TV presenter and comedian Bill Oddie dies at 85
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TV presenter and comedian Bill Oddie has died at the age of 85,
his agent has said.

Oddie became a household name in the 1970s as part of zany TV
comedy trio The Goodies, before concentrating on his love of
wildlife, as one of the original hosts of BBC TV's Springwatch
and other shows about birdwatching.

In a statement, David Foster said: "It is with deep sadness
that I announce the passing of Bill Oddie, the country's
best-loved birder.

"Bill was a multi-talented celebrity - wildlife presenter,
broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and
conservationist. Yet it was never fame that he valued. Instead
he encouraged us to respect and protect the environment."


Bill Oddie: Comedian who found nature a welcome refuge from
mental illness
Foster continued that Oddie "taught us the wonder of" the
environment. "He protested, lobbied and campaigned for it.

"He led the way and people of all ages and backgrounds responded
to his call. And such a massive contribution to conservation will
never be forgotten.

"As Bill's agent I witnessed close hand his intelligence and wit.
He was my friend and it was an honour and a privilege to
represent him for so many years. I will miss him terribly."

Paying tribute, Oddie's former Springwatch co-host Kate Humble
told BBC Radio 4's The World At One: "No-one could tell a story
like Bill. No-one could make me laugh like Bill. No-one could
enthuse anyone, whoever they were, to go outside and get excited
about a robin.

"He just had that way of just making the natural world everybody's
world, and I think that's what we all loved about him."

Oddie had many other interests and talents, she said. "He was so
interested in so many things. He wasn't just the nerdy birder, or
the funny, slightly irascible comedian, or the brilliant musician.
He was all of those things. And he was always interested in
everything."

She added: "Sometimes he'd be fantastically grumpy and would be the
last person I'd want to see first thing in the morning, and other
times he would just be the best company in the world, and he talked
very openly about his struggles with mental health."


'A renegade polymath'
Chris Packham, Oddie's successor on Springwatch, wrote on social
media: "Sadly we've not only lost a goodie, we've lost one of the
besties."

In his tribute, Packham said: "A renegade polymath with binoculars
and a beard, Bill was invariably funny and occasionally furious. He
loved birds and loathed those who harmed them. He was delightfully
unpredictable, sparky, smart and at times a bit spiky.

"Critically he really knew his stuff, and his passion was true - he
didn't just pick up his binoculars on telly, he went birding whenever
he could. So he was genuine and that's why we loved him."

Oddie was born in Rochdale, near Manchester, and grew up in
Birmingham before attending Cambridge University, where he was a
member of the illustrious Footlights comedy troupe.

Before graduating, he was already writing for shows like satirical
TV series That Was The Week That Was in the early 1960s.

He went on to write and appear on programmes including I'm Sorry I'll
Read That Again, At Last the 1948 Show, Twice a Fortnight and Doctor
in The House.

Often, he starred and wrote alongside other up-and-coming comedy names
like Monty Python's John Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Jones, and his
fellow future Goodies - Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden.

Python star Eric Idle said he was "very sad" about the loss of Oddie.

"We watched England win the World Cup together at Wembley in '66. He
was a very fine songwriter and I learned a lot from him," he wrote
on X.

The Goodies got their own series in 1970, and the trio's slapstick
comedy and madcap songs entertained millions of viewers for 12 years.

Oddie was "known as the hairy, cynical, anarchist member" of the group,
the BFI said, and his contribution also included writing novelty songs
like The Funky Gibbon and The Inbetweenies, which both reached the UK
top 10.

The Goodies also worked together in the 80s on sci-fi comedy Astronauts
and children's TV show Bananaman, and Oddie also appeared in popular
kids' shows Tickle on the Tum, From the Top and The Bubblegum Brigade.

He turned his attention to his other great love, wildlife and
ornithology, in BBC series including Birding with Bill Oddie, Britain
Goes Wild with Bill Oddie, and Bill Oddie's How to Watch Wildlife.

Oddie was made an OBE in 2003 for services to wildlife conservation.

He co-presented the first four series of the BBC's annual Springwatch
from 2005, as well as spin-off Autumnwatch.


'Brave' to speak about mental health
But after being dropped in 2009, he said he suffered "probably the
worst 12 months of my life" due to his struggle with depression and
bipolar disorder.

Humble praised Oddie for being one of the first celebrities to speak
openly in public about his mental health struggles.

"He was one of the earliest, bravest people to say, 'No, this is
something that I have, and this is something that I have to deal with,
and my family has to deal with,' and it was really tough for him," she
said.

"I was witness to that, but he was always very honest and
straightforward and in the end, as I say, there was no-one who could
make me laugh like Bill."


'He could never hide his enthusiasm'
Others paying tribute included actor and avid birdwatcher Samuel West,
who wrote on X about the impact of watching Birding With Bill Oddie.

"Bill Oddie wore a great learning lightly, but he could never hide his
enthusiasm," West said.

"His captivated, always improvised narration made that show the
platonic ideal of natural history for me, and introduced a whole
generation to the fascination of birds."

Naturalist and author Stephen Moss posted that Oddie "did more than
anyone to popularise birding".

"Very sad news of the death of Bill Oddie: birder, comedian, musician,
artist and environmental campaigner, and dear friend and colleague to
me and many others," Moss wrote.

Oddie was a former vice president of the RSPCA, and the animal
charity's current chief executive Jo Rowland said: "I know many of our
wildlife rescuers were inspired into animal welfare by Bill's
groundbreaking broadcasting work and incredible knowledge of British
birds, which brought the wonders of nature into millions of homes
across the country.

"Nature has lost one of its best friends, fiercest champions and most
iconic defenders.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the countless people
he inspired to spend time birdwatching, to cherish nature, and to
build a kinder world for animals."

Reading FC also posted a tribute: "A guest of honour at many matches
down the years, he became a much-loved figure at the club.

"Bill's legacy will live on through his iconic chant among Royals
supporters at the SCL Stadium and around the country for many years to
come."

Oddie was married to children's TV writer and artist Laura Beaumont.
They have a daughter, Rosie, while Oddie and his first wife - singer
and actress Jean Hart - had two daughters, Bonnie and Kate.


<https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjejw8pq5elo>





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