Craig Melvin Donated Blood to Al Roker During Past ‘Health Issues’

Paige Strout July 28, 2025, 3:01 pm

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Craig Melvin on the July 28, 2025, episode of NBC's 'Today'; Al Roker — NBC; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Craig Melvin made a surprising — and meaningful — revelation about his and Al Roker‘s friendship.

After a week-long hiatus, Melvin returned to NBC’s Today on Monday, July 28. He kickstarted the week in a major way by donating blood live on air during a segment about the importance of how doing so can save lives.

At the top of the show’s third hour, Al Roker noted that he’s a “living example of being a recipient of those donations during my health issues. Melvin went on to recall, “That’s right, because I came over and gave [blood]. I wanted to make sure it was earmarked for you.”

Poking fun at his cohost, Roker joked, “Yeah, in fact, after I got Craig’s blood, I started talking slower and I started drinking more bourbon. So, bonus!”

Earlier on Monday morning, Melvin noted that “every two seconds,” someone in the U.S. requires a blood transfusion and shared that he has been a “regular blood donor for years.” Roker snuck up on Melvin in the middle of his conversation with NBC News medical contributor Dr. John Torres and his fellow on-air blood donors.

Craig Melvin and Al Roker on the July 28, 2025, episode of NBC's 'Today.'

NBC

“What do you want your legacy to be?” Roker shouted as Melvin turned his head to face him, causing him to jump in his seat. “That could’ve gone another way,” Melvin quipped as Roker walked away laughing.

Though Roker didn’t specify which of his health issues Melvin donated blood for, but the weatherman has been candid with fans about his different struggles over the years. Back in November 2020, Roker revealed on-air that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Al Roker Reveals Heartwarming Reason Behind His Recent 'Today' Absences

“It’s a little more common than people, I think, realize,” he explained at the time. “And so I just decided that I wanted to go public with this because one in nine men are going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. But for African American men, that number is one in seven, and is more deadly.”

He returned to Today later that month after undergoing surgery, during which Dr. Vincent Laudone revealed that there was “no evidence of any cancer.”

Two years later, Roker was hospitalized after blood clots were discovered in his leg and lungs. The health scare caused the TV personality to miss hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in 27 years.

As he took time off from the show to recover, Roker was brought to tears when his Today colleagues surprised him by singing Christmas carols outside of his home in December 2022. “I just want to thank you all,” he said in a clip of the sweet moment. “It’s been a long, hard slog, and I’ve missed you all so very much. All these faces — it just means the world to me and to our family.”