It’s only natural that when you allow a specific person or group of people into your home on a regular basis through the TV, you start to feel an attachment to them. That’s definitely the kind of relationship Al Roker has formed with his fans in his approximately three decades on The Today Show, where he continues to appear weekdays on the 2025 TV schedule. As with many longtime TV personalities, Roker has his own catchphrase, and there’s a really sweet story about how it came to be.
Al Roker has brought such a burst of personality to NBC’s morning show for so long now that it’s jarring when we don’t see the weather expert’s big smile as he utters the words:
Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods.
It turns out there’s sentimental meaning behind the words, and he opened up about why he chose that as his catchphrase while accepting a Lifetime Achievement Honor last week at the 46th annual News Emmy Awards. Al Roker revealed to People:
My grandfather used to say that, yeah. So that was kind of an homage to him.
What a great way to pay tribute to a loved one. We’ve seen TV personalities find ways to shout-out loved ones in a number of different ways over the years — Carol Burnett’s ear tug comes to mind — but to make his grandfather’s words his catchphrase is a great way to honor his memory on practically a daily basis.
Of course, it also made sense for the job he was doing. Al Roker provided the national weather broadcast, and he needed a way to signal the transition back to local affiliates. As he explained:
I've got to say the same thing, so that the local stations know when to cut away.
He’s a smart one, that’s for sure. Al Roker has been a full-time member of The Today Show team since 1996, but his tenure at NBC — and even with the morning show — started decades earlier. To this day viewers never really know what they’re going to get from the anchor, whether that’s distracting his co-hosts in a How to Train Your Dragon Toothless mask, making an appearance at WrestleMania or his awkward reaction when Jenna Bush Hager mistakenly accused him of kissing her grandmother.
He’s got a fiery side to him too — remember when fans expressed concern on social media about him being “too old” to cover hurricanes on location? Yeah, he gave them a big (humor-filled), “Screw you.”
That big personality and zest for life undoubtedly helped him through a serious medical issue that caused blood clots in his legs and lungs. It’s a miracle he survived, said the weatherman’s wife, ABC news anchor Deborah Roberts, who received her own honor at the News Emmys for her 25 years of service.
These days Al Roker seems more passionate about his Today Show gig than ever, and what a blessing it is for his fans to be able to continue to hear that tribute to his grandfather from our own neck of the woods.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
