Al Roker opens up about leaving a legacy behind following his exit from 'Today'

Al Roker completed 30 years on the Today show on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine before achieving the milestone, the 71-year-old American weathercaster and journalist reflected on his three-decade-long journey on the morning show.

Roker also talked about leaving the legacy behind after his exit from the Today show.

He said, “[I hope] people when they watch, that they didn’t feel like I wasted their time. And that hopefully they felt better after watching than before.”

The renowned television personality gave credit to the team members for the success of the show.

He quipped, “What’s been really instrumental in the longevity is that I’ve been fortunate enough to work with really great people.”

“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,” Roker explained.

He identifies himself and the team of Today as “temporary custodians of this legacy,” admitting that he never expected to be a regular on the show.

The Gutenberg! The Musical! actor confessed, “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.”

“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,” Al Roker elaborated.