All of us at Compassion are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Oddie, a long-standing supporter of our work to end factory farming.

With a passion for the natural world since childhood, over his long and varied career Bill increasingly dedicated his time to wildlife protection and improving animal welfare. This was recognised in 2003 when he was awarded an OBE for his service to wildlife conservation, and again in 2005 when he received the British Naturalists' Association's Peter Scott Memorial Award.

“William Free-Range-Oddie”

Bill started his broadcast career in comedy, and his humour and scientific knowledge combined beautifully in his numerous wildlife programmes that cultivated a new generation of nature lovers. This was our first introduction to Bill, who hosted Philip Lymbery, now our Global CEO, as a guest on the Really Wild Show in the 1990s.

Bill brought the same humorous tone to our campaigns when he changed his name to “William Free-Range-Oddie” for April Fool’s Day in 2011. This comical stunt had a serious message, with Bill arguing that “something as fundamental as being reared 'free-range' should be every farmed animal's birthright.”

Championing higher welfare

We were honoured to have Bill host the launch of our Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards in London in 2010. Starting by recognising food companies who were phasing out caged eggs and improving the welfare of chickens farmed for meat, the awards have grown to cover more species and recognise businesses taking steps to improve and restore wildlife and the environment. Now, over 15 years on, more than 1.4 billion animals are set to benefit each year from the policies and commitments of our award winners. We will always be grateful to have had Bill champion this work from the very start.

A vocal opponent of factory farming

Bill was a vocal supporter of our ‘Cows Belong in Fields’ campaign, successfully helping to prevent plans for a 3,700 cow mega-dairy in Lincolnshire. Bill’s support grabbed the attention of the media, and he spoke out against the proposed mega-farm on The Daily Politics Show in January 2011.

It’s simply impossible to cover everything Bill did to protect animals and our planet. From opposing factory farming to campaigning to defend the EU ban on barren battery cages for laying hens and supporting Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat and Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were – hard hitting books by our Global CEO Philip Lymbery that expose how factory farming threatens animals, people and our planet. Bill was always generous with his time and keen to use his voice for good.

Bill Oddie – a passionate defender of our natural world