Al Roker, who has made appearances for Today along the iconic parade route for 27 years, is not at this year’s event because he’s recovering from blood clots in his leg and lungs that sent him to the hospital earlier this month.
Savannah Guthrie also shared a heartfelt message with the Today show weather anchor, before announcing that Today co-host Dylan Dreyer will take his place this year.
During the broadcast, Dreyer spoke by phone with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Along with wishing first responders and troops a Happy Thanksgiving, the president also acknowledged Roker.
On Thursday, Roker shared on his Instagram that he left the hospital.
Once he got home, Roker even tuned into the parade to watch his colleagues facilitate the show, posting a selfie in front of the TV.
Roker, who has been absent from the NBC morning show for three weeks now, gave an update on his whereabouts on Nov. 18, revealing in an Instagram post that he’s been receiving medical treatment for blood clots.
He was last absent from the show in late September, after testing positive for COVID-19.
While Roker has been dealing with his health issues, Dreyer has been filling in for him on Today. She and co-hosts Guthrie, Kotb, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly spoke about their colleague on Friday’s show.
