Why Al Roker is 'upset' after Today absence


The 71-year-old co-anchor of Today's Third Hour was on assignment on Tuesday, May 26, missing a guest he had many questions for


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Tess Hill
Tess HillNews and Features Writer
2 minutes ago
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Today's Al Roker shared how upset he was to miss this guest on Tuesday, May 26. The 71-year-old co-anchor of Today's Third Hour was on assignment when Andrew Scott visited the set, and Al had some thoughts about it.

Andrew, 49, stopped by 30 Rockefeller to discuss his upcoming movie, Pressure, in which he stars as meteorologist James Stagg. The film follows James as he uses his meteorology skills in the 72 hours before D-Day, the military operation that began the liberation of France during World War II.

The meteorologists at Today shared their excitement about the film which highlights just how important their profession is. And Al was sad to miss the conversation. After watching a preview of the film, co-anchor and meteorologist Dylan Dreyer told Andrew: "I know Al is upset that he's not here. He gathered the NBC news weather unit [for] a showing of the movie. He actually has a video for you."

Andrew Scott reacting to Al Roker's video© NBC
Andrew reacting to Al's video

In the short video, Al dressed in a navy blazer and a straw hat as he pushed luggage. "Woah, hey Andrew, it's so good to see you," the meteorologist said. "I wish I could be there. So, I was wondering, it was horrible weather, [there] was a little bit of a break…what's your favorite weather? Is it sunshine? Is it a rainy day to be able to sit in the pub?"

Andrew reacted with smiles saying: "That's so sweet," and adding: "Well, I'm an Irishman, so I get four seasons in one day. I love a bit of sunshine."

This morning, while Al stepped away from the anchor desk, he posted to Instagram how much he enjoyed Pressure. With a photo of the NBC news weather unit sitting in a small movie theater, Al wrote: "Brought together some #weatherfriends @audreypuente @janicehuff4ny @brittanybellwx @maria_larosa_wx and @kathrynprociv for a special screening of the #wwii drama @pressuremovie about the meteorologists responsible for the most important forecast in history: weather for the #dday landing."

Al Roker and his fellow meteorologists enjoying the film Pressure© Instagram
Al and his fellow meteorologists enjoying the film Pressure

Where is Al Roker?

The meteorologist was replaced by Emilie Ikeda on Tuesday, May 26. Al announced to his one million Instagram followers where he was headed. "Good morning everybody, on my way for a shoot down in beautiful Universal Orlando," he said in a video as he walked through the airport.

The anchor will be live from the theme park on Wednesday, May 27, captioning his video that he's excited for the "mashup," and knows he's "Gonna get my steps over the next 48 hours."

Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker enroute to Williamsburg, Virginia for a TODAY special taping on May 15, shared on Instagram© Instagram
Al travels a lot for his job

Is Al Roker retiring from Today?

Al has been on the Today show for over 30 years, starting first as a meteorologist before becoming a co-anchor of the morning news program. And three decades later, he still brings joy and energy to his work.

Al Roker takes a selfie while in Cape Canaveral covering the Artemis II launch for NBC, shared on Instagram© Instagram
He even covered the Artemis II launch for NBC

When he celebrated his milestone anniversary in January 2026, Al told People: "Well, let’s put it this way. I haven't thought about retirement," adding: "I love what I do. 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."

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