Al Roker health update: 'Today' staffers' holiday serenade surprise brings tears of joy
Al Roker, center, was brought to tears as some very special Christmas carolers stopped by his New York City abode for a surprise serenade that aired Wednesday. Credit: Today/Nathan Congleton
Recuperating at home from his recent hospitalizations, Al Roker was brought to tears in a "Today" segment that aired Wednesday as his NBC morning-show colleagues — co-anchors, producers and staffers down to security personnel — serenaded him in front of his Manhattan home.
"It was all a surprise," co-anchor Savannah Guthrie had said Tuesday in a preview. "It was one of the most heartwarming moments. … Everybody was in tears. And it was just beautiful and so wonderful to see him." Added meteorologist Dylan Dreyer, "This place ["Today"] means so much to Al," who has been absent from the show and recovering at home from blood clots following lengthy hospital stays over the past several weeks.
In the segment, dozens of people wearing Santa hats are gathered outside the East 82nd Street town house Roker shares with his wife, ABC News journalist Deborah Roberts, and their family. Someone rings the doorbell, and we hear Roberts say, "Al, I think there's someone here for you."
The Queens-born Roker, 68, emerges, using a cane, and breaks into a smile as the crowd bursts into "Jingle Bells." He becomes visibly emotional and tears up.
"Hi, Al! We love you, Al!” yells co-anchor Hoda Kotb as the song ends.
"It's impressive you did that without a prompter," Roker jokes, referring to a TelePrompTer, a studio device that runs a show's script on a TV screen for on-air talent to read. Choking back tears, he adds, "I just want to thank you all. It's been a long, hard slog and I've missed you all so, so very much. All these faces, it's just — means the world to me. And to our family. Deborah, who has just been my rock, I just thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And," he cracks, "I guess [you're] a new contestant for 'America's Got Talent.' You got that going for you!"
"We love you so much, Al," says Kotb. "Every single person couldn't wait to come out here and sing to you. We actually have another song we'd like to sing to you. Would you like that?"
"This one's a special one, just for you," says Guthrie.
The crowd then begins singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the 1943 Walter Kent-James "Kim" Gannon standard popularized by Bing Crosby — substituting "Al" for "I'll." As the song ends, Roker blows the gathering a grateful kiss.
On Instagram afterward, Roker wrote, "Words cannot express how much I love my @todayshow family for coming over to do a little caroling including a special rendition of ‘I'll Be Home For Christmas.’ ”