Despite being in the hospital, Roker was still very much a part of the show's annual holiday video card.
Al Roker may not have been on-set for the Today show's annual holiday video card, but he was very much a part of the festivities. On Monday, Today anchors Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager and the rest of the familiar faces from Studio 1A gave viewers a peek at their Love Actually-inspired Yuletide greeting.
The clip starts with the film's most famous scene -- a snow-framed, wreath-covered door similar to the one Mark (Andrew Lincoln) stood in front of when he professed his love to Juliet (Keira Knightley) with a series of cue cards. Only this time, when the door opens, it’s Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin holding up signs that read, "The holidays are here/ And so are we/ Bringing good cheer."
"Wishing you peace/ And joy/ Love/ And laughter," read some of the cue cards raised by Hager, Willie Geist, Sheinelle Jones and more.
The 68-year-old weatherman made his way into the video message as well, with the show creating face cutouts of Roker for the team to hold in an effort to bring his spirit to the shoot for their 2022 card.
As viewers of the show and fans alike know, Roker has been in and out of the hospital over the last few weeks, with a source confirming to ET on Wednesday that Roker "went back to the hospital after Thanksgiving."
Roker was initially hospitalized in November due to a blood clot in his leg which went to his lungs. At the time, Roker wrote on Instagram that he was "fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery." He was released from the hospital in time to spend Thanksgiving at home, though he did not host the Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in 27 years.
Page Six, who was first to publish the news of Roker's re-hospitalization, reported that the TV personality was rushed back to the hospital by ambulance the day following Thanksgiving, just one day after he was first sent home.
Amid Roker's ongoing health issues, he was not on hand to host Wednesday's Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center, either. Mario Lopez stepped in for Roker, where he was joined by Kotb and Melvin. On Thursday, Kotb addressed Roker's absence both from the NBC morning show and from the annual Christmas Tree Lighting.
"Due to some complications, he is back in the hospital and he's in very good care," Kotb said of Roker. "He's resting and his doctors are keeping a close eye on him."
She added that the weatherman and his family are grateful "for all the love, the support and the well wishes."
She also noted that she and Melvin were able to FaceTime Roker from the tree lighting ceremony, saying, "He gave us a big thumbs up."
Melvin added of Roker, "We will see you back here soon, my friend."
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