Since Al hasn’t returned to Studio 1A yet, the whole gang gathers in front of his house to show him how much they miss him.
TODAY’s Al Roker is back home and on his way to recovery after spending four weeks in the hospital. But he is not ready to return to Studio 1A just yet.
So this week, the entire TODAY family gathered at Al’s door to help the beloved weatherman feel surprised and bright with a little bit of holiday cheer. (TODAY Family Brings Holiday Cheer To Al Roker’s Doorstep With Emotional Surprise)
The plan was to get all of TODAY’s hosts, producers, crew, and security together and sneak them up to Al’s house and sing Christmas carols to the man everyone remembers so much.
Now, you might think that getting so many people together in a short amount of time would be a programming nightmare. But that was the easy part. When the plan was announced, everyone wanted to know the where and when.
The difficult part was the logistics of getting a large crowd in Santa hats to Al’s house without anyone seeing them. As the host and staff practiced their Christmas carols a block from their destination, Al and his wife, Deborah Roberts, were returning from a doctor’s appointment and were about to drive past today’s gang.
Luckily, Deborah was unfazed and sent a message to the team to move to another block.
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Once Al returned home, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb rang the doorbell and, with a moving event filled with smiles, tears, and song, everyone arrived at their door. When Al opened the door, he had an emotional reaction to seeing and hearing all his friends again. But once he finished a round of “Jingle Bells,” his trademark wit was on display.
“It’s impressive that you did it without any prompting,” he said with a sly smile.
But after making everyone laugh, Al turned serious.
“I’ve missed you so, so much, all these faces,” she said. “It just means the world to me and our family and my Deborah, who has been my support. I really appreciate it. I really appreciate it.”
“I think it was one of the most moving moments for all of us,” Savannah said of the surprise. “Everyone was crying, and it was beautiful and wonderful to see.”
And Al was also happy to see them.
“It was special, it was powerful,” said Sheinelle Jones, a friend of Al’s third hour on TODAY. “You can feel the love.”
Al got to hear it too, as everyone raised their voices to deliver another song from the season: “Al Be Home for Christmas.”
“I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know,” He Told Everyone.
Reflecting on the special moment on TODAY, Dylan Dreyer said, “This place meant a lot to Al. It was for all of us to come out and calm him down … It was emotional and he appreciated it.” “Words can’t express how much I love my @todayshow family singing little Christmas carols, including a special rendition of ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,'” she wrote. (TODAY Family Brings Holiday Cheer To Al Roker’s Doorstep With Emotional Surprise)
Of Course, This Isn’t The First Time Al Has Seen His TODAY Friends In Recent Weeks.
During a video call visit on the show earlier this week, Al mentioned that he had frequent visitors during his stay at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
“It’s great you’ve been in the hospital,” the 68-year-old enthused. “Hoda was actually, I think, made an honorary doctor. She would literally show up. She did the ‘ho-dini’, the way she’d just be there.” In November, he was hospitalized due to problems with a blood clot in his lungs and leg. This forced him not to host the parade at Macy’s. After Thanksgiving and returning home for Thanksgiving for the first time in decades, Al was back in the hospital, where he had spent the last few weeks. (TODAY Family Brings Holiday Cheer To Al Roker’s Doorstep With Emotional Surprise)
But in spite of everything, he knew that everyone supported him.
“It gives you a deep sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanksgiving,” he said. “I’m a very lucky person.”
