NBC (2)
Al Roker Missing From ‘Today’ Show Holiday Party Leads Fans to Question Meteorologist’s Absence
Fans were delighted to see the Today show cast mingling off hours for their holiday party, but most quickly noticed Al Roker wasn’t included in the group photo, sparking concern amongst viewers.
“No one loves a 2pm holiday party as much as this crew – thank you @smithandmills for the fun afternoon!” Laura Jarrett captioned the Instagram post shared on Monday, December 16.
Laura, 41, enjoyed a glass of wine and a delicious meal at a table surrounded by costars Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie, Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly, Willie Geist and Craig Melvin. The attendance rate was almost at 100 percent, but Al, 70, was missing from the snapshot.
“What?! No @alroker?” one person wrote in the comments section of the post.
A second fan echoed, “No one invited Al Roker [crying emoji].”
The Today show cast has yet to address Al’s absence at the holiday party, which marked Hoda’s last celebration with the team before her exit on January 10, 2025.
In September, Hoda, 60, announced she was leaving the Today show after more than five years co-anchoring the talk show alongside Savannah, 52.
“As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one,” Hoda penned to the Today staff before making her shocking announcement on-air. “And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”
Craig, 45, will step in and fill Hoda’s legendary shoes beginning on January 13, 2025.
Hoda’s decision to step down from the show had fans turning to Al, wondering when the meteorologist is going to hang up his top hat.
The New York native addressed his stance on retirement during a September 30 interview with People, claiming, “You know when you know.”
“That was the kind of the beautiful thing for Hoda. You even look at … Joe Biden. It’s like, everybody has a reason that they decide it’s time to go,” Al, who turned 70 in August, told the outlet.
As for himself, Al admitted, “I don’t feel like that’s my time yet, but who knows. Maybe a year or two. Maybe not, but I’m enjoying it. I love this. You don’t get off the train until the last stop.”
Al, who made his weatherman debut on the Today show in 1996, took lengthy breaks from the news broadcast over the years while tending to his health. After undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2002, Al was then hospitalized twice 20 years later after suffering blood clots in his leg and lungs.
Al started living a healthy lifestyle to avoid further complications, leading him to make positive habit changes in moderation.
“I think if you exclude everything, then you’re eventually setting yourself up to crash and burn,” the TV host said in the first digital issue of Allrecipes Allstar Summer Bash in June. “You try to eat healthy and realize sometimes you’re not going to, and it’s OK. You did that, now let’s get back on track. But I don’t think there’s anything that’s forbidden.”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Closer Weekly does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
