Tributes have been paid to Bill Oddie, the wildlife presenter and former Goodies star, who died on Saturday at the age of 85. Among those remembering him was Chris Packham, who replaced Oddie as the host of BBC Springwatch in 2009.
Packham's tribute
Packham shared a picture of Oddie alongside a lengthy emotional message on social media. He described Oddie as "a renegade polymath with binoculars and a beard" who 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," Packham wrote. "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."
Packham added: "So he was genuine and that’s why we loved him, he never needed a script, and took scant interest in any he was given. He didn’t like rules and often neglected to play by them. This may have frustrated the serious and the worthy but it always amused his audience – he was an utter joy to be with."
Recalling a personal moment, Packham said: "I recall finding a black woodpecker in a damp Dutch park with him once. He gazed at it intently, sighed, put down his bins, turned to me and just smiled. A massive grin. No words, just a beautiful childlike bliss. That says all you need to know about Bill Oddie."
"Sadly we’ve not only lost a Goodie, we’ve lost one of the besties," he added.
Other tributes
Monty Python star Eric Idle, who met Oddie at Cambridge University, also paid tribute. Idle wrote on X: "I’m very sad Bill Oddie has gone. He was sick for some time and I wrote to him. He auditioned me for The Pembroke Revue in 1963 and I stepped into his roles for The Edinburgh Festival when the Cambridge Footlights went to the West End." Idle recalled watching England win the World Cup together in 1966 and described Oddie as "a very fine songwriter".
TV presenter Victoria Stilwell shared an old photo of herself with Oddie, writing: "Not only did you make a generation of children and adults laugh on television, you made us appreciate and love the natural world, especially the world of birds that you were so passionate about. Thank you Bill. Fly free. We will miss you."
Director Edgar Wright hailed Oddie as a "comedy hero", saying The Goodies was "hugely influential" on him. Wright wrote: "Although he later became equally famous as the BBC’s resident ornithologist, he had been a comedy hero of mine since my earliest days of watching television, as one of 'The Goodies'." He praised Oddie's "anarchic energy, musical brilliance and willingness to do absolutely anything for a laugh".
Wildlife Trusts tribute
Oddie served as vice president of the Wildlife Trusts for more than two decades. Chief executive Craig Bennett praised him as a "passionate supporter" who inspired "countless people to discover the joy and wonder of nature". Bennett quoted a letter in which Oddie wrote about naturalists for whom "their hobby became instead a crusade", adding that Oddie helped millions understand and protect nature.
