best mate and we’ve known each other for 30 years and cooked together for 22. So you just feel a little bit odd."

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Best friends Dave and Si became famous for their big hearty meals while riding around the world on their motorbikes. Dave recently shared his one life-changing adjustment after a major wake-up call when he once tipped the scales at 18 stone. Si also weighed in at 19.5 stone, which they admit may have been partly down to their catchphrase "a big knob of butter".

Back in 2012, Dave was diagnosed with borderline Type 2 diabetes, while Si had high blood pressure, was feeling lethargic and had low self-esteem because of his weight. "If we'd continued to pile it on in the way we'd been doing, we wouldn’t have had a career anyway – you can't if you're dead," Dave said back in February 2017.

They were told they both needed blood pressure tablets and statins to keep their cholesterol levels under control. "Something had to change," said Dave in 2019. "Food is our passion and always will be – but we were morbidly obese. We hope that people can take something from what we’re saying."

While they laughed about it at the time, Si was suddenly struck by the thought that he might not be there to see his three kids grow up. A major turning point came while the friends were on the road - and Dave sneaked into Si’s room one night to get some high blood pressure medication after running out. The pair lost a sensational 6 stone between them after realising they had to make drastic changes or face a harrowing prospect.

Si suffered a terrifying brain aneurysm in 2014 and feared he was going to die, but believes he only survived because he had lost weight. In 2021, Dave revealed he was struggling with a 'devastating' eye diagnosis that he initially believed was down to a bad hangover. The chef was diagnosed with glaucoma, which is a common condition where the optic nerve which connects the brain becomes damaged.

He admitted: "If it hadn’t been spotted so early the result could have been catastrophic. As a chef, my sense of taste and smell are extremely important. But of all the senses, sight is the one I’d fear losing most. My work is my passion so it’s impossible to imagine doing all the things I love if I couldn’t see – riding my bike, reading an autocue or preparing dishes."

Mia O'Hare