Al Roker is the current weather anchor on NBC's Today, and occasionally co-hosts 3rd Hour Today.
31 Facts About Al Roker
2.
Al Roker was raised Catholic, his mother's faith, and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.
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Al Roker worked as a weather anchor for CBS affiliate WHEN-TV in Syracuse, New York from 1974 until 1976, while he was enrolled at SUNY Oswego.
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Al Roker returned to New York City in late 1983 as a weekend weathercaster, and within eight months became the station's regular weeknight weathercaster.
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Al Roker replaced 27-year WNBC-TV veteran Dr Frank Field, who left the network over a contract dispute.
6.
From 1983 to 1996, Al Roker was the regular substitute for forecaster Joe Witte on the NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise, and from 1990 to 1995 filled in for Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel and 1997 through 2000's for Matt Lauer on the Today Show.
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In 1995, he became the host of The Al Roker Show, a weekend talk show on CNBC.
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Al Roker received wider exposure when David Letterman asked him to join in an elevator race on an episode of the talk show Late Night with David Letterman, which taped across the hall from the WNBC news studio in the GE Building.
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Al Roker substituted on the weekday edition of Today when Willard Scott was ill or away.
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On January 26,1996, Al Roker received the regular weekday weather slot.
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Al Roker conducted more interviews and segments on the show over time.
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Al Roker continues the daily tradition of birthday wishes to centenarians that began with Scott.
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Years later, as an NBC News reporter at Biden's own 2021 inauguration, Al Roker received a fist bump from the newly inaugurated president moments before Biden entered the White House.
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Al Roker held a "Rokerthon 2", this time reporting weather from all 50 states and Washington, DC during the week from November 6 to November 13,2015, in support of Feeding America.
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Al Roker has hosted NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1995, where he provides commentary along with some of his Today Show colleagues.
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Al Roker is known as the "uptown" host, whose main roles include cutting the ribbon during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the start of the parade, and interviewing celebrities who are watching the parade from its start at 77th Street.
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Al Roker was unable to host the coverage of the parade in 2022 after recovering from blood clots that had led to being hospitalized.
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Al Roker hosted a week-long feature on Today profiling five game shows and their hosts in July 2016 titled "Game On Today".
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Al Roker has hosted programs on Food Network, namely, Al Roker on the Road, and Tricked-Out Tailgating.
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Al Roker later returned to the show for a limited run from November 1 to 24,2019.
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Al Roker married TV journalist Deborah Roberts on September 16,1995.
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On November 7,2010, Al Roker ran in the ING New York City Marathon.
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Al Roker is an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
24.
On Thursday, June 7,2001, Al Roker underwent a total knee arthoplasty on his left knee.
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In 2002, Al Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, which he said he did after failing at numerous diets.
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Al Roker wrote about his battle with weight loss in Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle For Good, published in 2013.
27.
In November 2022, after being absent from Today for a few days, Al Roker revealed he was in the hospital being treated for blood clots in his lungs.
28.
Al Roker returned to the show on January 6,2023, revealing he suffered from internal bleeding, which necessitated surgery, two bleeding ulcers, colon resection surgery, when part or all of the colon is removed, and gallbladder removal surgery.
29.
In 2007, Al Roker became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
30.
Al Roker served as the official spokesperson for Amtrak's National Train Day, which took place on May 10,2008.
31.
On November 23,2015, Al Roker alleged racial discrimination and filed a complaint after he and his son attempted to hail a cab.