Al Roker Rushed Back to Hospital 24 Hours After Initial Release

Today Show meteorologist Al Roker was reportedly rushed to the hospital on Friday, the day after he missed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in almost 30 years. Roker, 68, was hospitalized earlier this month for blood clots in his leg and lungs, which also forced him to miss Today Show episodes. An eyewitness told Page Six that Roker was taken from his Upper East Side home on a stretcher to the hospital.

“Al was taken from his home [on] a stretcher back to the hospital on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. His condition was worrying, but once back in the hospital, he improved,” the witness said. Roker’s wife, ABC News journalist Deborah Roberts, tried to get her phone, but it was locked inside the couple’s Tesla. The car malfunctioned and would not unlock, so she needed to smash in a window. Roberts was reportedly unsuccessful, so she and their daughter went to the hospital by taxi. Page Six‘s source said Roker is still at the hospital with his family.

The news of Roker’s latest hospitalization comes as Rockefeller Center confirmed Roker will not be attending the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night. Today anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin will instead be joined by Access Hollywood host Mario Lopez. Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Jimmie Allen, Andrea Bocelli, Katharine McPhee, Alicia Keyes, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Louis York, The Sindellas, and the Sesame Street Muppets are set to perform.

Roker missed several episodes of Today earlier this month due to his health scare. He was admitted to the hospital with blood clots in his leg and lungs. “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,” Roker wrote on Nov. 18.

Unfortunately for Roker’s fans, he was also unable to attend the Thanksgiving Day Parade. He later shared a video of himself leaving the hospital, then posted a picture of himself watching Guthrie and Kotb from home. He also published pictures with his family Thursday night. “So very [thankful] to be able to be home for [Thanksgiving dinner] with [family],” he wrote.

Today viewers were heartbroken to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade without Roker’s signature enthusiasm. The Today crew missed working with him as well. “For the past 27 parades, at this moment, Savannah, we would turn to Al Roker, who is our Today show colleague and our best pal,” Kotb said during the broadcast. “But as a lot of you have heard, Al’s recovering – he’s recovering very well from a recent medical issue. And we just want to say, we love you, Al. Wondering if you’re watching, but we wish you a full recovery.”