Hairy Bikers Dave Myers and Si King reminisce about their first gigs recalling that they didn’t really set out to do a food show. The friends, who met to sell an awkward motorcycle, also said they used to “do everything” in the early shows, from research to planning and setting up shots. They told Kate Thornton on White Wine Question Time that their background as a TV crew stood them in good stead. Myers explained: “We never set out to do a food show. We loved food, we’ve been cooking since we were kids, but we never wanted to be TV chefs, as they say. “Food was the currency that drove the program.” WATCH: The Hairy Bikers on their most intimate moments, favorite meals and dangerous adventures Since their first pilot, filmed in Portugal in 2004, they’ve commissioned two series, which everyone agreed “wouldn’t happen now”. “We were both at our day jobs,” Myers continued, “and we just got out our guides and thought of thousand-mile motorcycle trips we wanted to do. “I was back in South Africa [and heard] Namibia was brilliant. So we went to Namibia and Vietnam and Transylvania and Morocco and India and it was literally so random.” He went on to say that they wanted to write their own call sheets at work, be the ones they would like to get. Listen to the full episode to hear about some of the Hairy Bikers’ closest scrapes and the duo’s favorite meals “Don’t get up too early,” Myers explained. “Go get something to eat somewhere and, you know, go listen to music.” Their first series, which saw them visit Ireland, Namibia and the Isle of Man, took 42 weeks to shoot, Myers said, with the pair doing the research, planning, positions and camera locations. “The director just came in, showed up and shot it,” he said. Read more: Hairy cyclist Dave Myers posts video saying he’s a ‘bald cyclist’ after cancer diagnosis King called it “an amazing experience,” but said the important thing was that it was their program. The story continues “We were very keen on this from the beginning,” he said. “Because there was language and content and character and personality that we brought to it. “We weren’t really that detailed about it. We just knew there was this crazy energy and it’s a little crazy and a little off the wall and a little crazy. That would just be a good message because Dave and I watched TV and you know what you want to see. The Hairy Bikers at the BBC Good Food Show in 2019 (MelMedia/GI Images) “There was a deep integrity and honesty to it all, and it was a great way to do it. I wouldn’t do it now. It was good while it lasted.” The pair talked about their working relationship and friendship and the tough times they’ve been through, including King’s brain aneurysm in 2014 and Myers’ current chemotherapy. Myers explained that the couple were on business together and they had to get on with it. “There were tough times for both of us, and when one of us was unable to work, the other stepped in and covered the breach. “We’ve always covered each other. We fulfill different parts. We’re very, very close, but we’re very different. But when the two come together, we’re a formidable team. It just really works.” King added: “The reality is we’re family. We’ve known each other for a long time and we’re like very old slippers. We’re there to support each other.” WATCH: Hairy Bikers’ Intimate Moment On A Detour After A Drunk Night Out
