Ask: Simon King

May 13 2007 By The Sunday Sun

Northumberland man Simon King is best known as one half of TV presenting duo The Hairy Bikers.

Along with his mate Dave Myers he travels the world on a collection of motorbikes sampling a variety of culinary delights. Before becoming a star of the small screen he used to work behind the scenes in TV Production.

His no-nonsense approach to making hearty meals has been a hit with viewers and the third series of the hairy Bikers Cook Book is currently being broadcast on BBC2 every Thursday at 8pm. The pair have also just brought out a new book The Hairy Bikers Ride Again.

* How did you and Dave meet for the first time?

We met over a curry and a poppadom in the Egypt Cottage in Newcastle. We were both working on a Catherine Cookson film at the time and I think it must have been about 15 years ago. A lot of film production crews will go about eating salads. Dave asked me what I was having and when he found out I was having a curry he decided to go for the same.

We got chatting about motorbikes and things went from there. Out of that conversation I actually ended up selling him a CB750. It was very bright and shiny but a bit of a wreck really. It was the kind of bike you want to get rid of and after all I thought I would never see him again. About a week later he called me up and told me to come and collect the bike and bring him his money. I gave him half back and he never tires of reminding me I still owe him.

* What is the weirdest dish you have ever eaten?

That would have to be goat's penis broth in Vietnam. It was quite a bargain because we got the testicles thrown in for free. I got to eat the business end. It was the first and last time I have ever had anything like that in my mouth. We had wanted to try deer penis but were told it was too much of a meal for two people so we tried the goat. It was absolutely hideous, chewy and very tough. Dave tried one of the testicles. He said it was like trying to chew sand.

* What was your first bike and what do you ride now?

My first bike was a US XF650 Custom which I chopped and hard-tailed. Now I have two bikes. An Aprillia Caponord ETV 1000 and a BMW R1200 GS.

* Do you have any plans to work behind the camera again or do you now enjoy being a celebrity?

I still can't get my head around the whole celebrity thing. I am just a normal bloke who happens to be on telly. In fact I think that I will have to earn some more money before I can think of myself as a celebrity. Working on a film set isn't at all glamorous so I have no plans to go behind the camera again unless I need the money.

* What has been the favourite country you have visited on your adventures?

It has to be Argentina which was wonderful. The space is so massive, the people are very warm and there is a mix of culture. The girls there are very beautiful. The men were very handsome as well but as you can imagine Dave and I paid more attention to the women. The interior of the country is remarkable, just absolutely beautiful. The wine there as well is top quality. They have a culture where they enjoy life and make the most out of it.

* Surely you must now be running out of countries to visit?

Anyone who thinks that only needs to look at a map of the world. People say it's a small world and that it is getting smaller but the truth is that it is huge. Most people live their lives within 15 miles of home and that includes going to work, shopping, eating out or visiting friends. There are places left such as the Baltic states leading into Russia, Australia, Canada and Madagascar that we still hope to visit.

* Who does the cooking in your house when you're at home?

It tends to be that when I come home from a trip away the family will be quite keen to sample what new dishes I have picked up. So I will do the cooking. I also do it then because my wife Jane will have been doing the cooking while I was away so it gives her a break. However, after a couple of weeks of me making Moroccan Tagines the kids will be craving for Jane to make a Shepherds Pie.

* What's the worst bike you have been assigned during the series?

We don't tend to get them assigned to us as such. We just tend to use whatever is prominent in the country. When we were in Vietnam we had a pair of tiny little two strokes. Vietnam is still a one party Communist state and they import the bikes from Russia. They weren't very suitable over 3000 miles for a Geordie and a lad from Cumbria who have fat arses.