Following a tumultuous few weeks, Al Roker will make his return to TODAY on Friday, Jan. 6.
Roker, 68, will reunite with his TODAY co-hosts after being off the air due to medical issues since mid-November.
The TODAY weatherman was admitted to the hospital in November 2022 due to blood clots in his legs and lungs. “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.
Roker’s health issues forced him to skip covering the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in more than 25 years. But he was able to leave the hospital just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
However, Roker wasn’t out of the woods just yet. At the end of November, he returned to the hospital for a second stay, which caused him to miss the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree last month.
“Due to some complications, he is back in the hospital and he is in very good care,” Hoda Kotb reassured viewers at the time. “He’s resting and his doctors are keeping a close eye on him. Al and his family want everyone to know how grateful they are for all the love, the support and the well wishes.”
Finally, Al was able to leave the hospital after his second stint on Dec. 8. He celebrated the occasion with an Instagram post sharing cheerful photos of himself alongside his wife, Deborah Roberts, and daughter Leila.
“Listen, it’s been a tough slog. I’m not going to deny this,” he said in a Dec. 12 video call from home. “It’s been the hardest one yet, and you know I’ve had my share of surgeries. It gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I’m a very fortunate person.”
Throughout the ordeal, Roker received an outpouring of support from his TODAY family and fans — including a surprise holiday serenade on Dec. 14. A crowd of TODAY anchors, crew and producers gathered outside his home for Christmas carols, and the heartwarming gesture brought Roker to tears.
“I’ve missed you all so, so very much, all these faces,” he said. “It just means the world to me and to our family and my Deborah, who’s just been my rock. I thank you so much. I really appreciated it.”
And in just a few days, the team will be able to gather together again in Studio 1A.
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