Bill Oddie dies at 85 after a life of comedy, birds and BBC wildlife TV
Bill Oddie, the Goodies star and BBC wildlife presenter, has died at 85, his agent David Foster confirmed to BBC News.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Bill Oddie dies at 85 after a career that took him from TV comedy chaos to the quieter, feather-filled world of British wildlife broadcasting.
His agent, David Foster, confirmed Oddie’s death in a statement to BBC News on Monday, according to Variety. Foster described him as “the country’s best-loved birder,” a neat line for a performer who became one of British television’s most familiar champions of birds and the natural world.
Oddie was an English comedian, broadcaster and conservationist best known to many viewers for presenting BBC wildlife shows, including “Springwatch.” Before that, he made his name in comedy as one third of “The Goodies,” appearing alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden.
Who was Bill Oddie?
Bill Oddie was a performer and presenter whose public life spanned sketch comedy, music, writing and conservation, according to Foster’s statement. He first reached a broad TV audience through “The Goodies,” the comedy series that ran from 1970 to 1982.
After his years in comedy, Oddie moved into factual television and built a second act around wildlife, with birds becoming a particular focus. A birder is someone who watches and identifies birds, and Foster’s tribute framed that passion as central to Oddie’s public legacy.
From the mid-1980s through 2008, Oddie hosted a string of BBC nature programs, Variety reported. His credits included “Birding With Bill Oddie,” “Bill Oddie Goes Wild,” “Springwatch” and “Autumnwatch.”
Foster said Oddie’s fame was not what drove him. In the statement reported by BBC News, the agent said Oddie urged people to value and defend the environment, adding that he taught audiences to see its wonder.
Foster also pointed to Oddie’s work beyond presenting, saying he “protested, lobbied and campaigned” for conservation. He said Oddie’s contribution to protecting nature would be remembered.
What was Bill Oddie best known for on TV?
For comedy fans, Oddie remained closely tied to “The Goodies,” the BBC series he made with Brooke-Taylor and Garden. The show ran for more than a decade and helped establish him as a distinctive comic presence on British television.
For wildlife viewers, his later BBC work made him a household face in nature programming. Shows such as “Springwatch” and “Autumnwatch” put seasonal wildlife at the center of the screen, while programs with Oddie’s name in the title leaned into his personal enthusiasm for birds.
Oddie is survived by his wife, Laura, and his daughters Bonnie, Kate and Rosie, according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.