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NEED TO KNOW
Al Roker celebrated his 30th anniversary at the Today show on Tuesday, Jan. 27
The 71-year-old weatherman spoke with PEOPLE about his impressive career and what he hopes will be his legacy on the show
Roker first permanently joined the NBC morning show in 1996, replacing Willard Scott
It's an Aliversary!
Al Rokerrang in 30 years on theTodayshow on Tuesday, Jan. 27, celebrating with his NBC family. The 71-year-old weatherman spoke with PEOPLE ahead of the milestone about his decades on the morning show and the legacy he hopes to one day leave behind.
"[I hope] people when they watch, that they didn't feel like I wasted their time," Roker tells PEOPLE. "And that hopefully they felt better after watching than before."
Roker considers himself to be just one part of a well-oiled machine, crediting his co-anchors for the show's success through the years.
"What's been really instrumental in the longevity is that I've been fortunate enough to work with really great people," he says. "The show really is the sum of its parts. Everybody on the show I think is, you know, pretty good. I probably bring the curve down a little bit. But you put us all together and I think we're just a really good team. We actually like each other. We enjoy being with each other."
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Roker refers to himself and the rest of the team as "temporary custodians of this legacy," noting that he never imagined he'd one day be aTodayshow staple.
"To say that this was a dream job isn't really accurate because it never dawned on me that I could be on theTodayshow," he admits. "When I got to WNBC in New York to do weekends back in 1983, I was back home. I grew up in New York and my parents could see me on TV. So I thought, 'I've got it made.' The idea that I would step into the shoes of one of my heroes and mentors,Willard Scott, and be able to do this for this period of time is still a little mind boggling."
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The father of three replaced Scott as the show's weatherman in 1996 and has been going strong ever since. Health has been a priority for Roker through the years — he famously went through agastric bypass surgeryin 2002 and has beendiagnosed with prostate cancer, as well as life-threateningblood clots in his legs and lungs.
"It is funny because when you turn 50, you go, 'Oh well, my life's half over.' And then you turn 60 and you realize, 'Oh well, it's actually more than half over,' " Roker muses. "And then 70 and you're like, 'Wow!' And you're looking at news stories about people in their 70s who have 'transitioned' if you will. But to be honest, 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."
Read the original article onPeople
