Al Roker Talks Retirement: 'They'll Have to Drag Me Out Kicking and Screaming'
It’s July 1996, and Al Roker is in Atlanta to cover his first Summer Olympics for NBC. But, ugh, the weather is swelteringly hot and humid. As the meteorologist for the local NBC TV affiliate as well as the Today show, he must deliver spots for various newscasts between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. Utterly exhausted and burned out after more than a full week on the air, he decides to call his mom for some TLC. Except Isabel Roker isn’t having it.
He can still recall her reply from memory: “She said, ‘Oh, you poor baby—you’re getting to be someplace where most people would give their eye teeth to be. You get to meet these athletes and do things most people don’t get to do. I feel really bad for you!’”
Since that wake-up call, Roker has refused to take his Olympics experiences for granted. And on the cusp of his 70th birthday on August 20, he’s extra-pumped about his upcoming trip. Humidity, be damned.
Starting July 29, Roker will be joining Today show anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin live from Paris for the 2024 Summer Games. (The weekday NBC broadcasts run through August 2.) His forecast? An endless supply of sunny athletes and surprising stories.
“The exciting thing about the Olympics is that you don’t know what to be excited about,” he explains. “All the names that are household names come out of nowhere. They were prepared to meet the moment. Think about Suni Lee stepping up a few years ago for Simone [Biles]. It was like seeing two sides of a coin.”
He's certainly seen it all on Today. Since joining the morning show stalwart full-time in 1996, he’s used his easy-going nature to deliver thousands of storm updates, interview dozens of celebrities, meet countless viewers standing outside NYC’s Rockefeller Center Plaza, and utter the line “Here’s what’s going on in your neck of the woods . . .” too many times to count.
“It’s my dream job,” he says.
On the personal side, Roker is quick to boast about his first grandchild, Sky Clara Laga —born July 3, 2023, to his oldest daughter, Courtney, and her husband, Wesley. Joining in the jubilation: His wife of 29 years, longtime ABC correspondent Deborah Roberts, and their two kids, Leila and Nick. (Roker shares Courtney with his ex-wife, Alice Bell.)
Related: Al Roker Celebrates Special Milestone for Baby Granddaughter Sky
But those are just biographical stats. To get a real sense of just how beloved Roker is among his family, friends and fans, flash back to 2022 when he was hospitalized for months because of blood clots. He remains grateful for all the support.
“I’m so appreciative of my coworkers and my family—and obviously all our viewers who put up prayers and positive thoughts. They say it takes a village, but I had a city taking care of me.”
These days, the New York City native says he’s “feeling good.” A week before getting on the plane to Paris, Roker sported a white Polo shirt emblazoned with the Olympic rings as he talked to Parade.
Patrick Randak/NBC
Mara Reinstein: So how are you doing at the moment? You’ve already done three hours of television today.
Al Roker: No complaints! Kids are good. They say you’re only as happy as your least happy child. When you have three, the odds are good that one’s going to be upset about something, but now, all are good.
And the whole point of kids is to have fun with the grandkids, right?
As somebody once told me, if I knew grandchildren would be this much fun, I would have had them first! Skye just turned a year old. She’s started crawling. And because our youngest son, Nick, is 22, you forget how quickly they can move. I put her down and there she goes!
Is it too much of a cliché to ask you about the weather? It’s been a blazing-hot summer!
Well, here’s the deal: We’ve had heat waves, but we’re having them more frequently now. It’s becoming the new normal, which is unfortunate. We just had the second-warmest June on record. When it’s winter, everyone is like “Al, when is it going to warm up?” and then in the summer, it’s “When is it going to cool down?” You kind of have to laugh about it.
On a more pleasant note, when do you leave for Paris?
I leave on the Friday of the opening ceremonies. I’m on the same flight as Craig [Melvin].
As someone who grew up in Queens, covering the Olympics must still be one of the best benefits of the job, no?
Oh yes, we are going to be covering one of the most amazing sporting events on the planet. And we get to do it on the company dime. But what I love the most is that the four of us [anchors] get to spend time together. Normally when we’re here [in New York], we finish the show and go to our offices and then go home. But this will be like summer camp.
Which athletes over the years were you really psyched to meet?
Shawn White, the flying tomato. [Track star] Allyson Felix. [Gymnasts] Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas. Michael Phelps. [Swimmer] Katie Ledecky was on our Plaza when she was a year old. I interviewed her and her family on the Today show. They were just in the crowd. We have the footage!
You also talk to a lot of famous actors now. What’s the biggest difference between the two?
I think with most actors, their roles don’t define them. Whereas these athletes are performing on the biggest stage, and in those moments, there’s something that happens that defines them either positively or negatively. That’s a pretty heavy moment when you think about it.
And when do you think you pivoted into more of a morning personality and not just a meteorologist?
I don’t know if there was a moment. I think it was just an evolution. But I think that’s the beauty of the Today show—we’re all pretty good at what we do and when you put us all together, it’s pretty hard to beat us. There are opportunities given to all of us.
What was your big opportunity that expanded beyond delivering the weather?
I was part of the original Sunday Today show, which started Sept. 20, 1987. My executive producer wanted to produce a broadcast that was a little different. I remember he wanted me to do a piece on the evolution of weather that was a seven-minute story. It was really challenging, but it was an opportunity to do something that I hadn’t done. So that’s been my superpower—I’ve been given opportunities to do things I never thought I’d do.
You’ve done some pretty wacky things at various Olympics. Didn’t you once luge?
We did luge. Rhythmic gymnastics. Synchronized swimming. Curling. In South Korea [in 2018], I was dressed as a Korean prince from the early dynasties and Craig was my general. So it’s not only about the Olympics themselves but to experience the culture we’re in.
Which sport was the most challenging?
Synchronized swimming. I think it was in Greece [in 2004]. Let me tell you, people kind of make jokes about it. You try doing a full dance routine with the resistance of the water and stay on top of the water while you're smiling. I can’t even describe to you how difficult it is. And I’m a passable swimmer!
What are you doing this year?
They never tell us until we get there because we might not show up. I’m game, but I'm approaching 70. So at a certain point, you start pressing your luck.
How do you feel about turning 70? Honestly.
Listen, my dad [Albert Roker Sr.] passed away about four months shy of his 70th birthday. So 70 has a very special meaning to me. And I'm going to celebrate it somewhat reluctantly. My wife has already told me to just give in to it. But it's a change. You know when you're 50, you think, Oh, my life is halfway over. When you're 70, it’s more than half over. But that doesn't keep you from enjoying it and being able to appreciate the things you get to do.
Today is famous for those Smucker's segments honoring centennial birthdays. Is that the ultimate goal?
That's the yardstick. A couple of days ago on the Plaza, we had a woman who was 85 years old. She said she was hanging in there so she could see herself on the Smucker’s jar. To be part of the zeitgeist like that is a pinch-me moment. I never imagined doing the Today show. I was so happy when I got my job at Channel 4 here in New York because my parents could turn on the TV and see me.
Wasn’t your dad a bus driver in NYC?
It's funny. I’m the oldest of six kids. My youngest brother is about 17 years younger. For most of my childhood, my dad was a bus driver. I got to go to the depot and he would take me on the bus with him. By the time my brother came up, my dad was an executive at the MTA [Metropolitan Transit Authority]. And so [my brother] only got to go into an office and play with a Xerox machine. I had the more fun dad.
On those days when it's really hard to get out of bed, do you think about how your dad had to do it on a less-bright stage?
It’s funny you say that. I've always been an early riser. So I used to get up with him, and he’d get on his shiny shoes and get his uniform on, and my mom would walk us to the elevator. Then my mom would hoist me up obviously, and we walked to the terrace and watched him wave goodbye. So yeah, when I get up, I do think about him. It’s a nice moment.
And what time do you get up?
I get up around 4 a.m., 3:45. Sleeping in for me is 6:30.
Is Deborah on the same schedule as you?
Oh no. She sleeps through it. But we’re pretty much on the same schedule. She does a fair amount of Good Morning America, so I'll be leaving and she'll be getting ready to leave.
Do you two talk shop at home?
We do. Here’s the thing: You’ve got to have a level of trust with the other person. Yes, I know stuff that’s going on at ABC and she knows stuff that's gone on at NBC, and that's in the vault. Before cell phones, we knew two network couples who had separate phone lines, so there was never any danger of cross-pollination. I was like, come on!
Birthday aside, are you thinking about retirement?
I love my job and I enjoy it. They will have to drag me out of here screaming and kicking.
But first comes the Olympics. What are you personally excited about?
My middle daughter Leila went to college in Paris and still lives there. So I want to show my friends the Paris that Leila has shown me. Like, there’s an amazing barbecue spot in Paris that is like American-South good. I’m also trying to convince people to go to The Sewer Museum. I’m telling you, it’s spectacular!
This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.
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