If you ever turn your TV on to catch a taping of the Today show, you may be familiar with seeing Al Roker on your screen.
The longtime TV anchor has a reputation as the NBC daytime series' resident weatherman, but he's also one to not just stay in his own lane. Al loves to report on other stories that are important to the audience, along with having a good time with his equally well-known Today show hosts. Whether he's cracking jokes with Craig Melvin, dramatically reacting to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie's on-air debates or causing a hilarious reaction from Sheinelle Jones, he's always one to keep an eye on throughout an episode.
But given how even we remember seeing the newly-minted cookbook author on our televisions growing up, this has us wondering about the answer to one major question. Exactly how long has Al Roker been on the Today show? Given how he celebrated 45 years of working on NBC back in December 2023, we were surprised to learn just how long Al has been a part of our TV lives.
How long has Al Roker been on the Today show?
According to NBC Insider, Al's first episode of the hit morning show aired on January 26, 1996. Meaning: Al Roker has been on the Today show for 28 years.
When speaking with Business Insider in August 2020, Al said he originally began his career with NBC back in 1978, when he worked for the station WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio. He eventually came back to his native New York City for a job reporting the weekend weather for NBC.
"Frank Field, who was the preeminent weatherman in not just New York City, but probably the country, decided to go over to channel two," he told the publication. "So, I got the Monday through Friday job. If I had not been in position to get that job doing the weekend weather with NBC, I don't know where I'd be today."
Since then, Al has been a friendly face on the Today show, and he does way more than just the weather. He also is a staple with Hoda and Savannah during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where he follows the excitement of both the live audience and the celebrities taking in the festivities.
While Al has been a part of the Today show family for a long time, there have been periods where folks didn't see him. When he took time off from the daytime series to recover from being hospitalized for blood clots in his leg, his January 2023 return had everyone emotional.
"The crew is weepy," Hoda said at the time in a clip posted on YouTube. "The crowd outside has been waiting for you. They’ve been bummed every day we’ve walked out there. They’re like, 'Where is Al?'"
"I have missed you guys so very much. You are my second family and it’s just great to be back — and wearing pants!" Al joked.
Here's to seeing Al on our TV screens for a long time!
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
