Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty
Hoda KotbandSavannah GuthrieknowAl Rokerwill be “back and better than ever” when he returns to theTodayshow on Friday.
The 68-year-old weatherman is slated to make his first in-studio appearance on the NBC morning show two months afterblood clots in his leg and lungssent him to the hospital.
Speaking toEntertainment Tonightabout Roker’s anticipated return, Guthrie, 51, said her colleague couldn’t be more thrilled to get back to work — and the feeling is mutual on her and Kotb’s end.
“Al is the lifeblood of this show, he’s the heartbeat. I mean, it just doesn’t work without Al. We love him so much, we miss him so much,” she said. “He went through this period that was difficult and he did it in his trademark way where he’s always smiling, always upbeat, and he is roaring to come back.”
“He is ready,” she added.
Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Guthrie called Roker “the Energizer Bunny” but said she wants him to take enough time to recover.
“I hope he takes as much time as he wants to,” she shared. “But I think he’s really excited to come back to work, and we’re excited to have him.”
“I think they’ll have to hold him back,” Guthrie added. “I mean, I think you know all of us around him are saying, ‘Take it easy, buddy.'”
Kotb, 58, echoed Guthrie’s sentiments, noting that theTodayanchors are excited for Roker’s return.
“Al went through the wringer and Al never complains about anything,” she explained. “So, to understand that he came back from a very difficult place, is on his feet, is strong again and is gonna be sitting next to us on Friday.”
“We’ve seen Al go through everything. He’s never out. He never takes time,” she continued. “The fact that he took time meant that he needed it and now his moment is here. We’re ready. The crowd’s ready.”
Roker has been absent fromTodayfor several weeks, last appearing on the Nov. 4 broadcast. He was first hospitalized, released weeks later and then returned to the facility afterThanksgiving.
His health issues caused him to miss theMacy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade— his first in 27 years — andthe annual Christmas Tree Lightingat Rockefeller Center. But on Dec. 8, he shared via Instagram that he was out of the hospital once again.
Since then, Guthrie, Kotb Melvin and theirTodaycolleagues have been providing steady updates on Roker’s recovery. They even includeda sweet shout-out to him in their 2022 digital holiday card, andsurprised Roker at home with a Christmas carol sing-along.
He’s been updating fans on his recovery on Instagram, too,and made a virtual appearance onTodayto check in with his status.
“It’s been a tough slog, I’m not going to deny this,” Roker said on Dec. 12. “This has been the hardest one yet — and you know, I’ve had my fair share of surgeries. But it gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I’m a very fortunate person.”
Al Roker.Theo Wargo/Getty
But recovery has been slow, Roker noted. “You lose a certain amount of muscle mass for every week you’re in the hospital, and I was in the hospital for 4 weeks. So it’s just a certain amount of weakness,” Roker said, adding that he’s doing physical and occupational therapy every day. “I’ve got to just get my strength back. And in the meantime, I was thinking in January of getting my knee replaced, so I’ve got to push that back. So I’ve got a number of issues.”
“I just feel like it’s going to be a little bit of a slog, but a lot of people have to deal with a lot more with a lot fewer resources,” Roker said. “I’m very fortunate, very blessed to be able to have these resources.”
Todayairs weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
