Oddie turns down the red book

Ex-Goodie Bill Oddie has turned down the This Is Your Life crew when they surprised him with the famous red book.

He refused to go to the studios where friends and family were waiting after host Michael Aspel caught him out.

Oddie is only the third person in the show's 46-year-history to say no to the honour, after footballer Danny Blanchflower in the 1950s and author Richard Gordon in the 1970s.

However, Gordon was later persuaded to change his mind - and it is thought that Oddie's family have now talked him into aapearing, too.

A Pearson TV spokesman told the BBC: "We'll see whether the show does indeed get recorded but for the moment we're pretty hopeful. It's always a risk."

Oddie, 60, suffered clinical depression at the end of last year, but has since said that he has recovered and was now in control.

Published: 6 Dec 2001