Al Roker is back on ‘Today’ and ‘feeling good enough’ after knee surgery
Al Roker‘s new knee made its “Today” debut on Tuesday after the longtime weatherman underwent surgery earlier this month.
Roker returned to co-host the third hour of the morning program and gave viewers an update on his recovery following a three-week hiatus. The feature anchor had total knee replacement surgery on May 9.
“I feel good,” Roker told co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones at the top of the hour.
“This was a much more involved operation because they were taking out a knee and then putting a knee back in — put some other stuff in. But that said, it’s coming along well.”
The ‘Today’ show’s Al Roker made a virtual appearance Monday to share a knee-surgery update. He hopes to return to the NBC show in the next two weeks.
Asked what he decided to do with his “old knee,” Roker joked that he’s selling the body part on EBay.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Roker said, he was “feeling good enough” to go out to dinner, ride a boat and barbecue with his family. Roker is married to rival newscaster Deborah Roberts and has three children: Nick, 20, Leila, 24, and Courtney, 36 — who is more than seven months pregnant.
“We ... just had a good trip,” Roker said.
‘Today’ weatherman Al Roker has been in and out of the hospital since mid-November while receiving treatment for blood clots in his leg and lungs.
This marks Roker’s second knee replacement surgery — “a replacement of a replacement,” as he put it — after undergoing a similar procedure 23 years ago. An avid walker, the broadcast journalist revealed recently that he had been “limping” through his strolls ahead of the operation.
“Before my left knee went south, a 10k+ step day was no big deal,” Roker wrote on Instagram in March. “The knee replacement of this 22-year-old knee replacement is just around the corner.”
Two weeks ago, Roker made a brief, remote appearance on “Today” to let viewers know he was home from the hospital, “chilling out” and “not doing anything.” He noted at the time that he “wasn’t going to rush back” to work.
“We’ll just play it by ear every day,” he said.
‘Today’ weatherman Al Roker says four weeks in the hospital cost him a bunch of muscle mass. He’s now doing physical and occupational therapy daily.
In November, Roker took another break from “Today” after he was hospitalized for blood clots in his leg and lungs. He departed the show again in December after experiencing complications related to the health scare. He resumed his regular weather and hosting duties in January.
“Listen, it’s been a tough slog. I’m not gonna deny this. This has been the hardest [hospitalization] yet and you know I’ve had my share of surgeries,” Roker said while appearing virtually on “Today” last year.
“But it gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I’m a very fortunate person.”
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