Bill Oddie dies at 85, Goodies star and wildlife presenter

tvJul 27, 202660969

TV presenter and comedian Bill Oddie has died at the age of 85, his agent David Foster said. Oddie became a household name in the 1970s as one third of the comedy trio The Goodies alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden, a series that ran for 12 years from 1970. He later concentrated on wildlife broadcasting, becoming one of the original hosts of BBC TV's Springwatch and presenting other programmes about birdwatching. Foster called Oddie "the country's best-loved birder" and praised his work as a broadcaster, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist who "taught us the wonder of" the environment. Former Springwatch co-host Kate Humble said Oddie could "tell a story" and enthused people of all ages to go outside, while RSPCA chief executive Jo Rowland credited his broadcasting with inspiring many wildlife rescuers. Born in Rochdale and raised in Birmingham, Oddie attended Cambridge and performed with the Footlights before writing for shows such as That Was The Week That Was and At Last the 1948 Show. His combination of comedy, music and campaigning left a legacy of increased public interest in birdwatching and conservation.

Samira Ahmed

@samiraahmeduk.bsky.social

Such sad news about Bill Oddie, a Renaissance Man genius, but here's the lovely conversation we had about his amazing comedic musical contribution to The Goodies on Front Row back in 2018. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

1423h ago

PlasticOmar 🍏☮️❤️2

Very sad news. The Goodies were ahead of their time and there hasn’t been anything like their show since.

Richard Littler

@richardlittler.bsky.social

The Goodies were a treat for kids in the 70s. Like Python for toddlers. For some reason, when I was 6, I thought that Oddie & Brooke-Taylor were also in The Beach Boys and that Graeme Garden was a school teacher appointed to look after them.

1693h ago

Richard Littler88

In the 70s, there was a fad for iron-on t-shirts designs - branded images, or make-your-own kits with mixed images, letters, numbers, etc. A kid at my jnr school had a Goodies t-shirt that his mum had made with iron-on letters, but had spelled it Goodeys. He acquired the nickname Dim Brooke-Taylor.

Russ Jones

@russincheshire.bsky.social

Bollocks. Bill Oddie can't be dead, because that means only one Goodie remains. And because the song that always plays in my head when I hear his name feels all wrong today. Bill Oddie Bill Oddie Put your hands all over my body. I hope he'd laugh at that. He made my childhood gleeful. RIP

952h ago

Barry1

You’re right. Every time one of these greats go, it’s like a part of my childhood dies with them.

Jonathan Coe

@jonathancoe.bsky.social

I went to the same school as Bill Oddie (KES in Birmingham) and there were legends that he'd once arrived at school on horseback and also had put up diversion signs which meant all the traffic along the main Bristol Road had to pass through the school grounds but I don't know if either is true.

672h ago

Jonathan Coe9

The only time I met him (apart from sitting next to him at a Gary Burton concert when I was 22) was at a charity thing at the Palace of Westminster. He didn't want to reminisce about the Goodies until I asked him about the music and working with Mike Gibbs and then his eyes lit up and he was off.

Justin Lewis

@whenisbirths.bsky.social

I love interviews with famous people that were designed for an audience of hardly anyone. Especially when they're archive ones. Bill, in 1980, for I think Imperial College Student Television, just after the last BBC series of The Goodies. www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_6P...

313h ago

ABC News Australia

@news.abc.net.au

Bill Oddie, much-loved member of The Goodies comedy series in the 1970s, dead at 85

442h ago

Quoting this

Just Another Film Nerd3

Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor were as essential and influential in comedy as Python. Oddie was a terrific presence on radio and TV and will be truly missed

Andor the Relentless

@outstack.bsky.social

There was some documentary years ago pointing out that Bill Oddie wasn't some wannabe rock star - he for a brief time was one of the UK's best-selling pop composers. The Goodies were a huge part of my childhood, and the music was a massive part of the show. RIP Bill.

343h ago

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot

@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social

Bill Oddie: The Goodies and Springwatch star dies at 85

213h ago

Lomelindi12

@lomelindi12.bsky.social

#RIP Bill My dad adored The Goodies & used to make us watch it as kids

182h ago

Si Hart

@sihart.bsky.social

RIP Bill Oddie. Always good to have him as one of the many people I shared a birthday with. The Goodies was reason enough to like him. The music of The Goodies showed how talented he was. The CDs of the isolated music Network released showers how brilliant and talented he was.

193h ago

Isabel Rogers

@isabelrogers.bsky.social

When my son went to UCL, his first year room was almost next to the Post Office tower. I spent a lot of the journey there that first time explaining about The Goodies' kitten episode and didn't care how weird it sounded. Bill Oddie was an obsessive musical genius, among other things. What a trio.

222h ago

Sam and King Lucy the 1st

@kinglucythe1st.bsky.social

We watched The Goodies religiously when I was a kid. Sleep well Bill. Thanks for all the laughs.

194h ago

Steph' Thorpe

@stephbirdart.bsky.social

So Bill Oddie has left us.😢 There won't be many birders, especially of my generation who haven't read his Little Black Bird Book, or indeed his other books. And then there was The Goodies and I'm sorry, I'll read that again, just so much fun! Thanks for all the laughs Bill.

133h ago

Steph' Thorpe8

I only met him once and it was at a rather highbrow "do" rather than birding, and I got the impression he would much rather been standing in a muddy field watching a Tawny Pipit than having to suffer the surroundings we were in... I felt the same way😂

ABC News Bot (unofficial)

@abcnewsbot.bsky.social

British actor, comedian and broadcaster Bill Oddie, best known to Australian audiences as a member of the 1970s comedy trio The Goodies, has died aged 85.

112h ago

Quoting this

beanisacarrot4

I feel the ”What’s next?” section could have been better worded, here…

Jo Wolff

@jowolff.bsky.social

Very much admired Bill Oddie especially later in life, but sadly I never really clicked with The Goodies.

163h ago

Bas Wisselink2

Loved the Goodies, but I was around 12 when I watched them. Still have a soft spot for the Scottish episode where they hunt the Loch Ness monster.

Alan Stedman2

Springwatch would probably not be as popular now if not for him inspiring so many in those first shows

Dr Negrin's Victory Pills1

It's a sad loss, he was a big part of my childhood and teenage years, both on the radio and TV. I loved that The Goodies was essentially a live action Looney Tunes cartoon. The props and practical effects they made were wonderful.

Malcolm Wilson1

I think the difference is our age gap: I was young and foolish enough to enjoy their inane goings-on.

Tom Spoors1

"We've found gold ore. Gold or something else."

James Morshead1

I remember loving it, but since I was tiny and it's never been repeated, I can't really rely on that as a judgement! RIP Bill, good man. Hope Graeme's well, another legend.

3 sources

abc.net.auBill Oddie, member of The Goodies comedy series, dead at 85 theguardian.comBill Oddie, naturalist and broadcaster, dies aged 85 bbc.comBill Oddie: The Goodies and Springwatch star dies at 85

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Bill Oddie dies at 85, Goodies star and wildlife presenter

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