Simon King on Guilt Filming Solo Show After Myers Death

Television chef Simon King has revealed he grappled with feelings of guilt while filming his first solo program after the death of his longtime Hairy Bikers co-star, Dave Myers. In an interview aired on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, King described the experience as profoundly odd, marking a significant shift in his professional life following Myers' passing in 2024 at age 66 from cancer.

King, known professionally as Si King, spoke candidly with host Lauren Laverne about returning to the screen without his lifelong friend and collaborator for Channel 4's Top of the Stops. The program, which explores food stops along Britain's roads, represents King's initial venture without Myers, with whom he built a decades-long partnership blending cooking and motorcycling adventures on the BBC.

"The first year, I didn't want to do anything at all, I just didn't have it in me," King said. "And then when I was shooting the show, I felt a sense of guilt that I was doing something when he wasn't there." He elaborated on the challenges of delivering lines to camera, recalling moments of self-encouragement: "It was a very odd experience, because I was having to remember and deliver pieces to...