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He's no Goodie ...viewers angry at Oddie over dead squirrel joke
Georgina Littlejohn4 Nov 2008
ANOTHER BBC presenter has come under fire after showing a close-up of a dead squirrel on a family programme.
Viewers of BBC2's Autumnwatch complained last night after host Bill Oddie broadcast video film shot at his home in Hampstead. It showed a grey squirrel lying dead next to an electric cable it had tried to bite through. Oddie, 67, was heard laughing as he told viewers: "It's not a sleeping squirrel, he's literally dead," and joked: "You squirrels, don't do it. Better red than dead."
Jane Marshall, 42, who was watching with her three children, said: "It seemed as if Bill Oddie was getting a kick out of filming a dead squirrel."
A BBC statement said today: "Autumnwatch has a duty to show nature 'as it is', which sometimes includes scenes of death."
Reader views (7)
This was a great opportunity to try Gordon Ramsay's spiced squirrel recipe.
- Anthony F, London UK, 04/11/2008 18:58
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Bill Oddie was very taciturn and arrogant with a news presenter the other morning when he was very obstructive and offhand in replying to a question about red squirrels rising in numbers. On Autumnwatch he complains incessantly about the cold. Perhaps he cannot find a hat big enough to contain his head?
- John, London, 04/11/2008 17:44
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Nothing wrong with a dead grey. Hopefully more people will take to eating them as well. This way we can protect our native reds.
- Charles Britten, Manchester, England, 04/11/2008 17:33
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This is nonsense. We're all getting too sensitive. We were right to get upset over Ross and Brand but Bill Oddie? over a dead squirrel? And Jeremy Clarkson was, I think, being ironic. Don't lets get carried away; they did that during the French Revolution!
- Sushi, London UK, 04/11/2008 17:24
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It looked like a twitcher to me.
- David, Guildford, 04/11/2008 17:12
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Why are presenters so arrogant these days? Come on BBC - get a grip and keep these people in check.
- Ray M, Poole, England, 04/11/2008 16:44
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Send him the way of Brand and Ross. And Clarkson too. And Paxman, Bruce and all the others. Then we can shut down the BBC and save ourselves £135 each year, which we can spend on a Sky subscription.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 04/11/2008 14:59
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