By Michaela Gordoni
Weatherman Al Roker celebrated three decades on the TODAY show this week.
“Well, let’s put it this way. I haven’t thought about retirement,” he told PEOPLE, joking, “Somebody at NBC, that might be a different story.”
“I love what I do,” he said. “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 knows he’s part of something special and isn’t ready to let that go.
“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.”
Related: Al Roker Celebrates Fathering Grown Children
After 20 years on the job, he recalled still being floored by how fortunate he is.
“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 said.
Another highlight was an acknowledgement from the president and vice president.
“[Obama] acknowledged when I asked him about the weather and then Vice President Biden runs up and shakes my hand,” Roker said. “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.”
Whenever he does leave, he hopes he leaves a useful legacy.
“People, when they watch, that they didn’t feel like I wasted their time,” Roker explained. “And that hopefully they felt better after watching than before.”
In the celebratory episode, Roker said of his success, “Well, first of all, my family here means so, so very much to me. And my family, Deborah, Leila, Courtney, Nick, Sky,” he said, referencing his wife, children and granddaughter. “And you know, I’m thinking about my parents too, because…I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Al and Isabel Roker, and all of you [viewers].”
Deborah wrote in an Instagram post, “So deeply proud of this guy, who’s celebrating 3 decades of passion, devotion and storytelling on THE TODAY SHOW. We got married that fall and he began another chapter in his career. Your family couldn’t be happier or prouder to see you still going strong. Even if is is at that OTHER network,” she joked.
Here’s to Al’s many more years as America’s favorite weatherman.
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