The troubled early life of Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers: Star's widow Lili reveals how star battled childhood sickness, bullying and messy first marriage before his tragic death
He was beloved by millions of Hairy Bikers fans who expressed an outpouring of love after his death from cancer in 2024 aged 66.
Now Dave Myers ' widow Lili has revealed he faced adversity in his early life as she detailed his childhood and early adulthood in her new memoir Dave & Me.
Lili, who married Dave in 2011, recounted the late star's early years in the emotional book, including his battle with alopecia and his mother's health struggles with multiple sclerosis.
Dave's mother Margaret was diagnosied with MS when he was just eight years old, forcing him and his father Jim to become her full-time carers.
Lili wrote: 'Within a year of Margaret's diagnosis, she was in a wheelchair and, in time, became physically and mentally ravaged by illness and medication.
'Dave and his dad were her full-time carers which was an immense responsibility for a boy not yet ten.
'Social services eventually moved them to a ground-floor flat on a new council estate in Barrow and the family lived hand-to-mouth, surviving on Jim's pension money. There were many other challenges to contend with, but Dave found escape in music and painting, two more lifelong loves alongside bikes and food.'
Dave had lost both his parents by the time he was 24, with Jim dying of a stroke and Margaret passing away in a care home four years later.
The presenter also had to contend with bullying in school which occured after he was diagnosed with alopecia and lost his hair.
'Not many people know that Dave Myers, the Hairy Biker, was bald from childhood until his forties,' Margaret wrote.
'At a very young age he began to suffer with alopecia which made things extremely difficult for him, especially in school where he was already singled out for being a 'poor kid' thanks to his free meal tokens. He was a target for the bullies and those days were miserable for Dave, sapping his confidence and spirit.'
Dave even believed his alopecia may have developed as a side effect of the stress of caring for his mother.
It wasn't until Dave was in his forties that his hair started to grow back which came after a worrying health scare.
Lili told how Dave was working on a film set as a makeup artist in Luxembourg in 1998 when he collapsed.
Rushed to a German hospital, a scan revealed an arachnoid cyst on the left side of his brain which was thought to have been there since childhood because his brain had grown around it.
'Against advice from doctors and friends, he travelled in his van (driven by a colleague), back to his home in Aberdeenshire where he was admitted to the Royal Infirmary for an operation to install a shunt to relieve the pressure, plus drains to remove the fluid from the cyst itself,' Lili wrote.
'Thankfully, the surgery was a success and Dave was discharged just five days later on Christmas Eve, but his recovery took some unexpected turns.
'Not long after his op, Dave's hair started to grow in dark and healthy curls. I'm not medically trained and so this is just a hunch, but perhaps that cyst sitting undetected had been pressing on a certain part of the brain ... and maybe a combination of that and the stress of caring for his mum had triggered the alopecia in the first place? We'll never know for sure, but it makes sense to me.
'I could still feel the shunt on the left side of Dave's head when I met him seven years later, a testimony to a past I was not part of. Another life.
'One I only knew from pictures and Dave and his friends' endless stories. Oh, Dave was so proud of his hair once he had it back! He would wash it every day.'
Prior to his fame with Simon King as part of the Hairy Bikers, Dave worked as a makeup artist for 23 years.
He worked on several film sets and did the makeup of stars including Christoper Lambert, Sir Roger Moore, Dennis Hopper, Helen Mirren, Stephanie Beacham, Timothy West, Michael Parkin-son, Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Seymour.
In 1987, Dave was working as a freelancer when he met his first wife Kate.
They relocated to the northeast of Scotland, buying an apartment above a small shop in Huntly, Aber-deenshire and setting up an antiques business together.
'I'm not sure how happy those years were, but they must have loved each other and Dave spoke fondly about the fun he had running the shop, with him taking ad hoc makeup artistry work when he could throughout the year,' Lili wrote.
But all was not well as Lili told how Dave returned home one weekend from a job in Darlington and found the shop, flat and his bank account emptied and Kate gone.
'Twisting the knife further was the discovery that she'd enlisted the help of Dave's unwitting best friend, Dr Dave Easton, to load the van under the guise of going to an antiques fair,' she wrote.
'Poor Dr Dave had no idea he was aiding and abetting Kate to clean Dave out and he felt terrible, although of course it wasn't his fault. It would be a source of humour between the two Daves throughout all the years that followed.
'Dave never saw Kate again after that and they only spoke once more to agree to an uncontested divorce. From what he told me, she felt unsettled living where they were, but the reality for Dave was now starting his life again from scratch.'
Elsewhere in the book, Lili discussed Dave's cancer treatment, which she described as 'debilitating and ugly'.
His treatment was so aggressive that he developed sores in his mouth and had to wear gloves due to nerve damage in his hands.
'It got to the point where he was too ill to speak; after each bout, one of the substances he was being given brought on a temporary speech impediment so he could not properly articulate words,' Lili wrote.
'He had sores in his mouth which meant he was unable to eat or drink and was suffering with such severe nerve damage in his hands that he had to wear gloves.
'He had it in his legs too, which affected his balance and ability to walk. I remember Si picked us up from the hospital one day and he was shocked at the state of Dave, who was a shadow of his former self.'
Lili also described how difficult it was for Dave to lose his hair again whilst going through chemo.
'Losing his hair as a result of the chemo was incredibly painful for Dave given his history of alopecia and the regrowth following the surgery in 1998 for the arachnoid cyst.
'The decision to shave it all off was our way of taking control, which was psychologically beneficial, although it took him a while to get used to being bald again.
'He felt reduced to being only a cancer patient, stripped of his image, identity and personality, and with a face he no longer recognised.'
She added: 'He told me how difficult he found it to love himself when he looked in the mirror because the physical change was so drastic. He thought he was hideous with no hair, no eyelashes and heavily stained teeth from chemo.
'He'd lost a lot of muscle mass which meant his skin sagged, the neuropathy in his hands and feet made them unbearably achy, and some fingernails and toenails had fallen off.'
Lili first met the TV personality in 2005, while he was working on location in her native Romania.
They became pen pals before establishing a romance, with Dave eventually becoming stepfather to her two children from a former relationship.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
James Whale reveals he's got ‘weeks to live' in emotional update on cancer battle, saying ‘I spend a lot of time crying'
JAMES Whale has revealed he has just weeks left to live as he faces the final stages of his terminal cancer battle. The Talk presenter issued a heartbreaking update to fans in his latest show, which he is filming from home. 6 6 6 'I'm actually in my last couple of weeks. Last time I saw my oncologist, he said I probably have only got weeks to go," James, 74, told viewers. 'Over the 50 years, I have interviewed and chatted to some of the most amazing people. It may have been you. Maybe we'll catch up for the last time.' Later, when a viewer named Paula called in, he confessed how emotional he has been about his prognosis. He told her: "I spend a lot of time crying. And it really, it's a bit embarrassing, Paula, to be quite honest with you. 'I'm heading into the sunset and I talk about it regularly on the show and you know it's interesting because now everybody talks about it. Not me, not mine, but their own, you know, they don't feel that they're doing it quite right without having a cancer to talk about." Fans were quick to share their sadness on social media following James's emotional news. One wrote: "Thank you for your service & may you live out the rest of your days free of pain & in comfort of knowing you'll leave behind a tremendous legacy. I take my hat off to you & salute you sir." A second added: "The world without James Whale will be a sadder place." A third responded: "You've been and are loved. Hold on to that thought." And a fourth commented: "You made a difference to a lot of people, it's more than most do. May your next journey be one of peace sir." Talk's James Whale issues devastating health update as star says he's 'at end' of cancer journey and ending treatment James been living with stage four kidney cancer for five years. Back at the beginning of May, James told viewers that his condition had worsened, treatment was no longer working and he would "be lucky to make it to Christmas". He explained: "I'm at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore." That same month, James celebrated his 74th birthday with loved ones. 6 6 James chose to spend his 74th birthday in the company of his friends and family. Lizzie Cundy, a contributor on his TALK show, shared a heartfelt tribute to her pal. She wrote: 'Laughter is the best medicine … Birthday celebrations for my dear friend @jameswhaleradio with @lamontbrownnadine @charliem_obe @simonwi @whodathoughtit .. Happy birthday dearest James, we all love you so much.' The snap showed James surrounded by his wife Nadine Lamont-Brown, 59, TV producer Simon Withington, 48, and Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins, 72.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Police say why Christians were told to stop preaching gospel outside one of London's busiest stations - but announce review by 'senior officer'
Police have explained why a Christian group were told to stop preaching outside one of London's busiest stations - but said the decision would be reviewed by a 'senior officer'. A video circulating on Instagram shows a female British Transport Police officer telling Christians to stop spreading the gospel outside King's Cross station, adding: 'I just think it's wrong'. The short clip from the bizarre confrontation sees the officer telling the evangelists 'it's so loud'. She continued: 'These people just want to do their journey, they're not coming here to listen to you.' The preacher replies: 'If I was doing a happy, clappy song it would be okay?' The officer, who walks away from the argument, responds: 'I just think it's all wrong.' However, in a statement British Transport Police said the preachers were moved on as they were using a loud speaker to spread their message - something which needs to be approved by Network Rail before use. A spokesperson said: 'We are aware of a video posted on social media showing an interaction involving an officer outside Kings Cross railway station. 'Officers were on patrol at the station when they came across a group preaching on private land with a loud speaker which requires permission from Network Rail, and as such they asked them to leave. 'We fully appreciate anyone's right for religious expression, and the incident in full is currently being reviewed by a senior officer.' The pair were standing on the concourse betweeen the iconic London hub and St Pancras International, which gets a combined traffic of nearly 60,000,000 people every year, when they claim they were told to move. Mon B, a preacher who leads Mad 4 Jesus Ministries, claims her team were told they couldn't stand in front of the barriers before the officer gave them her 'unnecessary' opinion. It comes after a series of controversial confrontations between the police and preachers in London. Last year they were forced to apologise after Christian singer Harmonie London was told to stop performing church songs outside a church's grounds. Reacting to the video, one horrified commenter said: 'I'm sorry is this officer paid to give out her opinions? Or is she paid to protect the public.' Another added: 'You are not breaking the law. She should be out catching criminals not bothering you.' And a third said: 'Luckily you're not paid for your opinions. You're paid to do your job and stopping peaceful preachers is not part of it.' Mon B later claimed to have spent time praying with a second police officer, who was working with the cop who confronted her. A video of them gathered together showed the police officer nodding along and appearing to thank them as they finished. A third video, which appears to have been taken from the same spot outside the station shows her singing a modern Christian duet through a loud speaker. Commuters quickly pass the group by as they sing Yeshua, a song released by religious group Jesus Image in 2022. In January last year, the Met Police apologised for causing offence after a volunteer officer told Christian singer to 'stop performing church songs outside church grounds'. The force said the officer should not have told Harmonie London, 20, that she was not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds - and she said she felt 'humiliated', 'sad' and 'bullied' following the confrontation. Volunteer officer Maya Hadzhipetkova was accused of breaking the musician's human right to freedom of expression and religion today after she threatened to take away her instruments following a performance of Amazing Grace. The Met clarified that the supposed breach was due to unlicensed busking rather than the content of the songs she was singing. But they added: 'The officer was mistaken in saying church songs cannot be sung outside of church grounds. 'We're sorry for the offence caused and will take the learning forward.' A month after, a Met Police officer sparked fury when they threatened to arrest a Christian preacher who was accused of a hate crime - weeks after a gospel singer was threatened with arrest for singing religious songs. The clip was filmed by the missionaries on Uxbridge High Street in west London outside the entrance to the Pavilions shopping centre after a member of the public complained to police about allegedly homophobic comments. The person who is videoing the officers says: 'All we're doing is preaching our religion. We've been preaching about the gospel and Jesus Christ [and what] the Bible says in the book of John, chapter three verse 16. 'For God's love of the world he gave his one and only son so that whoever, whatever person - homosexual, drunk, liar or a prostitute - believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life.' However, as the preacher continues to ask for clarification regarding the situation, two separate officers threaten to arrest him unless he provided his details. One officer can be heard at the beginning saying: 'Currently there's allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia. 'I've not heard anything, I'm not saying I've heard anything. Someone's called us. It might be completely untrue or true. '[But] if I do walk away and I see offences, and the victim wants to press charges... I could have failed a potential victim.' They add: 'If you don't give me your name or address I have grounds to arrest you. It's code of practice.' A second officer similarly says there has been an allegation of a hate crime which has caused 'alarm or distress in a public space'. They then demand: 'Provide me your name now or you will be arrested. You can spend the night in a cell and we can do it that way.' The nine-minute exchange, which features a number of cuts in the conversation, sees officers trying to reason: 'I'm not trying to attack you.' Accused of being 'emotional', the preachers reply: 'We're just passionate.'
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Kneecap Glastonbury slot ‘not appropriate', says Starmer
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap's planned Glastonbury Festival performance is 'appropriate'. He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday, after being charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: 'No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. 'This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance at the festival next week. Mrs Badenoch said in the X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' The Tory Leader of the Opposition has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss. On Wednesday, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. During the proceedings, a prosecutor told the court the 27-year-old is 'well within his rights' to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a 'wholly different thing'. O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Following the hearing, the rapper said: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. 'If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. 'But most importantly: free, free Palestine.' The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction. 'We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an 'anti-terror law' against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn't have a jury. What's the objective? 'To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English and their merchandise. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.'
