Dave Myers’ last series of The Hairy Bikers triumphs at TV Choice Awards

The last series of The Hairy Bikers to feature Dave Myers, who died last year, has triumphed at the TV Choice Awards.

The BBC’s Hairy Bikers Go West, in which Myers and his best friend Si King travel down the west coast of the UK from Scotland, was given the best food show prize at the London ceremony.

It is expected to be the last Hairy Bikers series. King, 58, said “there is no Hairy Bikers without Dave” in an interview with The Observer.

Elsewhere, Brenda Blethyn, 78, was presented with an outstanding contribution award, in recognition of her 14 series as no-nonsense Northumberland detective Vera Stanhope, in ITV’s Vera.

There were two wins for ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. It took best new drama and Toby Jones, who played Sir Alan Bates, won best drama performance.

ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! won its 19th TV Choice award at the ceremony for best reality show, while BBC medical drama Call The Midwife scooped another award for best family drama, and the cast of Channel 4’s Gogglebox took home best entertainment show.

Emmerdale won best soap for the second time in a row, and the ITV show’s Beth Cordingly won best soap newcomer for her role as Ruby Fox-Miligan.

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel won its first TV Choice award for best game show. The BBC programme beat the likes of ITV’s The Chase, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and The 1% Club.

BBC’s Escape To The Country was named best daytime show, ITV’s Long Lost Family scooped best lifestyle show, and the BBC’s Ghosts took best comedy show.

Best talent show went to the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, while Channel 5’s All Creatures Great And Small won best drama series, and the channel’s Springtime, Harvest and Winter On The Farm won best factual show.

Channel 5 was also named favourite channel/streaming site.

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan won best comedy performance for her role as Maggie in Channel 4’s Big Mood, while Peter Ash, who plays Paul Foreman in ITV soap Coronation Street, won best soap performance.

The awards were presented in a ceremony on Monday, after the winners were voted for by the TV magazine’s readers.