Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers was supported after sharing “candid” details about his cancer diagnosis in a recent Christmas special.
The BBC chef, who died on Wednesday (30 February) aged 66, first publicly revealed he had the disease on the podcast he co-hosts alongside presenting partner Si King, titled Agony Uncles, in May 2022.
Tributes are pouring in from the world of entertainment in the wake of Myers’ death who previously told listeners he would be taking a step back from filming and attending food festivals throughout the summer, stating: “Anyway Kingy, I’ve got to come clean now. I haven’t been too well recently and basically, I’ve got to have some chemo, you know all this anyway, so this year is going to be a bit quiet for me.”
In December 2022, after undergoing chemotherapy, Myers thanked his doctors and nurses in Birmingham who helped in his recovery, as well as the rehabilitation staff who “got me walking again”.
Myers, who never revealed what cancer he had been diagnosed with, reflected on his treatment during new show The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas alongside his wife Liliana Orzac.
The chef said, after discovering the news over the phone, “what went through my mind was disbelief, and a refusal to believe it in a way”, adding: : It’s the word, isn’t it? The word that everybody fears.:
He said “the first lot of chemo was very, very destructive”, stating: “You don’t realise what an impact it can have, the debilitating effects kick in quite quickly. My sense of taste and appetite went. I was poorly. You see your weight drop and you’ve got to eat, but it’s finding something you want to eat.”
Myers, who said the side effects included “sores” in his mouth, revealed he “would fall over quite a lot” and said the moment things “got real” for him was when he lost his hair, including his famous beard.
“By the second lot of chemo, my hair came out. It really is quite radical. It’s not a gradual moulting; your hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, everything just goes.”
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He added: “It was all about survival, getting through from one week to the next.”
Dave Myers opened up about his cancer diagnosis in a new Hairy Bikers special— (BBC)
Viewers of the new special commended Myers for his bravery at speaking so openly about his experiences, with one writing on X/Twitter:”Dave Myers is very candid about cancer treatment. It is important that we talk about and show people what happens so that the reality and cautious optimism is out there.”
“Hadn’t realised Dave had been seriously ill, but great to see him back enjoying life,” another added, with one viewer stating: “I enjoy watching the Hairy Bikers but never really liked Dave Myers. Watching his bravery now? Incredible guy. Just incredible. How the hell he has coped I’ve no idea. I would not have.”
One more person added: “A fabulous and emotional watch. The Hairy Bikers covering Dave Myers journey from chemo to a celebration meal. Wish him well.”
