Viewers were left emotional as the Hairy Bikers returned to TV for a tribute episode to Dave Myers, after his death earlier this year.
Myers died in February aged 66, after he was diagnosed with cancer. The popular TV chef, who hailed from Barrow-in-Furness, first revealed his diagnosis on Agony Uncles, the podcast he shared with Si King, who recently shared his all-time favourite memory with his friend.
The one-hour special called The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone documents the day that 46,000 motorcyclists took part in a 30 mile ride to celebrate the life of Myers. It also covered the duo’s long career together and their many trips around the world, in an ode to their enduring friendship.
“This is not a sad story,” King reassured viewers as the episode focused on their almost 30-year friendship and the many adventures the pair had taken.
“Good wholesome telly,” wrote one viewer reaction to the programme on X/Twitter. “Hard to come by these days…”
“My other half cannot believe this Hairy Bikers special JUST started and I’ve already got tears in my eyes,” said another.
“What a beautiful tribute to Dave. Needless to say, I’m in bits,” commented a third.
Others praised the show for being “beautifully done” and “lovingly put together”, as viewers commended the “brilliant documentary” for being “produced in a very respectful manner”.
Ahead of the broadcast of the documentary on 23 December, King, 58, told PA he made the decision to make the special show after celebrating the 32nd anniversary of their friendship and 23 years working together.
In a four-star review for The Independent, chief TV critic Nick Hilton wrote of the episode, “It is a rare male friendship on the television that feels entirely spontaneous, neither inhibited by rivalry nor diluted by the passage of time.
“If you’ve been on a journey with the Hairy Bikers since their TV debut in 2004, you’ll want to strap in and grip the handlebars one last time.
“Dave’s death, at the age of just 66, was a gut punch, but this is an unfettered celebration. It is a union of private and public grief that conspires to give fans and family a last chance to say thank you, and allows the Hairy Bikers to ride off, together, into the sunset.
