Al Roker Has Exciting Update on NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Coverage

Al Roker has an exciting update on NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade coverage that viewers are going to love. The beloved weatherman has revealed that he will be back at the big event this year, after having to miss in 2022 due to health issues. “We’re back, baby for the 97th @macys #thanksgivingdayparade on @nbc and I cannot wait to join @savannahguthrie and @hodakotb again,” Roker wrote in a post alongside a photo of his his parade prep materials.

Last November Roker dealt with some serious medical issues that landed him in the hospital around the time of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Early in November 2022, Roker was hospitalized for clots in his legs and lungs. “Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs,” Roker wrote in a Nov. 18 Instagram post. After being treated, he was released to spend Thanksgiving with his family, but had to be transported back to the hospital on Friday, Nov. 25 and was re-admitted due to blood clot issues.

Speaking to Page Six, a source familiar with the situation said, “Al was taken from his home in a stretcher back to the hospital on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. His condition was worrying, but once back in the hospital, he improved.” They added, “His wife, Deborah [Roberts], was understandably very upset.” The source went on to share that Roberts — an ABC News journalist — “had left her phone and other possessions inside their Tesla, which had malfunctioned and wouldn’t unlock, so she was trying to smash in a window.” 

The insider stated that Roberts was “unsuccessful” in her attempt to get inside the electric car. “Deborah then went to the hospital by taxi with her daughter, where Al has since been surrounded by his family.” Notably, Roker’s health issues caused him to miss both the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the 2022 Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony, though he eventually recovered and returned to work at the Today show.

Roker wound up in the hospital once again in early 2023, this time for knee surgery. The beloved Today show co-host underwent the procedure in the spring and then returned to the morning show in May. He even surprised his Today co-anchors by making an early return to the show. He appeared in a live segment, much to the joy and surprise of Today anchors Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, and Craig Melvin. 

“What’s up, brother? Good to see you,” Melvin exclaimed, then adding, “We weren’t expecting that – clearly!” Offering an update on his health, Roker shared, “I am doing fine. It is good to see all of you. I’m going to be honest. I’ve had a number of replacements, knee replacements. It’s not a big surprise. This one has been the toughest one yet because they had to take out the old one, which had some complications, and then put in a new one.”