Si King announced on Sunday that the Hairy Bikers brand is over following the tragic death of Dave Myers.
Best friends Si, 57, and Dave worked closely together for 20 years, creating a number of much-loved TV cooking shows, as well as books and live performances.
Dave passed away in February at the age of 66 with Si by his side after a long battle with cancer.
Si has now said it wouldn’t be “respectful” for him to continue as the Hairy Bikers on his own.
Speak with The guard about his next career move, Si said: “It can’t be the Hairy Bikers 2.0. That will not happen. It wouldn’t be respectful.’
Si King announced on Sunday that the Hairy Bikers brand is over following the tragic death of Dave Myers
Best friends Si, 57, and Dave have worked closely together for two decades creating a number of beloved TV cooking shows
Dave passed away in February at the age of 66 with friend Si by his side after a long battle with cancer
The TV chef continued: “It’s definitely a time of change and change comes at a cost and that price has been my best friend.”
“The great thing about my buddy Dave was that he absolutely embraced the moment. He drove me crazy. I would tell him to just say something negative, but he just loved being a Hairy Biker.”
“Dave and I were two very different people with different agendas and priorities, but we loved each other. The only strategy we had was that if someone was vociferously against something, we wouldn’t do it.
“But Dave was always willing to say yes, much more so than I was. More often than not he would win by being relentlessly positive.”
Si further admitted that being a hairy biker “was exhausting” and that the couple had to “just wait a while” and listen to their bodies.
The news that Si is not continuing as Hairy Bikers comes after he revealed that their last ever cookbook together will be released in October.
Si said he wanted to finish Our Family Favorites in honor of “my best friend” and that he wrote it “with love.”
In a video posted to Facebook, the chef said he had often talked about Our Family Favorites with his friend and that it was only right to get it published.
Si has now said that it wouldn’t be “respectful” for him to continue as the Hairy Bikers on his own. He said: ‘It can’t be the Hairy Bikers 2.0. That will not happen. It wouldn’t be respectful.”
The TV chef continued: “It’s definitely a time of change and change comes at a cost and that price has been my best friend.”
The TV star also revealed he was in utter ‘disbelief’ and ‘couldn’t understand the news’ when Dave first told him about his shock cancer diagnosis in May 2022.
“We have a new book called Our Family Favorites and I just wanted to talk about it,” he said.
“It’s a book that Dave and I have talked about at length and I want to close it to honor my best friend.
‘It’s full of recipes that have remained favorites over the years and are close to our hearts.
‘It will be released in October, but you can pre-order it now.’
Si added, her voice breaking, “It is a very special book, written with love and in memory of my dear partner.”
Earlier this month, thousands of bikers from London’s world-famous Ace Cafe traveled to Cumbria to celebrate Dave’s life.
An accompanying one GoFundMe page to raise donations for NSPCC Childline and the Institute for Cancer Research has already seen well-wishers donate almost £100,000.
Dave’s death in February was announced by Si in a heartbreaking statement.
In addition to his cooking adventures, Myers was known for his warm-hearted appearance on Strictly in 2013, where he teamed up with Karen Hauer.
The news comes after Si revealed the duo’s last ever cookbook together, which will be released in October
Dave met Si when they both worked in the film industry and bonded over their love of food and motorcycles.
Throughout their careers, the best friends built a reputation as the friendly faces of TV cooking, with 31 separate projects since they first debuted on the BBC in 2006.
After his diagnosis in 2022, Dave took a short break from work before recording his final show with Si.
The programme, The Hairy Bikers Go West, saw the pair travel across Britain, from Scotland to Devon, and Si previously said it would be one they would ‘always remember’.
