- The coach and hypnotherapist says that she is ‘moving forward with him’
Dave Myers’ heartbroken stepchildren have spoken out about the ‘wonderful’ Hairy Biker, as they thank him for the ‘honour of calling you my dad’.
Dave, who was best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, passed away aged 66 in February with his TV partner Si King, 57, and his family by his side.
His death sparked an outpouring of grief from the general public – who mourned the loss of one of the BBC’s most popular figures.
Myers married to Lilliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, in 2011 at the star’s hometown in Barrow, Cumbria and was a stepfather to her two children, Izabelle and Sergiu, from a previous relationship.
Taking to social media a week after his funeral, Alpine F1 aero mechanic Sergiu said: ‘It has taken me a while to write this as it’s hard to think about it and still cannot believe you are no longer with us.
‘Last week we said our final goodbyes to one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Furthermore I had the honour of calling you my dad.
‘You have always been an inspiration in my life, and will remain so even now that you are not with us anymore; with your infectious zest for life and unmatched passion for any endeavour you set your mind to.
‘Without you, I would not be the man I am today.’
He added: ‘I’ll end with a little quote from Renoir that I think is fitting and captures the effect you had not only on your family, but the millions of fans worldwide: ‘The pain passes, but the beauty remains”
Izabelle, rather, changed her profile picture to a sweet photo of herself and Dave grinning into the camera, accompanied by a simple ‘heart’ emoji.
Dave has previously spoken lovingly about his devoted stepchildren, with Liliana paying tribute to him as a ‘wonderful stepdad’ in the days following his death.
He admitted that he regretted not having children, however when he met Liliana he became part of her children’s lives and became their stepfather.
He said: ‘A major regret of mine for a long time had been not having children. When I married Lil, I had this ready-made family with two stepchildren.’
It came after Lilliana revealed life feels ’empty and sad’ without her Hairy Biker husband as she vowed to ‘laugh and love like Dave’ and ‘move forward’ though grief in a heartbreaking online post.
The TV chef reportedly left a £1.4million windfall for his wife, as she was named the sole shareholder of his firm after his death.
The Sun reported that paperwork confirms Dave is no longer a person with significant control of Sharpletter Limited – with Liliana now having full control of the company.
She was reportedly made a director of Dave’s production company shortly before he revealed his diagnosis in 2022, according to Companies House records seen by the publication.
It has been reported that she has taken over Dave’s shares in the firms he co-owned with Si. Details of his will are yet to be made public.
The beloved chef spoke before his death of the incredible toll his illness took on his wife, saying that his health battle had been ‘all-encompassing’.
She spoke of her devastation in the days after his death – thanking his devoted fans and saying she was ‘grieving with a whole nation’.
And now the coach and hypnotherapist says that she is ‘moving forward with him’ after her ‘life stood still’ when he died, in heartbreaking post where she says she will take forward Hairy Biker’s ‘zest for life’.
Talking on social media, she said: ‘Life stood still when I lost Dave. It still seems still, empty and sad.
‘And I know it might seem too soon to even consider moving on. How can I move on from this wonderful, exhilarating, out of ordinary on so many levels, life that I shared with an extraordinary man? When he is everywhere and in everything around me?
‘I tell you how… I MOVE FORWARD WITH HIM!
‘He will always be part of me, I am who I am because of him, he helped me shape the last 20 years of my life. I am ME because of HIM.’
Dave announced he was receiving treatment for cancer in May 2022 and bravely kept the public up to date with his progress in a series of emotional TV specials.
Myers married to Ms Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, in 2011 at the star’s hometown in Barrow, Cumbria and was a stepfather to her two children, Iza and Sergiu, from a previous relationship.
His death was followed by an outpouring of grief from the general public – who mourned the loss of one of the BBC’s most popular figures, who also starred in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.
And bikers took to the streets for a memorial ride to pay tribute – with many wearing t-shirts bearing his image as Si said his friend ‘would have loved’ the gesture.
Continuing her post, Ms Orzac said: ‘There is grief to go through, but I won’t let that keep me stuck, or fall into illness… because he wouldn’t want that for me!
‘I plan to live my adventures and take him with me! Experience life with him in my heart! Make his impact on my life meaningful!
‘Write my next chapters with the excitement and the joy he taught me life can be lived with!
‘Carry his zest for life with me! Laugh and love like Dave! Having Dave Days for the rest of my life! I’M MOVING FORWARD WITH HIM!’
A fundraiser has since been set up to raise money for Childline and The Institute for Cancer Research in his honour – with those taking part pledging to replace ‘I’m having a great day!’ with ‘I’m having a Dave Day!’ on June 8.
A stalwart of British television, Dave first appeared on our screens in 2006 alongside his TV partner and racked up more than 30 separate projects, also selling 6million copies of their 30 cookery books.
In another recent post, Ms Orzac revealed her debt of gratitude to the friends that has supported her through Dave’s last months and after his death.
She said: ‘I asked, accepted and gratefully used help in these past months.
‘I’d always been the one to offer it to others, but also accepted it when my turn came, I embraced the fact that so many people offered me their support.
‘Thank you all, you know who you are. You’ve made a big difference in my life! And I’m grateful you exist!’
She also shared a poem from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, which concludes with the line: ‘Don’t let yourself die slowly / Do not forget to be happy!’
After meeting in Romania, Liliana and Dave then became pen pals before she moved to Cumbria in 2009 and worked as an Romania interpreter alongside the Cumbrian Police, Magistrate Court and Child Services.
Marrying six years after they first met, Dave never actually proposed to his wife and instead said they decided to tie the knot to secure the relationship logistically.
In early March Lili paid tribute to her beloved late husband and also thanked fans for the ‘massive wave of love and support’ that she has received.
Liliana, a coach and hypnotherapist, took to social media as she said: ‘I will never be able to thank you all enough for the massive wave of love, compassion and care that you have shown towards me, Simon and our families in these past days since Dave passed.
‘I want you all to know that I have read every single message and comment that you sent… your stories about Dave, your feelings you shared with me mean a lot and my heart is filled with gratitude and love.
‘It amazes me how many hearts he touched and how many people wanted to express their love for what Dave and Si have created for nearly 20 years. I know the Hairy Bikers have been part of your living rooms for such a long time and I feel your loss as much as you feel mine!
‘My husband, David Myers was a larger than life character and he did everything with passion, enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. His energy was endless when it came to cooking and talking recipes, or biking and talking bikes.
‘An amazing storyteller! And through his stories and TV appearances he was constantly inspiring and encouraging people to cook, travel, to live their life to the fullest.
‘An exceptional husband, wonderful stepdad, loyal friend and in his own words, a creator, never a follower.
‘I feel I’m grieving with a whole nation… and this is something special. My wonderful Dave.’
Thanking his carers with a special Christmas dinner as part of a Hairy Bikers episode this Christmas, he opened up about just how vital Liliana had been to his care.
Speaking about his cancer diagnosis, he said: ‘It impacts on the family. It’s so difficult for my wife and family you know, that not knowing, your future is completely turned upside down.
‘And also I think for my wife as well, it gave her some freedom away from me. I felt good about being able to let her have time to herself, albeit to go to the gym or a spa, just to have some of her time, because it’s been so all-encompassing.’
Talking about the support he had received from his nearest and dearest throughout his cancer, Dave said in December: ‘A lot of the credit has to also go to my wife, she’s been there through it all with me from the start.
‘It’s absolutely vital and I feel really sad for those people who have to go through it on their own.’
Strictly dancer Karen Hauer – who Dave partnered on the show in 2013 – said she was ‘heartbroken’ by the news as she posted a broken heart emoji.
In his heart-wrenching statement Si said: ‘Hi everyone, I’m afraid I bear some sad news.
‘Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years.
‘Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Dave’s wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home.
‘All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own.
‘Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment.
‘My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can’t follow. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime.
‘I wish you god’s speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya.’
Dave first met Si when they were both working in the film industry – Dave as a make-up artist and Si as a locations director – and bonded over their love of food and motorbikes.
Over their career the best friends built up a reputation as the friendly faces of TV cooking, with 31 separate projects since they first debuted on the BBC in 2006.
Speaking about his wife to the Mirror previously, Dave revealed the pair met when they were filming in Romania and she worked at the hotel he stayed at.
He said: ‘It was love – or rather lust – at first sight. Not on her part probably! She was the manager of our hotel.
‘As Lil showed us our rooms she was very serious, I said, ‘Cor! She’s gorgeous!’ But Si thought she was scary.’
The pair ended up having a huge wedding with 400 people attending and Liliana’s parents travelling over for the bash.
While the two never had any children together, Liliana has two children Izabelle and Sergiu from a previous relationship.
Dave admitted in the past that he regretted not having children, however when he met Liliana he became part of her children’s lives and became their stepfather.
He said: ‘A major regret of mine for a long time had been not having children. When I married Lil, I had this ready-made family with two stepchildren.’
In 2020 Liliana retrained as a Hypnotherapist and has since worked as a freelance therapist and shares her work on her Instagram account.
She also took care of the couple’s finances and was the co-founder of The Hairy Bikers Diet Club.
During the Hairy Biker Christmas Special in December, Dave spoke about the moment he found out he had cancer, as he remembered receiving a phone call from his doctor while driving on the motorway in France.
‘I can’t remember the rest of the drive home, it was like everything collapsed around us,’ Ms Orzac added.
‘It’s like, ”Where do we go from here?” Dave continued. ‘When I first got the call, what went through my mind was disbelief, and a refusal to believe it in a way.
‘It’s the word, isn’t it, the word that everybody fears.’
Speaking about his chemotherapy treatment, Ms Orzac said: ‘It was hard, and it is hard to see him physically struggling with the effects of the treatment.’
Following his diagnosis, Myers briefly took a break from work before filming his last show with King, which sees them travel west across Britain from Scotland to Devon.
King previously said that the series, The Hairy Bikers Go West, which finished airing on BBC Two earlier this month, would be one they would ‘always remember’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
