Al Roker Makes Emotional Return to ‘Today’ Following Health Hiatus | Watch

January 9, 2023

*Al Roker made his return to the “Today” show on Friday following a two-month health-related hiatus.

“My heart is just bursting. I’m just so thrilled to see all of you and all of the crew and everybody. Right now I’m running on adrenaline and I’m just thrilled to be here,” Roker told his co-hosts, wife Deborah Roberts by his side.

The 68-year-old weatherman was hospitalized twice in November for serious medical issues related to blood clots. Roker previously shared on social media that he had clots in his lungs and in one leg.

Roker explained on “Today” that he underwent a 7-hour surgery to “correct a bunch of internal stuff.”

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Roker first saw doctors in early November about stomach pains and said he had no idea his condition was so serious at the time.

“I had two complicating things. I had blood clots that they think came up after I had COVID in September and then I had this internal bleeding going on. I lost half my blood,” he said. “They were trying to figure out where it was. And finally they went in, did this surgery. I had two bleeding ulcers. They had to resection the colon, take out my gal bladder.”

Roker added, “I went in for one operation, I got four free, so I got that going for me.”

“Al was a very, very, very sick man … most people didn’t know that,” explained his wife. “Two doctors led this brilliant team — it was a team — who had to figure out what was happening. He was a medical mystery for a couple of weeks. And it was the must tumultuous, frightening journey we have been on.”

Roberts said Roker “is a living breathing miracle.”

“Al went through a lot of tests, a lot of scopes,” she said. “There was just so much that had to be done, and a major major surgery, if you don’t mind me saying. And we were just on pins and needles, every day. I kept everyone abreast — our family, you all. And Al and I were sitting there one day in the hospital… and through this very scratchy voice, and he was so gaunt and exhausted, he said, I’m going to make a ‘spatchcock turkey for Christmas.’ And I didn’t know whether to burst into tears or just to beam.”

“That was the moment for me, and it will always be the moment for me, that this man — I mean, I’m sitting here hoping he’s going to make it to Christmas and this man, he wants to make a turkey,” she recalled. “I just knew at that point, that will, that drive, is so, so strong.”

Roker was released on Dec. 8 and is now undergoing physical therapy. He’s also on blood thinners.

“Each of my doctors said, if I wasn’t in the shape that I was in, this might’ve been a different outcome,” Roker shared.

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