Hairy Bikers’ Si King on how son’s veganism helped his own weight loss

The Hairy Bikers are nonetheless going robust on TV!

We get extra repeats than a nasty pub pie as a result of we’ve acquired such an enormous again catalogue of programmes with the BBC.

It’s at all times extremely nicely obtained and other people do watch it, which is flattering. We’ve shot a brand new collection, which we did final 12 months, that the BBC haven’t launched but. It’ll be proven most likely within the autumn…

What is it?

It’s a love letter to the nation. It’s Dave [Myers] and I visiting the locations that shaped our delicacies and the communities we grew up with all through the north. It was a stunning factor to do.

And we’re nearly to begin filming on a collection that we’re sketching out proper now. Hopefully we’ll be capable to give the beleaguered hospitality trade a little bit of a shot within the arm. And that’s form of what it’s primarily based round.

So you’re not stepping down?

No. It’s not that I’ve taken any much less time to be concerned within the Hairy Bikers, I’ve simply added extra to my workload somewhat than shift the main target.

You each misplaced fairly a little bit of weight. How’s that going?

Initially I misplaced about 4 stone after which I had a mind haemorrhage and put a stone-and-a-half again on and now I’m a few stone heavier than I used to be at my lightest. Dave misplaced three stone. But we simply look rather well.

It’s not nearly wanting slim. As lengthy as your coronary heart’s not underneath a load of stress and also you’re not overweight… we’re all made in several shapes and methods. As lengthy as you’re wholesome and really feel OK about your self…

My center son’s vegan and there’s been an enormous shift in duty, significantly with that technology, an actual sea change within the perspective in direction of sustainable consuming.

My son’s technology have put their cash the place their mouth is. Even although they don’t have cash as a result of they’re all on zero-hours contracts.

So our transfer in direction of vegetarianism was extra about household and tipping our hat to them. But I solely eat meat most likely twice per week.

It’s humorous how cooking exhibits give attention to meat and fish despite the fact that everybody’s chopping again…

There isn’t any threat in broadcasting any extra. The individuals who run it don’t wish to take the chance and usually are not as proactive about what’s taking place on the streets as I feel anyone that’s on the telly would really like.

You can solely get on the TV what the commissioners wish to fee.

You’re releasing a single — did everybody know you had been in a band, Little Moscow, and we simply missed it?

No, everybody doesn’t know this as a result of I maintain it quiet. Music has at all times been an essential think about my life however I’ve stored it on the again burner.

Not since you’re embarrassed?

Absolutely not! They’re my finest mates and so they’re all very completed musicians and good males with good ethical compasses. We’ve performed for upwards of 30 years.

And you permit them excessive and dry once you’re swanning around the world with the Hairy Bikers?

What we do is, as a result of we’re all multi-instrumentalists, we simply rotate and completely different individuals tackle percussion. We write collectively as nicely, which is at all times a stunning course of.

Our new music, Waiting For The Sun, is my vocal. It’s humorous for musicians as a result of there’s nowhere to cover — you place your coronary heart and soul into it, and then you definately put it on the market and simply hope that individuals prefer it, so be type.

But it’s a group factor. Our concept to carry out it dwell is to method choirs wherever we carry out and provides them a contribution from what we get for the gig.

And Waiting For The Sun is in assist of meals banks?

We launched it as a result of there’s an enormous want for meals banks and the Trussell Trust offers infrastructure for these meals banks so all earnings go to them. It’s surprising that persons are counting on meals banks and it wanted highlighting.

If you may have a profile, that comes with a degree of duty to lift consciousness — and once you’ve raised consciousness individuals could make their very own choices.