Dave Myers‘ love affair with cooking started not on TV or within the kitchens of high eating places, however at dwelling.
It was there that the 11-year-old future Hairy Biker started making meals for his household after his mom fell ailing with a number of sclerosis.
Myers, who has died aged 66 after a battle with most cancers, honed his culinary expertise amidst the heartbreak of Margaret’s decline.
He beforehand informed the Mail how he concocted ‘sophisticated salads with every kind of components’, while different dishes have been made with a bit an excessive amount of garlic.
At the age of 17, Myers was hit by a second tragedy when his father was struck down by a debilitating stroke.
After battling the duty of caring for them each, the presenter was pressured to ship his mom into hospital, and he or she by no means returned.
Dave Myers aged eight together with his mom Margaret, who suffered from a number of sclerosis
David ‘Dave’ Myers grew to become beloved as one half of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo, The Hairy Bikers , with fellow chef Simon ‘Si’ King
Myers started his media profession as a make-up artist on the BBC, earlier than he met fellow chef Simon ‘Si’ King, who offered him what he known as the ‘worst motorcycle you could have ever seen.’
Their first present, The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, was launched on the BBC in 2006 and noticed them journey throughout international locations together with Portugal, Romania and Namibia, tasting the native delicacies and experimenting with making it themselves.
King stated he ‘will miss him each day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime’ as he introduced Myers’ demise on social media.
‘I want you god’s velocity brother; you’re and can stay a beacon on this world. See you on the opposite aspect. Love ya,’ he added in a press release to X, previously Twitter.
He additionally thanked well-wishers for sending messages of assist to Myers, saying: ‘It meant the world to him, his household and all The Hairy Bikers staff’.
Following his prognosis, Myers briefly took a break from work earlier than filming his final present with King, which sees them journey west throughout Britain from Scotland to Devon.
King beforehand stated that the collection, The Hairy Bikers Go West, which is airing on BBC Two, can be one they might ‘at all times keep in mind’.
‘We are very privileged to do what we do and I feel this one was significantly particular typically due to Dave’s well being and his sheer and utter willpower and love for what he does’, he added.
‘Especially to proceed to do it whereas he was having remedy took exceptional braveness and power – and provides to why Dave and I cannot neglect it.’
Myers competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 alongside skilled dancer Karen Hauer
Myers was married to Liliana Orzac, whom he met whereas filming Hairy Bikers in Romania
The 57-year-old presenter stated the travelogue was ‘a celebration of a joyous and inventive friendship’ and he was joyful they returned to his co-presenter’s unique dwelling of Lancashire throughout the collection.
Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Myers’ broad number of expertise helped him take pleasure in many alternative experiences throughout his life.
As a scholar he labored in a steelworks to assist finance his research in superb arts.
He later joined the BBC as a make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics.
In 1995, Myers met his long-time co-presenter King on the set of a TV drama, and so they went on to construct a friendship and profitable profession collectively.
Their mixture of using their bikes to areas internationally and cooking up a storm as they went earned them a loyal following.
The pair additionally received over viewers with their cheeky northern humour and enthusiasm.
After their first present, the bearded duo went on to movie many different collection and specials for the BBC, looking for out new dishes in international locations akin to India, Vietnam, Argentina and Mexico.
They additionally sampled cuisines of locations nearer to dwelling, akin to Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Dave as a child together with his mom Margaret. He taught himself easy methods to prepare dinner after she fell ailing
Myers’ and King’s mixture of using their bikes to areas internationally and cooking up a storm as they went earned them a loyal following. Above: The pair on The Hairy Bikers Ride Again
Myers and King on their first present, the Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, which aired in 2006
King and Myers on The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, their first present collectively
Dave Myers and Simon King on The Hairy Bikers Go West, which is airing on BBC Two
Across their profession they revealed greater than 30 cookbooks collectively.
Myers additionally competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 alongside skilled dancer Karen Hauer.
After performing dances together with the salsa, jive and paso doble, the pair have been voted off the competitors in week seven.
He additionally appeared as a visitor on a number of reveals together with Sunday Brunch, Countdown, Would I Lie To You?, All Star Family Fortunes and The Weakest Link.
In November, King informed BBC Breakfast that their greater than 30-year friendship got here ‘naturally’ to them as they have been ‘good mates’ and ‘half one another’s households’.
Myers additionally recalled throughout the interview that King had cooked him his favorite consolation meals of mince and dumplings whereas he was being handled for most cancers.
At the time, the TV chef stated he had been ‘actually having fun with life’ as he had received again to using his bike and filming together with his ‘finest mate’.
Myers had beforehand spoken about different well being struggles, together with discovering he had glaucoma – a watch situation that may result in blindness.
In 2018, he revealed he had initially dismissed the situation as a nasty hangover.
He had additionally opened up about shedding pounds via the years by reducing out carbs and alcohol in a bid to change into more healthy.
For a BBC Two collection, A Cook Abroad, Myers needed to journey to Egypt with out King after he suffered a mind aneurysm in 2014, which his co-presenter later stated he was solely capable of survive because of appreciable weight reduction.
Myers was married to Liliana Orzac, whom he met whereas filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, and was a stepfather to her two youngsters, Iza and Sergiu, from a earlier relationship.