Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers reveals guilty pleasure that made him overweight

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Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers has admitted his love of potato pies was one of the reasons he used to be so overweight.

The 66-year-old TV cook returned to his home county of Lancashire for the latest series of The Hairy Bikers: Go West, showing his old pal Si King around the area where he grew up. But as the pair prepared a traditional butter and potato pie together Myers confessed he use to eat two a day just for lunch.

What, how and why?

In the latest episode of their new series The Hairy Bikers toured Lancashire. Myers revealed: "I was born in Barrow-in-Furness which was part of the county of Lancashire back then. l so I always feel a sense of coming home when I ride these roads."

To celebrate the famous Lancashire potato the pair cooked a traditional potato pie. King said:"Potatoes in a pie with butter, what's not to love?" Myers confessed: "When I worked in Manchester there used to be bakery and every day we'd go and eat two butter potato pies." King, 57, winced: "How heavy were you then?!" Myers laughed: "Oh about 18 stone, like, it went down a treat. It's simple its great and it's delicious and it's not one for slimmers."

Myers and King rose to fame as The Hairy Bikers, but had a make over in 2012 when they became the Hairy Dieters. Swapping motorcycles for bicycles and pies for poke bowls and salads, Myers and King cut calories and shed pounds on their healthy eating mission - losing over five stone between them. Their weight-loss and dieting recipes were so inspiring, they launched their own Hairy Bikers Diet Club in 2014.

But Myers 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. He previously revealed: "I lost so much weight... At first I thought, 'Right, this is great, I can eat all those pies I haven't been eating for years', except [my] appetite was dreadful! "For me, a glutton, losing my appetite was awful."

The pair admitted sharing the visit to Lancashire together following Myers battle with cancer had been very meaningful. King said: "It's great that I'm back here with me best mate. We didn't think 18 months ago that we'd be back on the bikes again and wandering round Dave's back yard. It's wonderful that we are." Myers added: "My it's been glorious and the motorcycling's been glorious what can I say it just feels so good to be alive!"

What else happened on The Hairy Bikers: Go West

Myers previously told King as they embarked on their new series, that battling cancer had made him worry less. He said: "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."

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)

• Hairy Biker Dave Myers recalls becoming ‘teary’ when getting back on his bike following cancer diagnosis (Independent, 3 min read)

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

Watch: Dave Myers rides his bike again after cancer fight