Al Roker: No retirement plans after 3 decades on Today Show, shares career highlights
Celebrating three incredible decades, Al Roker reflects on his time with the Today show. At 71, he isn't ready to hang up his microphone just yet; his passion for broadcast meteorology shines through daily. Roker views his role, along with his team, as devoted stewards of a cherished morning tradition.
Al Roker, celebrating three decades on the Today show, has no immediate plans for retirement. The 71-year-old weatherman expressed his continued passion for his work, stating he loves his job and feels good, with no indication of stepping down anytime soon. Roker views himself and his colleagues as temporary custodians of the Today show's 74-year legacy, emphasizing that the broadcast's mission remains unchanged despite evolving delivery methods. He shared memorable experiences, including interviewing legends like Don Rickles and Betty White, and a significant moment during President Obama's inauguration. Roker hopes his legacy will be that viewers felt their time was well-spent and that they felt better after watching.
“Well, let’s put it this way. I haven’t thought about retirement,” he tells PEOPLE before joking, “Somebody at NBC, that might be a different story.”
The veteran meteorologist and journalist replaced Willard Scott in 1996 and remains as passionate about his role today as he was then. He finds joy in his work and feels no pressure to retire in the near future.
“I love what I do,” he says. “I feel good. I love this job. I love doing it. At some point I guess I won’t be, but I don’t feel like that’s anytime soon, so I’m just gonna keep going.”
Roker acknowledges the collaborative nature of the Today show, highlighting that its enduring mission has been consistent over its 74-year history. He sees himself and his colleagues as temporary caretakers of this significant broadcast legacy.
“I think that’s the beauty of the broadcast is that the mission over these 74 years has not changed,” he shared. “The way we bring it to you may have, and look, the fact of the matter is we are each temporary custodians of this legacy … at some point I won’t be part of the show, somebody else will be, but to be part of a pretty cool club is very special. To say that this was a dream job isn’t really accurate because it never dawned on me that I could be on the Today show.”
He considers himself fortunate to have worked on the show for such an extended period. Roker recalled a particularly remarkable 24-hour span about a decade ago in California where he interviewed several iconic figures.
“I guess it was about 10 years ago in one 24-hour period out in California, I interviewed Don Rickles, Betty White, Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke, and it was like, wow, I’m a kid from Queens out doing this,” he recalls.
Another significant memory for Roker involves the 2013 inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. He was acknowledged by President Obama during a question about the weather, and Vice President Biden personally shook his hand. This event coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, making it a deeply meaningful experience for Roker, who reflected on his parents' potential pride.
“[Obama] acknowledged when I asked him about the weather and then Vice President Biden runs up and shakes my hand,” Roker recounts. “It was the day of the inaugural but it also happened to be a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. I’m thinking my parents are looking down and going, ‘Our son was acknowledged by the President of the United States and had his hand shaken by the Vice President.’ Like I said, for a kid from Queens, that’s some pretty heavy stuff.”
Looking ahead, Roker has a clear vision for the impact he hopes his work will have. He desires that viewers feel their time spent watching him has been valuable and that they leave with a more positive outlook.
“People, when they watch, that they didn’t feel like I wasted their time,” Roker explains. “And that hopefully they felt better after watching than before.”