Chris Packham remembers fellow wildlife presenter Bill Oddie as ‘an utter joy’

TV nature presenter Chris Packham is among those paying tribute to the “delightfully unpredictable” Bill Oddie, who was an “utter joy to be with”.The naturalist, 65, is best known for hosting wildlife programmes for the BBC such as Springwatch – having replaced Oddie as the face of the show in 2009.Oddie had a successful career presenting nature shows for the BBC, having first found fame in the 1970s as a member of comic trio The Goodies.He died aged 85 on Saturday.Packham was among the famous faces flocking to social media to remember Oddie, sharing a picture of him alongside a lengthy and emotional message.He wrote: “A renegade polymath with binoculars and a beard, Bill 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.“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.“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.”Tributes have poured in for Bill Oddie (Ian West/PA)PA ArchivePackham also described how passionate Oddie was about birdwatching, a hobby he had since he was a child, and said: “I recall finding a black woodpecker in a damp Dutch park with him once.Read More“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, referencing the comedy group in which Oddie found fame.Others to pay their respects include Monty Python star Eric Idle, who first met Oddie while attending Cambridge University, and they both rose to fame as actors and comics in the 1960s.The Grammy-winner, 83, 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.“We watched England win the World Cup together at Wembley in 66. He was a very fine songwriter and I learned a lot from him.“He came to France and is in my book. We even had Chelsea season tickets together. I miss him.”British animal trainer and TV presenter Victoria Stilwell shared an old photo of herself alongside Oddie as she remembered “dearest Bill”.The 57-year-old wrote: “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.”Beyond his career in the television industry, Oddie was also an activist conservationist who supported several charities and organisations – including the RSPCA, which he was formerly the vice president of.Jo Rowland, the chief executive of the animal welfare charity, said the organisation is “deeply saddened” by the death of Oddie and that his “tireless commitment to British wildlife will define so much of his extraordinary life”.She added: “Bill was an exceptional and steadfast champion for the natural world, whose passion for birds and wildlife was truly infectious.“He campaigned tirelessly alongside his many friends at the RSPCA, including taking the fight to governments against plans to cull badgers.”Ms Rowland described Oddie’s broadcasting work as “groundbreaking”, and said that “nature has lost one of its best friends, fiercest champions and most iconic defenders”.“Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the countless people he inspired to spend time birdwatching, to cherish nature, and to build a kinder world for animals.”Oddie was also a patron and then president of the League Against Cruel Sports.The charity’s chief executive Emma Slawinski said: “Bill was a lovely man who cared passionately about animals and wanted to end cruel blood sports and the chasing and killing of wildlife.“He will be sorely missed but he has left behind a legacy in terms of everything he has done for wildlife in this country.”