Bill Oddie dead at 85
Bill Oddie dead at 85
Bill Oddie dead at 85
British actor and broadcaster Bill Oddie has died at the age of 85, according to his agent, David Foster. Oddie was best known to Australian audiences as a member of the 1970s comedy trio The Goodies, alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden.
The Goodies was a surreal British comedy series that blended slapstick, satire, music, and visual gags, running for nine seasons between 1970 and 1982, with 76 episodes. The show enjoyed popularity not only in the UK and Australia but also in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and, to a lesser extent, in the United States.
After The Goodies, Oddie became one of Britain's best-known wildlife broadcasters and conservationists, fronting numerous BBC series, including Birding with Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie Goes Wild, and early seasons of Springwatch and Autumnwatch. He was a respected ornithologist and a council member of the RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and The Worldwide Fund for Nature.
Oddie's comic career began in Cambridge Footlights, where he started writing for shows, including That Was The Week That Was. He went on to write and appear on numerous programs, including I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, which featured many of his comic songs. His songs led The Goodies to several major chart hits, most notably The Funky Gibbon, which reached number four on the UK charts in 1975.
However, Oddie's career was not without its challenges. He was sacked from Springwatch in 2008, after a complaint was made about his behavior during the filming of a segment in Dorset. He later revealed that his sacking caused a decline in his mental health, and he almost took his own life on two occasions, ending up spending a year in hospital recovering from clinical depression.
Oddie was open about his mental health issues, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2010. He spoke publicly about his struggles, saying that he still felt a lingering sadness that his days on Springwatch were cut short.
Producer Stephen Moss, who worked with Oddie for over 10 years, paid tribute to the presenter, saying, "He was the only true genius I ever worked with." Moss added that Oddie had a way of engaging with the public that was extraordinary, and that he changed people's lives through his work.
Kate Humble, Oddie's former Springwatch co-host, also paid tribute, saying, "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." She added that Oddie was a complex person, with many interests and talents, and that he was always interested in everything.
Oddie is survived by his wife, Laura, and three daughters – Rosie, from his marriage to Laura, and Kate and Bonnie from his first marriage to jazz musician Jean Hart.
With Oddie's passing, Scottish-born Graeme Garden, at 83, is now the sole surviving member of The Goodies' main cast. Tim Brooke-Taylor died in April 2020, aged 79, after contracting COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic.
His agent, David Foster, said, "Such a massive contribution to conservation will never be forgotten."
