Springwatch axe put me in a mental hospital, says Bill Oddie – Daily TV round-up

Bill Oddie has revealed that he spent a year in a psychiatric hospital following his axing from BBC nature show 'Springwatch'.

The presenter, who has long fought depression and bipolar disorder, was taken off the show in 2008 after an investigation into his behaviour while filming the show.

He says that his mood swings may have been the reason other colleagues on the programme found him difficult to deal with.

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“They just said: 'We won’t be asking you to do it again',” he told the Radio Times.

“And actually you’re so taken aback at that moment you don’t insist: 'Why not?' That put me in hospital for a year, basically.”

He describes that period as 'probably the worst 12 months of my life'.

[Oddie courted for Celebrity Big Brother]

“When I look back, I think during that autumn period I was on a high because I was very edgy and tetchy. Your ability to work long hours and think quickly and that sort of thing is usually heightened,” he added.

“But one or two people said to me, 'You know, you really intimidate people in the office,' and I said: 'Why?' They’d say: 'Well you know, you’re sort of brusque and impatient sometimes.' I never thought so, you know. I look back and I think, yeah, I guess I was.”

“I could well see that there was an autumn of mania going on and therefore I was probably giving signals out which I didn’t realise and, I imagine, signals were reported back.

“I think somebody said the public complained I was swearing at a cameraman or a producer when we were on location somewhere in a shop.”

Oddie was replaced by Chris Packham on the show.

The presenter now says that thanks to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and his medication that he feels 'absolutely fine'. [Radio Times]

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