Al Roker Misses First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade In 27 Years: ‘TODAY’ Hosts Send Love
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade just wasn’t the same without Al Roker. The ‘TODAY’ weatherman is still recovering after being hospitalized for blood clots.
TODAY weatherman Al Roker has become a staple for nearly 3 decades at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For the first time in 27 years, Al missed the annual holiday event as he continues to recover from being hospitalized for blood clots.
We're sending lots of love to @alroker! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/o1b6vzdz2f
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 24, 2022
His TODAY co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie sent their beloved friend well wishes as they reported live from the parade. “For the past 27 parades, at this moment, Savannah, we would turn to Al Roker, who is our TODAY Show colleague and our best pal,” Hoda said during the parade. “But as a lot of you have heard, Al is recovering, and he’s recovering very well from a recent medical issue. We just want to say, we love you, Al. Wonder if you’re watching, but we wish you a full recovery.”
Savannah added, “We love you, Al. We’ll see you next year.” Al was initially announced as a co-host of the parade with Hoda and Savannah. Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer filled in for Al on the sidelines at the 2022 parade.
Al did get a chance to watch some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from home after being released from the hospital. “Back home in time to catch a little bit of the #macysthanksgivingdayparade Missing being next to @savannahguthrie and @hodakotb,” he captioned his Instagram photo.
A week before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Al gave an update on his health after being missing from TODAY for two weeks. “So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I’ve been,” Al wrote on Instagram. “Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs.”
He continued, “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers and hope to see you soon. Have a great weekend, everyone.”
Al has been dealing with health issues over the past couple of years. In 2020, the legendary weatherman revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery and was initially hesitant to share his diagnosis publicly. However, he eventually decided to reveal what he was going through to raise awareness for prostate health.