Paying tribute, Oddie’s former Springwatch co-host Kate Humble told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One: “No-one could tell a story like Bill. 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.”
Oddie had many other interests and talents, she said. “He was so interested in so many things. He wasn’t just the nerdy birder, or the funny, slightly irascible comedian, or the brilliant musician. He was all of those things. And he was always interested in everything.”
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.”
Jo Rowland, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: “I know many of our wildlife rescuers were inspired into animal welfare by Bill’s groundbreaking broadcasting work and incredible knowledge of British birds, which brought the wonders of nature into millions of homes across the country.
“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.”
