The veteran NBC anchor reflected on his colleagues’ support during his 2022 health scare
With almost 30 years under his belt as part of the Today Show — and almost 50 as part of the NBC family — Al Roker has gone through some of the best, or most difficult, moments of his life with the support of his co-anchors.
In the 28 years that he has been a co-anchor, he has welcomed two of his three children, Leila, 25, and Nicholas, 22, who he shares with wife Deborah Roberts, and celebrated plenty more personal and professional milestones.
His Today co-hosts were also there for him for one of his most challenging moments, his health scare in late 2022, when he was hospitalized for blood clots in his legs that spread to his lungs.
During his time away from the show while he recovered, his co-stars, including Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, moved both him and viewers to tears when they surprised him at his home with Christmas caroling.
Speaking about the heartwarming moment exclusively with HELLO! in honor of the release of his new cookbook, Al Roker’s Recipes To Live By, which he co-wrote with his chef daughter Courtney Roker Laga, Al looked back on what that moment meant to him.
“To be honest, I hadn’t cried during the whole thing, during the whole ordeal,” he first confessed, then added “But that brought me to tears.”
© GettyHe continued: “It really meant so much, you know, and it was just kind of the tip of the iceberg,” and explained: “There was a physical manifestation, if you will, of just people in general, who were sending well wishes and prayers and thoughts and, you know, it meant a lot.”
Al also opened up to HELLO! about his colleague Hoda’s recent announcement that she would be leaving her role as lead co-anchor, and the strong foundation the Today family has always had no matter what gets thrown their way.
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© GettyGushing over the likes of fellow anchors Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, Laura Jarrett, Peter Alexander and Willie Geist, he said: “They’ve all subbed, they’ve all stepped in, and we don’t miss a beat.”
© Hachette Book Group USA“So no matter what happens, we’re going to be in great shape,” Al ensured, noting that the show, which has been on the air since 1952, for a whopping 72 years, is “built to evolve.”
He further reflected: “Each one of us is very fortunate to be in this position, for however long we have, and then we pass the baton off to somebody else. So the future of the show is just as strong and bright no matter who steps in.”