Al Roker has been a mainstay of not just the TODAY Show and its various iterations at large, but of NBC and the New York City pop culture scene for decades.
The 70-year-old weatherman is a beloved morning news staple, and has been a member of the NBC team since 1978, when he was hired by WKYC in Cleveland. In 1996, he was finally made the regular full-time weatherman on TODAY.
However, over the years, in the midst of shake-ups on the show (like Hoda Kotb’s departure earlier this year) and health struggles (as discussed with Craig Melvin on July 28’s edition of the Third Hour), the question of Al’s tenure has come up among fans and in the media.
Here’s what Al has said himself about his thoughts on retiring from TODAY…
“How do you give up?”
The topic of retirement came up as early as 2023, months after Al returned to the show following an extended break over hospitalization due to blood clot surgery, for which Craig donated his blood.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight while celebrating over four decades with the show, Al gushed that he was even “more passionate” about the job than when he started. “Here’s the deal: my dad drove a bus for eight hours a day. And then he moved into management with transit authority.”
© Getty Images“And when he said it was no longer fun, he retired, at the age of 55,” he continued. “I cannot tell you how much I look forward to [hosting TODAY]. Every day is a different day, and our audience who comes down to the TODAY Show, our crew, our producers, how do you give up something like this?” concluding that he’d retire until “the wheels fall off.”
Part of the “family”
Speaking exclusively with HELLO! last year, Al remarked on his colleague Hoda’s departure from the show after she turned 60, noting that while she was leaving her duties as host, she was still part of the TODAY “family.”
“You know, it would be more bitter than sweet if she was leaving, leaving,” he shared, maintaining: “She’s just transitioning into a different role,” adding that she’s “not leaving the family.”
© Getty ImagesNoting that the show was “built to evolve,” Al praised all the other anchors who’d stepped in over the years to sub for him or Hoda or any other absent host. “So no matter what happens, we’re going to be in great shape
“Each one of us is very fortunate to be in this position, for however long we have, and then we pass the baton off to somebody else. So the future of the show is just as strong and bright no matter who steps in.”
“You know when you know”
When discussing Hoda’s exit with People last year, the father-of-three simply commented: “You know when you know,” when thinking of his own retirement.
© Getty Images“That was kind of the beautiful thing for Hoda. You even look at…Joe Biden. It’s like, everybody has a reason that they decide it’s time to go,” he continued. While he affirmed that the “time will come,” he doesn’t see that being in the near future.
“I don’t feel like that’s my time yet, but who knows. Maybe a year or two. Maybe not, but I’m enjoying it. I love this. You don’t get off the train until the last stop.”
© Getty Images“Drag me out”
Speaking with Parade last year before venturing off for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Al candidly stated that retirement was far from his mind ahead of turning 70. “I love my job and I enjoy it. They will have to drag me out of here screaming and kicking,” he simply responded.
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