Al Roker sparks health fears, retirement speculation

Al Roker has sparked fresh fears for his health following a string of absences from his longtime post at the Today show. Insiders claimed the beloved weatherman’s recent “frail” appearance has also led to retirement discussions among NBC’s top brass, Knewz.com can reveal. Roker, 71, has been a fixture on the morning news show since 1996. In his nearly 30 years at NBC’s Today, the meteorologist has rarely missed a taping except for when he’s battled health issues.

Fans grew concerned when they tuned into the Today show on Roker’s birthday in August and the weatherman was missing. Last year, for his milestone 70th birthday, the show pulled out all the stops to celebrate on-air and highlight Roker’s accomplishments at the network. But there was no sappy happy birthday montage video played this time around as another episode aired without him, leaving hosts Dylan Dreyer and Bill Karins to take turns filling in for Roker. Concerned viewers speculated about whether or not Roker was OK or if he was considering leaving the show after nearly three decades.

As chatter about Roker’s future at Today increased, the weatherman’s wife of 29 years, journalist Deborah Roberts, took to social media to clear the air about where her husband had been. She shared a carousel of vacation photos featuring Roker on Instagram captioned, “The beauty of Italy in August. Sunny. Quiet. Lovely. #grateful #heart.” In a follow-up post, the ABC News correspondent gave a birthday shoutout to her husband, writing, “To the man who brings life, love and laughs to my world, a heartfelt happy birthday. Your kindness, joy and generosity are boundless blessings. Love you so much!” Roker appeared to be celebrating his birthday in style, as Roberts shared a photo on her Instagram Story of the weatherman holding a wine glass while posing with a dessert. She captioned that shot, “Cake and champagne for breakfast!”

While Roberts’ post calmed fans’ fears that the beloved TV weatherman was possibly battling another illness, insiders speculated that NBC executives could still use Roker’s health as a “polite” excuse to force him into retirement. “Yes, Al’s had medical scares. But the timing of these ‘concerns’ are sketchier than a seven-day forecast,” one insider said. Roker has suffered a series of health setbacks in recent years. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent surgery to remove his prostate in 2020. In 2022, he was hospitalized for blood clots in his lung and leg, which were likely related to a previous COVID illness. Two ulcers caused severe internal bleeding, requiring Roker to have emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder and resect his colon. He also underwent a knee replacement revision surgery in 2023.

Despite Roker being one of the most beloved morning news hosts on the air today, a longtime producer claimed NBC bosses “want someone fresh, less ‘classic Al,’ more TikTok-friendly.” The source added, “This is ageism wrapped in a Band-Aid.” Another insider claimed, “He’s the last link to the [Matt] Lauer era — and they’re looking to clean house. They’re calling it a ‘reboot’ — while we’re calling it a boot out the door. TV doesn’t like to age and neither do network execs.”