He’s one of the UK’s most accomplished wildlife broadcasters and Springwatch’s familiar face. And after a distressing period of severe depression with time in a London psychiatric hospital, Bill Oddie’s passion for nature is as prominent as ever before.
Oddie is, quite simply, a fascinating man. On his official Twitter profile he labels himself a “naturalist, conservationist, television presenter, author, song-writer, musician, ‘ex goody’ and pensioner.” And last week the lovable senior chatted all things Cambridge, comedy and clinical depression.
The 71-year-old, who told me ornithologist Peter Scott and broadcaster David Attenborough rank among his heroes, studied English at Pembroke College but was by no means fond of his three years in the East: “I didn’t enjoy the institution that was Cambridge. I hated the Union and various elite clubs, and the fact that there were only three ladies colleges. All fortified!” Oddie clearly regretted the absence of “females” throughout his university life in the 60s, but Cambridge is “all better today, though,” he said. “The things I did enjoy were sport – especially rugby – and Footlights’ comedy stuff.”
And one of his Footlights productions, A Clump of Plinths, was so popular at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that it was renamed Cambridge Circus and transferred to the West End in London, then New Zealand and Broadway.
While at Cambridge, Oddie wrote scripts for That Was The Week That Was and I asked whether this extensive involvement with the Footlights and drama lead him to consider career opportunities outside of his main passion, the natural world. “Well, I had no idea that my bird knowledge and enthusiasm could be a job. In fact in those days it would have been very difficult. I got involved in ‘show business’ to avoid becoming an English Teacher and for the sake of potential pupils.”
So, what sparked that shift from The Goodies and comedy to a career in the countryside? “The birds and natural history never went away, but by the time The Goodies were fading there were opportunities to earn a living from my hobby as a wildlife presenter.”
Oddie’s passion for nature is truly admirable, with his interest in the natural world sparking from a very young age. But, I asked, does he think young people today should be engaging more with nature, birdwatching and wildlife? “Why put the onus on young people?” came his strict response. “Everybody, everywhere, of every age needs to realise that our futures depend on the health of the natural world. That’s the serious bit. Basically, we’re fucked, but I do recommend a day out birdwatching to distract from the grim reality.”
It seemed, then, Oddie was not particularly upbeat about the plummeting national interest in the natural world. “There is more information now than when I was young, and possibly even more enthusiasts, and not only in Britain. But we are seeing a generation that deals in ‘virtual’ experiences rather than those outdoors, or if they do it’s still eyes down on the smart phone.”
Oddie is, of course, best known because of his intriguing on-air relationship with Kate Humble in the BBC’s Autumnwatch and Springwatch. But I wanted to know whether the duo’s rapport differed off-air. “Kate and I came to think of ourselves as the Derek and Clive of wildlife presenters! If you found the on screen relationship entertaining, they were Downton Abbey compared with the rehearsals, where we used to improvise outrageously distasteful routines. Of course, we were both so professional and frankly good at our jobs that we knew when to ‘do it properly’ for the Director.”
He continued: “The one slightly embarrassing moment was when someone failed to tell us that a party of Brownies had been allowed to watch from the control room as a treat. No doubt it was! They surely qualified for their profanity badge.”
Oddie himself is phlegmatic about some criticism of his alleged chauvinistic approach and intolerant attitude towards Humble’s input. “The only unintentional comedy was Kate getting cross with me for interrupting her, and occasionally vice versa,” he said. “I concede that I must be hell to work with because I am – what’s the word?” Spontaneous, unpredictable, and irresponsible were some of his suggestions.
However, a list of “pear-shaped” and “complex” events followed when Oddie was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2001 – and just four years ago he spent some time in Capio Nightingale psychiatric hospital to help ease his condition. I asked how he dealt with the worst of times and if he took all the advice he received: “I used to keep diaries at the times I was struck down with clinical depression. It was supposed to sort of help focus my mind but I am not sure it did much. It was probably therapeutic at the time, but re-reading them later is usually quite upsetting. I won’t be doing a Mike Palin.” Palin, of course, made his diaries public and in them recalled, for instance, the suicide of his sister, Angela.
“I am glad I kept scrap books from my earlier years at school, uni, and beyond, including newspaper cuttings, but I don’t any more. I also kept birdwatching note books from aged 13 to sometime in my late 50s, but I don’t do that anymore either. Years ago it was quite useful ‘research’ but nowadays there are so many people with computers bulging with data, I seem a bit redundant! A bad attitude, of course,” he said.
So what advice does this enormously experienced and marvellously absorbing character have for students today? “If there is something you really wanna do, drop out and do it,” he ordered. “Learn about finances, enjoy older people and listen to them, and argue.”
And what are his hopes for the coming years? After all, there have been a number of pointers towards re-joining the Beeb or at least to get back into presenting. “Firstly,” he says, “I hope there will be a fair number of coming years and that I will retain most of my faculties.” Good shout Bill, but will he be in the public eye? “I will continue to put more and more time into practical conservation and animal welfare, be it ranting at Ministers or exploring the Rainforest.”
Oddie then revealed he recently turned down the opportunity to appear on Celebrity Big Brother, despite there being a big-money offer on the table. “I won’t be doing any TV, unless I feel sure I’ll enjoy it and that it will be good,” he told me. “I certainly won’t be doing crap.”
Doesn’t he find himself watching wildlife programmes, though, and wishing he was there in front of the camera? “I’d be silly to say I don’t miss doing Springwatch and Autumnwatch – of course I do,” but Oddie conceded it is unlikely he’ll ever be leading the line again.
“My greatest hope is that the human race manages to save itself, with minimum casualties,” he finished. “In the meantime, have a good life young people – it can be fantastic.”