Al Roker Returning to the Today Show on Jan. 6 After Extended Absence Due to Health Issues

Theo Wargo/Getty Al Roker

Al Roker shall be again on the In the present day present Friday for his first in-studio look in two months since blood clots in his leg and lungs despatched him to the hospital.

Anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin introduced the joyful information on Tuesday’s episode of the NBC morning present.

“We’ve got some nice information to share this morning: Al is coming again to the present,” mentioned Guthrie, 51.

“Everybody’s like, ‘When when?’ Properly, we have now our date,” added Kotb, 58. “He’ll be right here Friday. He’ll be proper right here in Studio 1A . That is his place. He’ll be in his seat, proper the place he belongs. I can’t watch for that.”

After Melvin, 43, praised the reunion and that everybody “shall be again collectively,” Guthrie famous that the present is “not the identical with out Al,” sweetly including that “our sunshine is coming again Friday morning.”

Roker, 68, has been a staple on In the present day as this system’s premier climate anchor since 1996, and beforehand made appearances instead weathercaster from 1990 to 1995, filling in for the late Willard Scott earlier than his semiretirement.

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Nathan Congleton/NBC through Getty Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb

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The TV persona has been absent from In the present day for a number of weeks, final showing on the Nov. 4 broadcast. He was first hospitalized, launched weeks later after which returned to the ability after Thanksgiving.

His well being points brought about him to overlook the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — his first in 27 years — and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Middle. However on Dec. 8, he shared through Instagram that he was out of the hospital as soon as once more.

Since then, Guthrie, Kotb Melvin and their In the present day colleagues have been offering regular updates on Rocker’s restoration. They even included a candy shout-out to him of their 2022 digital vacation card, and shocked Roker at house with a Christmas carol singalong.

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He is been updating followers on his restoration on Instagram, too, and made a digital look on In the present day to verify in along with his standing.

“It has been a troublesome slog, I am not going to disclaim this,” Roker mentioned on Dec. 12. “This has been the toughest one but — and you realize, I’ve had my justifiable share of surgical procedures. But it surely provides you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I am a really lucky individual.”

Al Roker/instagram Deborah Roberts and Al Roker

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At house, Roker has been surrounded by his household, together with his spouse Deborah Roberts and daughters Courtney, 35, and Leila, 24, in addition to son Nick, 20, when he returned from faculty.

All have been a gentle assist for Roker. “I really feel good, I really feel robust. And daily, I really feel al little bit higher,” he mentioned, thanking his medical crew at New York Presbyterian Hospital, together with his physician and “all of the great nurses.”

However restoration has been gradual, Roker famous. “You lose a specific amount of muscle mass for each week you are within the hospital, and I used to be within the hospital for 4 weeks. So it is simply a specific amount of weak spot,” Roker mentioned, including that he is doing bodily and occupational remedy daily. “I’ve bought to simply get my energy again. And within the meantime, I used to be considering in January of getting my knee changed, so I’ve bought to push that again. So I’ve bought quite a few points.”

“I simply really feel like it is going to be just a little little bit of a slog, however lots of people must cope with much more with rather a lot fewer sources,” Roker mentioned. “I am very lucky, very blessed to have the ability to have these sources.”

Nathan Congleton/In the present day Al Roker and his In the present day colleagues

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It is unclear if Roker will return full time to In the present day after Friday’s present. Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer has been filling in for Roker throughout his absence.

The one factor that’s clear: In the present day viewers shall be joyful to see him. Since his absence, many who line up exterior 30 Rockefeller Plaza to observe the present every morning have been carrying indicators wishing him nicely.

“We’ve got so many indicators, like, ‘We miss you Al,’ ‘We love you Al,’ ” famous Guthrie in December. “We really feel the identical and he’ll be again quickly. We wish him to take his time and really feel good, which he’ll. However we love him and he’ll be again quickly.”

In the present day airs weekdays starting at 7 a.m. ET on NBC.