Today anchor Savannah Guthrie knew Al Roker was back at the morning show’s studios in Rockefeller Center. She hadn’t seen him yet, or even been told he was in.
Guthrie shared this morning the amusing “tell” by which she knew that the beloved weather forecaster, out for two weeks due to prostate cancer surgery, was back and ready to go.
Al Roker’s prostate cancer announcement weeks ago
Roker shared in the first week of November the shocking news of his cancer diagnosis. He found out in September during a routine examination that he had cancer of the prostate that had been caught early. However, there was sobering news as well.
“It’s a good news-bad news kind of thing,” he said at the time. “Good news is we caught it early. Not great news is that it’s a little aggressive, so I’m going to be taking some time off to take care of this.”
The television personality’s surgeon, Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Dr. Vincent Laudone, spoke on Today of Roker’s diagnosis saying, “Fortunately his cancer appears somewhat limited or confined to the prostate.
“But because it’s more aggressive, we wanted to treat it, and after discussion regarding all of the different options — surgery, radiation, focal therapy — we settled on removing the prostate.”
How Roker gets geared up before going on set each morning
Recently, in a September appearance on Rachael Ray‘s daytime program, the Queens-born cohost admitted to a daily habit he has that gets him amped up and ready for his duties on the morning show. He listens to the theme song from The A-Team.
“The A-Team is probably one of the greatest action shows ever created on television,” he said. “In fact, I play the theme from The A-Team every morning before I go on the Today show.”
“They were all good in one way, but together, they were this incredible team,” he explained about the 1980s series’ team members and how the program has been meaningful to him.
“Well, in your life, you need to find these people — because whether it’s emotional or physical or whatever, nobody can be everything to all people,” he said. “You’ve got to have a team. Anybody who says they’ve achieved what they have by themselves is so full of BS it’s not even possible.”
This is how Savannah Guthrie knew Roker was on site
Savannah Guthrie hadn’t even seen her Today colleague yet but knew he was back after his two-week absence.
She could hear The A-Team‘s theme song blasting through the walls of Today‘s dressing rooms.
At the show’s start this morning, Guthrie announced Roker’s return, saying she “heard The A-Team theme music” and knew “Al was back!”
“Guys, we’re all together,” Guthrie said. “We can be happy because our Al has returned to Studio 1A. Just two weeks ago today, you had surgery for prostate cancer.”
Roker shared that it has been viewers’ kind messages, as well as support from his friends and family, that have gotten him through this difficult time.
“I tell you, I had great surgeons, and a lot of love from my family and Deborah, Nick, and Leila, and Courtney, and a lot of you,” Roker said gesturing towards the camera. “And all of you here,” he said of his Today family.
“I feel good, I really do.”
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