Last updated at 14:34, Tuesday, 21 August 2012

THE sexiest book to top the Amazon best-sellers list in years has been knocked off its perch – by two dieting bikers.

TEAM: Si King, left, and Dave Myers in The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Still Lose Weight.

Dave Myers and Si King, better known as the Hairy Bikers, managed to knock housewives’ favourite, 50 Shades of Grey, from the top of the best-sellers list on Friday, with their latest effort The Hairy Dieters.

Sales of the book are fast approaching 150,000 despite the book being first published on August 2 and around three million viewers have been tuning into the BBC show each week.

Dave, from Barrow, who has been holidaying in Austria with wife Liliana, was overjoyed when he heard the news.

He tweeted: “Whoop whoop Hairy Dieters number one on Amazon beating 50 shades of grey....well we knew our food was sexy!”

The book was born after Dave found himself weighing 17st 11lbs, at the age of 55, while 45-year-old Si was 19st 5lbs, and both were on medication as a result of their lifestyles for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Speaking following the news Si said: “We’ve always known our food is sexy but this is mad.

“Sex may be important but the way to a nation’s heart is still through its stomach.

“We’re delighted and thrilled that people have taken the programme in the spirit in which it was intended.

“You can still have a pint and enjoy your food.”

While working on the book and the accompanying show the pair have each lost three stone and audiences have lapped up the concept pushing publishers into the fourth printing of a book that has barely been on the shelves for a month.

Would-be cooks can find tips on how to make low-fat pies, curries and even a range of puddings and cakes.

The book has been cooking up a storm and managed to take the steamy novel off the top spot after just 15 days.

While EL James’ novel has been raising eye-brows due to its erotic nature, the Hairy Dieters’ range of low-calorie treats seem to have met universal approval.

Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne is among the fans of the latest book and Duncan revealed on Twitter he is set to make his pie-making debut following one of the pair’s recipes.

He tweeted: “Tom and I, are going to make the Hairy Bikers’ low-fat minced beef & potato pie in our log cabin on Windermere this weekend.”

Declan Donnelly of Ant and Dec fame has also tweeted his approval.

First published at 16:20, Monday, 20 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk