Al Roker's Wife Deborah Roberts Gives Insight Into Gravity of His Illness: 'Very, Very, Very Sick'

By Allison Schonter

Following a weeks-long absence amid a medical scare that required multiple hospitalizations, Al Roker returned to the Today show Friday morning, reuniting on-air with co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. During his big return to Studio 1A, Roker was joined by his wife, Deborah Roberts, who told the co-anchors and viewers that her husband is "a living breathing miracle," explaining that the beloved meteorologist was "a very, very, very sick man."

Detailing Roker's medical journey, which began back in November when he was first hospitalized at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital after suffering blood clots in his legs and lungs, Roberts explained that her husband "was a medical mystery for a couple of weeks." Roberts said it was two doctors who "led this brilliant team – it was a team – who had to figure out what was happening." According to Roker, he experienced "two complicating things" that made diagnosis and treatment difficult.

"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. And finally they went in, did the surgery and it ended up two bleeding ulcers, had to resection the colon, had to take out my gallbladder, redo my duodenum," he shared. "I went in for one operation, I got four free. So I got that going for me."

Reflecting on what she described as "the most tumultuous, frightening journey we have been on," Roberts said she and her husband "were just on pins and needles, every day" as Roker underwent "a lot of tests, a lot of scopes. There was just so much that had to be done, and a major major surgery." The pins and needles didn't fade until Roberts was sitting with her husband in his hospital room one day "and through this very scratchy voice, and he was so gaunt and exhausted, he said, 'I'm going to make a spatchcock turkey for Christmas.'" Roberts said "that was the moment" she knew Roker would pull through.

Roker was ultimately released from the hospital on Dec. 8 after having missed major NBC events, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center. Upon making his return back to the NBC morning program, Roker said his "heart is just bursting. I'm just so thrilled to see all of you and the crew. Right now I'm running on adrenaline."

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