Fans of the Hairy Bikers have been seeing much less of them recently.

The amiable chefs, aka Si King and Dave Myers, have introduced viewers to a range of regional and international cookery experiences, thanks to their TV shows taking them motorbiking across the UK and Europe.

They’re known for their love of good food worldwide, but this year the pair embarked on diets which have been them lose several stones in weight between them.

Now the Hairy Dieters, as they were known in their recent BBC2 series, are about to roar into Bradford this autumn for an evening of food and frivolity.

So now that their Larger Than Live tour – their biggest live tour to date – is under way, how are they managing to eat well on the road and not give in to the temptation to grab something on the hoof or, in their case, on the wheel?

When it comes to seeking out the best places to eat in a new place, Dave says the secret is to “talk to people and ask where to go”.

“The hidden gems are always kept a secret,” he adds. “The best places to eat are often only available to people ‘in the know’. The best way to get great food at a price you can afford is to chat to folk that have the same love and attitude towards food as you do.”

We all know the Hairy Bikers like a good night out, whether they’re feasting on a banquet with an Italian family in rural Tuscany or dining with the WI in deepest Devon. What are the key components of a ‘proper night out’, and what can we expect on the live tour?

“We’re not just giving you a show, we’re giving you a real night out,” says Dave. “The key components of a proper night out for us are great company, great food and some great music. We’re bringing the food and the music to Hairy Bikers: Larger than Live and we’re looking forward to meeting the audience.

“They will really make the show and if it’s anything like our last tour they’ll be there with bells on. We can’t wait!”

Anyone who has seen the chefs live will know that they like to cook on stage, while sharing anecdotes about their travels, and they invite members of the audience up to dine on what they have cooked. Each night of their new tour will give some audience members the chance to enjoy a meal cooked live on stage.

Do they have any words of advice for new cooks planning to cook for friends for the first time?

“Absolutely,” says Dave. “Taste as you cook, because if your palette likes it, then you can pretty much guarantee your friends will. Start with some simple dishes. You’ll soon gain confidence in the kitchen and be able to move onto more complicated recipes to learn different cooking techniques. The key to great cooking is to season as you go – it’s all about the taste.”

From extraordinary kitchen discoveries to some of the remarkable cooks and characters encountered along their travels, the pair will reveal what happened as they circled the globe in search of food-fuelled adventures.

You can expect a bit of dancing, singing, comedy, a bit of flirting and maybe even some diet tips from the hairy ones.

The Hairy Bikers are at St George’s Hall on Wednesday, October 3. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.