CLOSE friends of Animal Magic star Johnny Morris have penned a biography of the presenter's final years.

John Keene and Angela Morris launched their book at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, a place that Johnny loved.

The couple met Johnny at a pub near Hungerford.about seven years before he died in 1999.

John said: "We just gelled with him, he was a tremendous guy. We have filled the books with anecdotes about him. There was much more to Johnny Morris than his long running BBC series "Animal Magic."

The jacket of the book, called Oh Yes, Dear reads: "For most people of a certain age he was an integral part of their childhood, they came home from school, switched the television on, and there he was.

"In reality he not only wore the zoo-keeper's hat but also that of a travel presenter, author, broadcaster, and above all he was an accomplished musician and lyricist who created a series of musical operettas that enthralled children on both the stage and the small screen."

John remembers him having conversations with his beloved cats. "He could have anyone round at his house, even the head of the BBC, and everything would stop if his cats came in.

"We were privileged to be part of his fascinating and almost surreal world."

The title comes from an experience Angela had on the day Johnny died. She was driving her car and heard Johnny's voice say the words: "Oh yes, dear." Later she heard he had died.

John is a financial advisor and Angela a health care advisor. They live in Eldersfield near Gloucester.

The book at £16.99 is published by Paardeberg Books and is available from Waterstones and through Amazon.