Lili Myers: 'Dave will always be the best part of me'
The wife of the TV chef pays tribute to her late husband
Last updated 7th Jun 2024
The wife of the late Hairy Biker, Dave Myers, says he will always be the best part of her.
Lili Myers is paying tribute to her husband - nearly four months on from his death.
She says the nation are grieving with her, as many saw him as a friend or part of the family:
"It makes me be so grateful for having all these beautiful people sending me beautiful messages, giving me strength, being part of my grieving process. It's like I'm grieving with the nation.
"I'm sharing this sentiment, I'm sharing my burden with so many other people. It makes things a lot easier for me and when I see all this outpouring of love for Dave."
The TV chef died in February at the age of 66 following a battle with cancer.
Best friend Si King announced the sad news in a heartbreaking message shared on social media, in which he confirmed he, Lili, his family and close friend David were all by his side as he sadly passed on February 28.
Lili says the last two years have been very hard:
"Well, obviously it's still raw and it's still there. It's been really difficult for the past couple of years - I've seen this man dying every day a little bit - and seen the brave smile on his face all the time. He even filmed one series in between treatment sessions.
"Seeing the determination that he had and the courage that he had, that's given me a lot of strength. But it's been hard. It's been hard watching him suffer. It's been hard.
"But he wouldn't want me to curl up and hide under a carpet.
"That wouldn't be the thing that he would like for me. He would like for me to go out, live my life. And do the things I always wanted to do.
"Dave had this knack about him to get the best out of people - to be the best they could - he was always had this. He'd say 'What do you want to do? You want to do this? Yes. I can help you. I can push you.' And he's pushing me now. Look at the amazing things that are happening.
"I never ever in my wildest dreams imagine that I could orchestrate or be part of 'Dave Day'. But I am because he's pushing me to. He's in my heart. He's in everything I do. He's always going to be the best part of me."
Dave Day will see thousands of people come together to celebrate Dave Myers.
Thousands of motorbike riders will be making the 300+ mile journey from London to Barrow on Saturday (8 June).
The ride will be led by Dave's close friend and Hairy Bikers co-star Si King.
It starts at 7am at Ace Café on London's North Circular road, and there will be four stops along the way in Oxford, Solihull, Knutsford, and Kendal, before the convoy finishes at Barrow Town Hall shortly before 4pm.
As the ride comes to a close, a big celebration event will take place - with a memorial service and family entertainment - alongside bands, plays, food stalls, and a concert.
Lili says the event has just grown and grown:
"This event has brought so much joy in so many people's lives, and I am so excited about this. I can't even explain how excited. I can't contain my excitement. Its really fantastic.
"We were hopeful for a few 100 bikers when we started this and it just grew and grew to an extent that now it just has legs on its own and it's just amazing to see."
Hairy Bikers
Dave Myers was one half of the Hairy Bikers. He joined Si King on many adventures, traveling around on their motorbikes, cooking local cuisines.
Between 2004 and 2024 they hosted over 30 television series and specials programmes, and wrote a number of cookbooks.
Lili said the pair were part of people's lives:
"I think that the values that the two of them (Si King and Dave Myers) passed on to the public are so precious - friendship, cooking, biking, travelling, family, family values.
"And because of all these things, makes them so relatable. People enjoy talking to them when they met them on the street, people enjoyed just chatting to them and they've always had time for everybody.
"If Dave was asked to to stop for a chat, he would do that. If people wanted him to sign a book, he always made time, he respected his public so much - he loved them.
"I think that transpires - his kindness, his warm manner, of talking to people, being approachable, really made him loveable to everybody.
"Yeah, don't forget that they've been part of peoples lives, people's living rooms for nearly 20 years, and that's makes makes them even more kind of part of the public's consciousness.
"It's like the good uncle that's on the TV and smiling and showing me how to cook, to make a curry. But also the same uncle, who shows me how to ride a motorbike or the beauties of the countries that they were travelling."
Lili: 'The first meal he cooked me was beautiful'
Lili and Dave met in 2005 while he was filming the Hairy Bikers and went onto marry in 2011.
"We met when the boys (Si and Dave) were filming the very first series and in one of the episodes they were in Transylvania. They stayed in the hotel I was managing so I would help them with locations with other bits and bobs during their stay.
"And from there Dave and I stayed in touch. He used to write all these beautiful emails from all around the world. All the beautiful travels that he was on, the food, the cultures, the people that he met, what he liked, what he disliked, what impression he had of the area, about the atmosphere of the places he used to visit.
"It just fascinated me the way he was talking and speaking and after his emails, he started to call now and again and we decided to meet up. And that's how our our relationship started with words, beautiful words.
"It was a lovely friendship that just developed. And then, yeah, the very first time he cooked for me, that sealed the the package because never, ever in my life had anyone cooked for me. I was the cook in my family and no man had ever cooked for me before.
"The very first thing he ever cooked for me was a sandwich. And do you know what, it was a beautiful sandwich. It was made with love, with good intentions. It was fantastic."
Dave Day
‘Dave Day’ was inspired by the outpouring of love and support Lili received following the TV stars passing.
Lili says the response has been fantastic:
"It's just wonderful to see what Dave has managed to do beyond the grave. It's amazing and he's always been a very proud Barrovian and he always wanted to put Barrow on the map. And he's done it - again.
"And people in Barrow are so wonderful, and their response, the way they they organise things so that everything was doable. They they came together as a community in a wonderful way. I cannot thank them enough."
When asked what Dave would make of the event, Lili said he would love it:
"He would just be there with a pint of beer in his hand, dancing the night away to the bands. He'd be having fun - loving every single moment of it. He would have a brilliant day - a Dave Day."