Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers 'one of the luckiest people' after cancer battle

What did you miss?

The Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers declared he felt like "one of the luckiest people on the planet" after getting back on the road with best friend Si King.

The 66-year-old TV cook rejoined his pal and TV presenting partner for their new series The Hairy Bikers: Go West, and opened up about how his cancer diagnosis had changed his outlook on life. Myers told King, 57, how getting back on his bike after aggressive chemotherapy treatment had taught him to worry less and appreciate the simple things in life.

What, how, and why?

Myers and King shared an emotional heart-to-heart on a boat in the middle of a Scottish lake as part of their new road trip. Myers admitted that his cancer journey had taught him to worry less as it had given him a new perspective on life.

The TV presenter and chef revealed in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The aggressive chemotherapy he underwent to combat the disease not only meant he had to learn to walk again but also made him lose his appetite.

Myers told King on the new show: "One thing I'd say is you have to live for today, don't live for tomorrow because you don't know what's around the corner. It could be a double decker bus. Live for today and don't worry so much.

"I've always been a stupid worrier. Big stuff I'm alright, but I worry about the daft stuff. But now I'm learning, I'm like, 'Come on Myers get it in perspective!" He added: "But cancer - there's nothing kicks you in the teeth like that."

Myers also explained how he has also learned to enjoy the simple things in life. He told King: "Talk about light at the end of the tunnel - being here with you today, it's a b***dy search light!

Myers went on: "My experiences over the past 18 months have made me realise, this time last year, to do something like this - what I would have regarded as normal, was an unachievable dream. I longed for this. But what I worry sometimes is I didn't appreciate the normality I had. I do now."

He went on: "To be back on the bike and out in the sunshine and enjoy the food and the camaraderie - I am one of the luckiest people on the planet - but by God I realise it now!"

Viewers were in tears after hearing Myers open up about his experiences. One wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter: "What a Lovely Episode of Hairy Bikers Pleased to see Dave and Si Back On The Road. What a Beautiful Friendship They Have,Had Me Tearing Up A Few Times."

Another said: "Of course I'm that woman crying during the Hairy Bikers. Dave Myers has been having treatment for cancer and you can see it in his frame, weight and hair loss. He is just so happy to be on the road again, brimming with joy at being able to travel and cook and be with his friend."

And a third said: "So very very happy to see you both on TV loving life, food and each others company again The shallots made my eyes a little bit teary. It was the shallots, honest. Keep biking, keep rocking and just keep on keeping on."

What else happened on The Hairy Bikers: Go West

In the first episode of their new series Hairy Bikers were inspired by their visit to a Syrian bakery on the island of Bute which they said had "blown their socks off".

Myers and King visited the Scottish isle where they met a family of Syrian refugees who fled war and ended up starting their own Middle Eastern patisserie in Scotland.

The Hairy Bikers were delighted to return to Bute in Scotland, 30 years after they first visited together. Myers and King met Syrian family Tasnim, Bachar and Majd Helmi at their bakery, and were blown away by their inspirational story. Tasnim revealed: "War started in our country and we were very lucky to be here, my husband Mohammed, he's the co-wonder with my dad and he decided to start this business here."

Majd, 20, admitted to the Hairy Bikers: "I was quite young, when I came here, I was 12-years-old. Starting out at school it was a little bit difficult - I couldn't speak to any of my mates at school. It took me about a year. But as you can see now, I've got a wee bit of a Scottish accent!"

Myers marvelled: "We thought we might stumble across one or two new discoveries, but this has really blown our socks off! What a wonderful story, what a leap of faith for the people who came here. I love the way that Majd is very proud of what he's doing, and the produce is great. I've got such respect for them."

The Hairy Bikers: Go West airs on BBC Two on Tuesdays at 7pm and is available to stream on iPlayer.

Read more: Hairy Bikers

• Dave Myers’ determination to film Hairy Bikers after cancer treatment hailed (Northern Echo, 2 min read)

• The Hairy Bikers: Dave Myers and Si King's enduring friendship through health battles

• Hairy Bikers' Si King says new series 'special' after Dave Myers' cancer treatment

Watch: Dave Myers rides his bike again after cancer fight