'He Made Everyone Love Nature': Fans Share Heartbreaking Tributes as Bill Oddie Dies Aged 85

Wildlife presenter and comedian Bill Oddie has died in the UK aged 85, his agent has confirmed, prompting tributes from fans and colleagues who say he 'made everyone love nature'.

Oddie's agent and long-time friend David Foster announced his death in a statement on Monday, describing him as 'the country's best-loved birder' with a career that stretched from radio sketch shows to environmental campaigning.

Foster called him 'a multi-talented celebrity, wildlife presenter, broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist', adding that Oddie used his profile to urge viewers 'to respect and protect the environment', and that his contribution to conservation 'will never be forgotten'.

From Goodies Star to Nature TV Pioneer

Oddie was one of the most recognisable faces on British television across two very different eras. In the 1970s he became a household name as part of the comedy trio The Goodies, before later reinventing himself as one of the country's best-known wildlife presenters, fronting Springwatch and a series of birdwatching programmes.

Born in Rochdale and raised in Birmingham, Oddie went to Cambridge University and joined the Footlights before writing for a satirical television series in the early 1960s, then moving into radio and sketch shows.

He formed The Goodies with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden in 1970, and the trio's slapstick and novelty songs pulled in millions of viewers across 12 years; his singles The Funky Gibbon and The Inbetweenies both reached the UK top 10.

Birds were never far away, even at the height of that comic success. Oddie had been a keen birdwatcher since childhood and was a serious ornithologist, and over time he devoted himself increasingly to wildlife broadcasting, fronting series including Birding with Bill Oddie, Britain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie and Bill Oddie's How to Watch Wildlife.

Colleagues Recall a Complex, Much-Liked Figure

His Springwatch co-host Kate Humble said 'no-one could tell a story like Bill' and 'no-one could enthuse anyone, whoever they were, to go outside and get excited about a robin'.

She also recalled a more complicated side, saying Oddie could be 'fantastically grumpy' one day and 'the best company in the world' the next, praising him for speaking openly about his depression and bipolar disorder long before celebrity mental health disclosures became common.

After being dropped from Springwatch in 2009, Oddie later described the following year as 'probably the worst 12 months of my life' and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. Humble called him 'one of the earliest, bravest people' to speak publicly about such struggles.

RSPCA chief executive Jo Rowland said many of the charity's wildlife staff had been drawn into the field by his 'groundbreaking broadcasting work and incredible knowledge of British birds', calling him 'one of nature's best friends, fiercest champions and most iconic defenders'.

Naturalist Stephen Moss said Oddie 'did more than anyone to popularise birding', while actor and birder Samuel West said his improvised narration on Birding with Bill Oddie 'set the standard' for natural history television.

Tributes Reach Beyond Nature Circles

Reading FC, where Oddie was a regular guest, called him 'a much-loved figure at the club', while wildlife photographer Carl Bovis said he was 'absolutely gutted' at the news, calling Oddie a childhood hero whose shows 'brought birdwatching to the masses'.

Oddie held roles with the RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the World Wide Fund for Nature, and served as president of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. He was made an OBE in 2003 for services to wildlife conservation.

He is survived by his wife, Laura Beaumont, their daughter Rosie, and daughters Bonnie and Kate from his first marriage to Jean Hart. His family have asked for privacy at this time.