Bill Oddie dies aged 85
Bill Oddie dies aged 85
India McTaggart Mon, July 27, 2026 at 11:43 AM UTC
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Bill Oddie turned his lifelong passion for birdwatching from a hobby into a job - John Robertson
Bill Oddie, the comedian and wildlife presenter, has died aged 85.
The TV personality’s agent paid tribute to the “intelligence and wit” of “Britain’s best-loved birder”.
Oddie, who found fame in the 1970s as a member of comic trio The Goodies alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden, died on Saturday.
Announcing his death, David Foster, his agent, said: “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. He taught us the wonder of it. He protested, lobbied and campaigned for it.”
He added that his thoughts were with Bill’s wife, Laura, and his daughters Bonnie, Kate and Rosie.
Stephen Moss, a producer who worked with Oddie for more than 10 years on shows including Springwatch, said “he was the only true genius I ever worked with.”
He added: “He had a way of engaging with the public that was extraordinary. He was quite a shy man. And when we were filming, people would sometimes sidle up to me and say, ‘You know what? Do you mind telling Bill that we really love his programmes?’.”
Oddie, Brooke-Taylor and Garden formed The Goodies after meeting at the University of Cambridge in the early 60s.
Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie (left to right) made up the comic trio The Goodies - South Coast Press
They were flatmates and members of the Footlights Club, which also previously included the members of Monty Python – John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle.
The Goodies performed in the same student venue – Cambridge Circus – and performed on Broadway before the trio starred together in a BBC sketch show titled Broaden Your Mind.
Brooke-Taylor, who became president of Footlights in 1963, died at the age of 79 with coronavirus in April 2020.
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Oddie later turned his lifelong passion for birds from a hobby into a job.
He wrote several books on the subject, including Bill Oddie’s Little Black Bird Book and Birdwatching with Bill Oddie, which were illustrated with his own photographs and drawings.
Oddie also fronted an array of wildlife programmes, including The Bird Business and The Big Bird Race for Channel 4 as well as The Great Kenyan Bird Safari and two series of Bird In The Nest for the BBC.
Mr Moss, a fellow birder, said: “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.
“Through his TV series and books, notably Birding with Bill Oddie, Springwatch and The Little Black Bird Book, Bill did more than anyone to popularise birding.”
Elsewhere Dominic Dyer, the animal welfare and environment campaigner who was a friend of Oddie’s, wrote: “So sad to hear of the death of Bill Oddie such a wonderful comedian, writer, naturalist and animal protection campaigner, and a very good friend.”
He added: “Rest in peace Bill: it was a privilege to call you a friend and campaign alongside you.”
Oddie was one of the original presenters of the BBC’s Springwatch - Andrew Crowley
Oddie spoke openly about suffering from crippling depression and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2009 after being dropped from the BBC’s Springwatch, of which he was one of the original presenters. He was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Speaking in 2014, he said he still felt sad that his days on Springwatch were cut short, adding that he had rarely watched the programme since.
He said: “I very much miss it, but when I do see it, it brings back many happy memories and I like to think I contributed to its success.
“It’s still so well loved and helps encourage people to enjoy the natural world. That’s all to the good because I fear so many people wear earphones for their phones and music players that increasingly they miss out on everyday joys like birdsong.
“My plea to people would be to ‘go naked’ occasionally – take off those earpieces so you hear nature and, of course, birdsong. You may not realise how precious it is until it’s gone.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
