Kate Humble says working with Bill Oddie was ‘infuriating but wonderful’ in moving tribute
Kate Humble says working with Bill Oddie was ‘infuriating but wonderful’ in moving tribute
Jacob StolworthyTue, July 28, 2026 at 10:39 AM UTC
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Former 'Springwatch' presenters Kate Humble and Bill Oddie (BBC)
Kate Humble has paid tribute to her former Springwatch co-host Bill Oddie, calling him "brilliant, wonderful, maddening, clever, and infuriating".
Oddie, who died aged 85 on Saturday (25 July), was part of the original presenting line-up for the BBC nature show alongside Humble and Simon King when it started in 2005. Speaking after his death, Humble reflected on her working relationship with the multi-talent star.
"No one could tell a story like Bill,” Humble, 54, said on BBC Radio 4's The World at One. “No one could make me laugh like Bill. No one could enthuse anyone, whoever they were, to go outside and get excited about a robin.
"He just had that way of just making the natural world everybody's world, and I think that's what we all loved about him."
She added: “Sometimes he'd be fantastically grumpy and would be the last person I'd want to see first thing in the morning, and other times he would just be the best company in the world, and he talked very openly about his struggles with mental health.”
Humble said that Oddie “was always interested in everything”, stating: “He wasn't just the nerdy birder, or the funny, slightly irascible comedian, or the brilliant musician. He was all of those things.”
Meanwhile, Chris Packham, who replaced Oddie on Springwatch in 2009, called him “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.”
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Packham continued: “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.”
Bill Oddie was best known for being part of The Goodies and hosting ‘Springwatch’ (Ian West/ PA) (PA Archive)
Naturalist and comedian Oddie found fame in the 1970s as a member of comic trio The Goodies alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden.
He went on to host wildlife programmes for the BBC, including Birding with Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie Goes Wild, Springwatch and Autumnwatch.
A statement from his friend and agent David Foster said: “It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Bill Oddie, the country’s best-loved birder. Bill was a multi-talented celebrity – wildlife presenter, broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist.
“Yet it was never fame that he valued. Instead he encouraged us to respect and protect the environment.
“He taught us the wonder of it. He protested, lobbied and campaigned for it. He led the way and people of all ages and backgrounds responded to his call. And such a massive contribution to conservation will never be forgotten.”
A birdwatcher since his childhood in Birmingham, Oddie was a respected ornithologist. He was a council member of the RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and The Worldwide Fund for Nature. He was also president of The Northumberland Wildlife Trust and represented many other nature organisations. In addition, he wrote a number of books on birds and other wildlife topics.
Oddie admitted in 2017 that he never had any intention of building a career in the entertainment industry. “I think if my younger self had known how my life would turn out, he’d have been surprised,” he told The Telegraph. “If you’d asked my friends towards the end of school what they’d expected me to end up as, they might have introduced a showbizzy sort of element, because I wrote songs and revues and that sort of thing. I never for one second thought of it as work.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
