Bill Oddie’s friend and agent David Foster announced today (Monday, July 27) that the comedian who became “Britain’s favourite birdwatcher” had died at the age of 85.
Oddie’s first taste of fame came as part of the Cambridge Footlights, with their Edinburgh Festival Fringe revue show transferring to both London’s West End and Now York’s Broadway in 1964.
He appeared on a variety of television and radio shows before his big break came when he teamed up with Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor to create the television comedy series The Goodies, which ran from 1970-1982.
It was a huge hit and made stars of the trio, leading them to have a top five chart hit with The Funky Gibbon.
A lifelong birder, his hobby was to become his career when he pivoted to wildlife broadcasting in 1985 when was the subject of a 50-minute Nature Watch Special: Bill Oddie – Bird Watcher,
That led to him becoming a successful nature programmes for the BBC, peaking with Springwatch which regularly attracted audiences of more than four million people.
Here are 10 memorable quotes from the star over the years.
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5. Bill Oddie on...watching wildlife
"I could sit and watch this sort of thing for ages — and, in fact, I do." | Getty Images
6. Bill Oddie on...foxhunting
"84 per cent of people in England and Wales want foxhunting to remain illegal. That’s the kind of public support most politicians only dream of." | Getty Images
7. Bill Oddie on...having a number one single
"I know we weren't real pop stars. But during the mid Seventies we were certainly treated as though we were. Which could be quite nice, even exciting, but it could also be scary." | AFP via Getty Images
8. Bill Oddie on...fans
"When several hundred people are crammed into a small space trying to get at three middle-aged fellas - who are in there somewhere, but no one seems to know exactly where, and no one has thought about a safe and sensible queuing system - things can get out of hand, and a bit scary." | Getty Images