\
CRAIG Melvin has joked about Al Roker’s retirement while celebrating his birthday on Tuesday morning.
Al, whose 70th birthday was celebrated all morning on Today, was given poems written by some of his co-hosts as a gift.
8
8
8
During Today 3rd Hour, hosts Craig, 45, and Sheinelle Jones, 46, boasted about Al’s influence during his 28 years on the morning show.
After reading their poems, Craig joked about why one of Al’s fellow co-anchors, Dylan Dreyer, 43, was absent from the show.
“You know why Dylan’s not here? She thought this was a retirement celebration,” Craig joked.
“When Dylan found out it was a birthday celebration, she was like, ‘Aww, heck nah,'” he added.
Read More on The Today Show
The airing then cut to a pre-recorded video of Dylan at home, wishing the meteorologist a happy birthday.
“I’m so bummed I am not there to celebrate in person, but I’ve got the next best thing,” she said.
She then performed her own twist on the Animaniacs theme song, which was rewritten to “Al-imaniacs.”
Al was notably impressed by Dylan’s lyrics and “delivery” of the song.
The New York native’s birthday was celebrated on NBC all morning, where he and his co-hosts looked back on his successful career.
Al was also honored with the “Key to the City” by New York City mayor Eric Adams.
He was also spoiled with some of his favorite food and drinks, which included strawberry shortcake, BBQ ribs, and a twist on an Aperol Spritz.
NEW LEASE ON LIFE
During the airing, Al said he is currently in the best health of his life, alluding the determination to stay healthy to his one-year-old granddaughter, Sky.
The meteorologist had a few health scares in late 2022, which included blood clots in his legs and internal bleeding.
Al was admitted to the hospital, where doctors found two bleeding ulcers and performed a seven-hour surgery.
TODAY Show hosts
The TODAY Show is an American television program airing on NBC at 7am. The broadcast discusses domestic and international news, as well as weather reports. The weekday and weekend hosts include:
Surgeons resectioned Al’s colon to remove his gallbladder and redo his duodenum, part of the small intestine.
Just a few months after, Al headed back to the hospital for a total knee replacement surgery.
However, it was only a matter of weeks until Al was back to his seat on Today.
NO SLOWING DOWN
In May — one year after his knee surgery — Al gave an update on his health as his wife, Deborah Roberts, revealed his retirement plans.
8
“Everything’s great. Yeah, I feel good,” Al said in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
“I’ve been getting out, walking, and now the warm weather is coming, so, you know, I mean, we didn’t really have a spring, but that’s okay. It’s all good, it’s all good.”
When asked about retirement plans, Al’s wife called it a “dirty word” and hinted the two don’t discuss the topic at home.
“We don’t even like that word. We think it’s a dirty word. Because you know what? We both are still having a great time,” she explained.
8
“We’re still exploring. We’re still discovering. We’re still traveling. We’re doing so much of what we love.
“So why would we even want to say that dirty ‘r’ word?” she joked.
Al’s co-host, Sheinelle, felt the same way about Al walking away from his morning show gig anytime soon.
“That man is not retiring anytime soon. He’s got a lot of love left in him to give,” she told The U.S. Sun.
8
8
8
