Dave Myers has had a busy year as he continues to live alongside his cancer diagnosis while releasing a new cookbook dedicated to the 'life-saving' hospital staff who have looked after him.
The TV chef, 64, revealed he was being treated for cancer in May last year during an appearance on his podcast Agony Uncles, which he co-presents with close pal and fellow Hairy Biker, Si King. At the time, Dave joked chemotherapy would leave him looking temporarily like a “baldy biker”.
Speaking on BBC's Saturday Kitchen in January, he told host, Matt Tebbutt: “It’s lovely to be back. It’s been a rough year, Matt. I can’t pretend otherwise. There were some times where I thought I wouldn’t be here for Christmas.” However, updating fans in April, the star revealed his health was now “going the right way” following a gruelling 30 rounds of chemotherapy, which he said left him 'unable to walk'. In a new interview,
Dave shared his treatment is still “ongoing” but it’s not “not necessarily the end of the world”, saying life at the moment for him is “pretty damn sweet”. So, as we look forward to dipping into his new book, The Hairy Bikers' Ultimate Comfort Food - which Dave has dedicated to the doctors and nurses who have been caring for him while he receives his cancer treatment - here's the lowdown on the life of the bubbly biker from Barrow.
Dave Myers married Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania for the BBC (Rex Features)
Speaking about his wife with the Mirror previously, Dave said: 'It was love – or rather lust – at first sight!" (Oliver Dixon/REX/Shutterstock)Wife
Dave married Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania for the BBC, in 2011. The pair got hitched in Dave's home town of Barrow, Cumbria and were joined by friends and family, including Si, who was best man.
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Speaking about his wife with the Mirror previously, Dave said: "It was love – or rather lust – at first sight. Not on her part probably! She was the manager of our hotel. As Lil showed us our rooms she was very serious, I said, ‘Cor! She’s gorgeous!’ But Si thought she was scary."
The two became pen pals before they started a relationship. Dave added: "She’s a strong woman and she’s tough with me. If I’m in a mood, she’ll tell me. She’s smart and looks after our finances." Praising his wife for helping him through his cancer treatment, he told MailOnline: "Human companionship and love have got me through. I have the most remarkable wife, Liliana, who’s been my rock every bloody step of the way on this terrible journey.”
Liliana has two children Serge and Izabel from a previous relationship. Speaking previously of his delight a becoming a stepfather, Dave said: "A major regret of mine for a long time had been not having children. When I married Lil, I had this ready-made family with two stepchildren."
Huge weight loss
Spending much of their time out on the open road on their motorbikes, it's little wonder Dave and Si used to love big hearty meals as they tore up and down the country. However, after Dave tipped the scales at 18 stone, while Si weighed in at a bulky 19.5 stone - which they admitted may have been partly down to their catchphrase 'a big knob of butter’ - the pair were given a wake-up call.
In 2012, Dave had been diagnosed with borderline Type 2 diabetes, while Si had high blood pressure, was feeling lethargic and had low self-esteem because of his weight. “Look lads, you are middle-aged now and morbidly obese. You need to do something about it,” a doctor friend explained to them.
Dave and best mate Si King dropped seven stone between them after a 'wake up call' (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)“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 recalled in February 2017. The pair lost a sensational seven stone between them, with Si telling MailOnline: "It’s never too late to do something about it, you just need very small incremental steps, such as walking 500 yards more every day. It’s not rocket science, it’s not about massive changes. With lots of small changes you develop momentum, you can see the difference.”
Since starting his cancer treatment, Dave admitted he now needs to put weight on as he spoke about the importance of boosting his immune system. Speaking to the Mirror in May about enjoying huge helpings of sauerkraut, he raved about the benefits of the fermented cabbage.
After coming back to work following a a break during his cancer treatment, he said: “At some stage I need to put weight on, but I need things to boost my immune system. So I’ve been eating a lot of sauerkraut. It really works for me – sauerkraut, kimchi and meatballs. I live by it. It’s a probiotic and good for the immune system and keeps you regular. I love it. It’s the healthy eating that does it.”
The star strutted his stuff on Strictly in 2011 (PA)Strutting his stuff on Strictly
Dave took to the Strictly dance floor back in 2011 where he was partnered with Venezuelan-American professional dancer, Karen Hauer. He ended up being the sixth contestant to get eliminated, but managed to hang on despite receiving the lowest scores for his Cha Cha Cha, Jive, Paso Doble, and Salsa among other dances.
Before he was given the boot, fans were questioning how he managed to be saved week-after-week, but it didn't bother the Hairy Biker, who said at the time: "I’m having a good time and I’m not going to let people spoil that."
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When asked whether he'd thought about quitting, he added: "A few people have suggested it on Twitter but my reaction to that is they can stick their head in a bucket of custard." Looking back at his time on the show, Dave, smiled, sharing: “On Strictly I wasn’t the greatest, but I absolutely blooming loved it. I truly embraced it. I’ve had the time of my life, I mean I’ve met some wonderful friends."
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