Hoda Kotb Shares How Al Roker Is Doing After His Cancer Diagnosis
On November 10, Today Show co-anchor Hoda Kotb was out on her daily run when a TMZ reporter caught up with her. Like TMZ itself points out, Hoda Kotb is a fitness Queen, and TMZ's reporter has nothing on her. "We're doing it for Al Roker, baby," Kotb says in the video.
Kotb has been particularly vocal about her support for Roker, who recently announced on air that he was battling prostate cancer and would soon undergo surgery. After Roker went public with his diagnosis, Kotb poured her emotion into an Instagram post. "Our al. You never miss a milestone," she wrote, "you've been there for all of our moments ... good or painful ... we will be here for you too ... you've got this." Kotb is perhaps uniquely situated to support her longtime friend and colleague. She's a breast cancer survivor herself. "Cancer shaped me, but it did not define me. It's part of me, but not all of me," the journalist once told an audience at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation event (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Here's what Hoda Kotb says fans can do to support Al Roker
Hota Kotb told TMZ's reporter that she'd recently talked to Al Roker on the phone and that he was doing "great ... He's in a great mood." Kotb added, "He said it's all looking good." The Today Show's weatherman and co-anchor was certainly looking good on Saturday, November 7, when he posted an Instagram video to thank his fans for an outpouring of support. "I got to thank each and every one of you for your, prayers, your support, you're well-wishes after I announced on Friday that I'm battling prostate cancer," he said, "and with any luck, next week, I'm going to be having prostate cancer surgery, and I'm going to tell prostate cancer, to borrow a phrase, 'you're fired.'"
Since then, Roker's kept busy posting mouthwatering pictures of avocado toasts with Calabrian peppers, and roast chicken with sweet potato and zucchini. His wife, Deborah Roberts, is busy posting pictures of the books the two of them are reading together, including Rules of Civility by Amore Towles. What can well-wishers do to support Roker, TMZ asked Hota Kotb: "Send their prayers up," she replied. Which is exactly what we'll be doing.