Al Roker Teases Exciting Reason for His Latest ‘Today’ Absence
What To Know
- Al Roker was absent from several episodes of Today due to traveling for a special assignment.
- During his absence, Dylan Dreyer filled in as weather anchor.
- Roker shared a personal health update earlier this week, marking five years since his prostate cancer surgery.
Al Roker is no stranger to traveling for Today, and the reason for his latest absence promises to be an exciting one.
The weatherman kicked off his week on the NBC morning show before skipping the Wednesday, November 12, episode. He missed the show again on Thursday, November 13, before wrapping up the week on Today‘s Friday, November 14, episode. Though he didn’t address the reason for his absence on the show, he gave fans a tease via Instagram.
“I never realized you can walk across most of the terminals at @flylaxairport so I got 2 miles in this morning. Heading back to NYC after shooting a story 100 years in making,” he captioned a Thursday Instagram video. “Can’t wait to share it with you next week on @todayshow I hope all #starttoday family Gets something done today because #somethingisbetterthannithing.”
In the clip, Roker hinted that his assignment has something to do with an “American icon,” adding, “I cannot wait to bring it to you next week.” Over the clip, Roker added Michael Bublé‘s cover of the Frank Sinatra classic “Come Fly With Me.”
Fans shared their excitement over Roker’s story, and his return to Today, in the post’s comments. “Safe travels, can’t wait to watch the story next week!” one user commented, while another added, “You just keep on… keeping on. You’re amazing Al.” Someone else shared, “I can’t wait to hear it Al!”
In a comment of her own, Good Morning America‘s Ginger Zee shared that she almost had an airport run-in with Roker. “Hey now – I was there too! How’d I miss you? Love that walk,” she wrote underneath the post.
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The Office alum Kate Flannery, meanwhile, teased that she knew what Roker’s upcoming Today story is about. “I have a good guess but I’ll keep my mouth shut,” she commented alongside several red heart emojis.
Today‘s Dylan Dreyer filled in for Al during his absences this week, as well as stepped in for him a few days last week. During one of his days off last week, Roker hilariously crashed an interview on the third hour of Today by standing right outside of Studio 1A’s windows.
“Thanks for coming in to work today buddy,” Jones quipped on November 4 before sharing, “In his defense, he got in really late last night, so we’re letting him sleep in.” Craig Melvin later joked, ““Al Roker. He could come in to work today, but he could hang outside the studio.” (Roker had been out on another assignment at the time.)
Ahead of this week’s batch of Today shows, Roker took to Instagram to share a health update with fans. “Five years ago today, I had my cancerous prostate removed,” he captioned the Sunday, November 9, post. “Thanks to Dr. Vincent Laudone and the staff at @memorialsloankettering for the treatment I received and to all the men out there, and the folks that love them, make sure you get your PSA checked, especially you’re a man of color. We have higher rates of getting and dying from prostate cancer.”
Roker filmed himself undergoing a PSA blood test at a hospital. “Doctor says preliminary pathology shows nothing outside the prostate, maybe not even in the lymph nodes,” he said of the procedure’s results. “They’ll know better when they get the full work up. But, preliminary pathology looking good.”
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