Si King

King was born in Kibblesworth, then part of County Durham. An alumnus of St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in Washington, he once stated that he "went through a phase of wanting to be a priest when I was about 13, but soon discovered girls and music were way more interesting." King's father served in the Royal Navy during World War II on the Arctic convoys and was then employed as a motorcycle despatch rider.{{cite web|url=https://www.hairybikers.com/news/2015/10/16/the-bikers-on-biking|title=The Bikers on biking|date=16 October 2015|publisher=Hairy Bikers.com|accessdate=30 January 2021}}

At the age of 16, King worked laying paving stones for a construction firm.[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/aug/15/hairy-biker-si-king Si King Guardian money interview]; The Guardian, retrieved 6 September 2014. He then worked in film and television production. He was assistant location manager on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm|title=IMDb - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Full Cast & Crew|website=IMDb }} and location manager on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295297/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm|title=IMDb Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Full Cast & Crew|website=IMDb }} He met Dave Myers in 1992. He also worked on the set of a TV drama entitled The Gambling Man on which he was the second assistant director.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-simon-king--dave-myers-7976629.html 'How We Met'], TheIndependent.co.uk; retrieved 8 September 2013.

{{Main|Hairy Bikers|l1=Hairy Bikers}}

The duo first appeared on the BBC's The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook. Their TV shows are a mixture of cookery and travelogue, using a similar style to that previously associated with chef Keith Floyd, including the habit of frequently referring to the cameraman and other crew. Most shows featured the pair riding motorbikes, including the BMW R1200GS, F650GS{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofbmw.com/content/article.asp?article=529&artDate=31/05/2006%2014:08:37|date=31 May 2006|accessdate=9 January 2009|title=Two Hairy Bikers and one lucky winner|publisher=worldofbmw.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710023434/http://www.worldofbmw.com/content/article.asp?article=529&artDate=31%2F05%2F2006%2014%3A08%3A37|archivedate=10 July 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz/s/1063073_crumbs__more_hairy_moments|title=Crumbs – more hairy moments|publisher= Manchester Evening News|last=Welch|first=Andy|date=18 August 2008|accessdate=9 January 2009}} and Triumph Rocket III.

In summer 2009, they filmed a 30-part daytime series for BBC Two, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain, which aired weekdays starting on 24 August 2009. The series saw them visit a different county each day and cook what they considered to be that county's signature dish.[http://www.hairybikers.com/blog/index.php?article=102] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802031721/http://www.hairybikers.com/blog/index.php?article=102|date=2 August 2009}}

A new six-part series titled The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best commenced broadcast in early January 2010 on BBC Two.{{cite web|url=http://www.hairybikers.com/shows/mums-know-best-series-1/1326|title=Mums Know Best – Series 1|publisher=Hairy Bikers|date=20 January 2010|accessdate=28 November 2012}}

On 25 October 2010, a new 40-episode series, The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off, was launched on BBC Two. The programme includes a cook off between two families, and celebrity guests.

From January to May 2010, the Hairy Bikers performed their "Big Night Out" show in theatres throughout the UK. Directed by Bob Mortimer, the show was a mixture of cooking and chat with some song and dance.

In June 2011, the Bikers appeared in the second series of Mum Knows Best. The series, made up of eight episodes, featured three 'Star Mums' whose recipes were tested and shared with the public.{{cite web|url=http://www.hairybikers.com/shows/mums-know-best-series-2/1325|title=Mums Know Best – Series 2|publisher=Hairy Bikers|accessdate=28 November 2012}}

October 2011 saw a new series, Meals on Wheels, air on BBC Two. The series fronted a campaign to save local 'meals on wheels' services around the UK.{{cite web|url=http://www.hairybikers.com/shows/meals-on-wheels/1324|title=Meals on Wheels – Shows|publisher=Hairy Bikers|accessdate=28 November 2012}} From November to December 2011, the Bikers appeared in a 30-part BBC series called Hairy Bikers: Best of British, airing at 3:45 pm on BBC Two (apart from the show's final week, in which it aired on BBC One). The series celebrated British recipes and championed local produce. In January 2012, continuing into February, BBC Two showed hour long re-versions including recipes from various episodes of the series.{{cite web|url=http://www.hairybikers.com/shows/best-of-british/1458 |title=Best of British – Shows|publisher=Hairy Bikers|accessdate=28 November 2012}}

After they had signed new contracts with the BBC in 2011, a new series was commissioned. The Hairy Biker's Bakeation was a gastronomic road trip across Europe.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b06zw4db/episodes|title=Hairy Bikers' Bakeation Episodes|work=BBC Food|publisher=BBC|accessdate=30 January 2021}}

In March 2012, Good Food commissioned The Hairy Biker's Mississippi Adventure, the duo's first series for the channel. In August 2012, Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight showed how the Hairy Bikers embarked on a campaign to lose two-and-a-half stone ({{convert|15.8|kg|lb|abbr=on}}) in three months, and comfortably passed their target weights.{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vq8c6 |title=BBC Two – Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight|publisher=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=28 November 2012}}

In 2014, King suffered an intracranial aneurysm from which he recovered after hospital treatment.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10914408/Hairy-Bikers-Si-King-suffered-brain-aneurysm.html 'Si King Suffered Brain Aneurysm' at Daily Telegraph]. Retrieved 6 September 2014

In September 2017, along with his 'Hairy Bikers' partner Dave Myers, he was initiated into the showbusiness charity the Grand Order of Water Rats. They were both sponsored by Rick Wakeman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/five-minutes-with-the-hairy-bikers-si-king-and-dave-myers/|title = Five minutes with the Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers|date = 22 September 2021}}

King is a supporter of Premier League football team Newcastle United F.C. King lives near Newcastle and has three children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2trBLKMjmhjHtqZ4HD4vnwS/si-king|title = BBC Two – the Hairy Bikers' Restoration Road Trip – Si King}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://plus.google.com/101326422396700708290/posts Hairy Bikers Official Google+ ]
• [https://www.hairybikersdietclub.com/ Hairy Bikers Diet Club]
• {{IMDb name|id=0455279|name=Si King}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Si}}

Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from County Durham (before 1974)

Category:English people of German descent

Category:English people of Swedish descent

Category:English people of Italian descent

Category:English television chefs

Category:English autobiographers

Category:English male chefs