Al Roker Makes His Triumphant Return to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Following Health Issues

The daytime favorite had a pair of close calls last year that forced him away from the parade for the first time in decades.

By Andrew Roberts

Al Roker made his triumphant return to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade after a scary health incident forced him to miss last year. "Look, I missed last year, I am so thankful to be anywhere this year, but especially here," Roker said to emotionally kick off the 2023 parade broadcast.

Roker's health struggles are no secret, but the timing could've been worse in 2022. The Today show favorite was hospitalized in November 2022, revealing the news after being absent from the daytime show for weeks. "So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I've been. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs," Roker wrote at the time. "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."

For 2023, Roker kicked off his return with a segment with the Harlem Globetrotters. He also didn't seem to miss a beat, also getting the honor of speaking with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden over the phone. He even balanced it out while contending with a loud announcer in the background during the phone conversation.

The longtime morning staple announced his return to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on social media, barely hiding his excitement. "We're back, baby for the 97th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and I cannot wait to join Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb again."

Roker's absence from the Macy's parade last year was his first in 27 years, but he still tried to offer some good wishes from home at the time after being released from the hospital. "Back home in time to catch a little bit of the [Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]," he wrote at the time, adding that he was missing co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

Roker wouldn't make his return to the Today Show until January, celebrating a triumphant return and revealing he was actually hospitalized twice during his absence. "Look, I had two complicating things," Roker told his co-hosts at the time. "I had blood clots, which they think came up after I had COVID in September. And then I had this internal bleeding going on; I lost half my blood. They were trying to figure out where it was."

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