Shania Russell is a news writer at Entertainment Weekly, with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.
Al Roker is ready to deliver his career forecast.
The legendary weatherman and longtime TV anchor recently celebrated his 30th anniversary at Today, a milestone that spurred a flurry of rumors about Roker's eventual departure from the show. But during a recent chat with PEOPLE, Roker insisted that as far he knows, retirement isn't in the near future.
"Let's put it this way: I haven't thought about retirement," he told the outlet, before joking, "Somebody at NBC, that might be a different story."
He continued, "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."
The veteran meteorologist has been part of the morning show's team ever since 1996, when he stepped in to replace the late Willard Scott. Three decades in, Roker acknowledged that much has changed, but praised the show's continued dedication to delivering on its values.
"I think that's the beauty of the broadcast is that the mission over these 74 years has not changed," Roker said. "The fact of the matter is we are each temporary custodians of this legacy. At some point I won't be part of the show, somebody else will be, but to be part of a pretty cool club is very special. 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."
Roker added that he's been "really, really fortunate" to have been part of the show for such a long stretch of time.
To celebrate Roker's professional milestone, Today hosted an "Al-iversary" special that was jam-packed with tributes from his costars, celebrity guest appearances, and even a playful recreation of Roker's signature fashion style -- fedora and all. At one point, Howard Stern popped in to request that Roker spill the tea on which guest "had the worst breath," along with other secrets from his Today tenure. But Roker responded by reiterating that he expects to be around for a while longer.
"After I'm finally off the air -- but not until then," he said about revealing such info. He then joked, "I need this job. I got a daughter getting married this spring."
Roker also serves as the co-host of the "3rd Hour" block of Today, alongside Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer. The Emmy-winning TV personality has interviewed numerous notable figures in entertainment including Betty White, Carl Reiner, and Dick Van Dyke.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
After being honored by his fellow Today anchors with a look back on his career, Roker turned to the audience to say, "My family here means so much to me. I think about my parents, too. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Allen and Isabel Roker. And all of you," he added with a nod at the camera. "It's just been an honor."
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%3Afocal(1059x438%3A1061x440)%2Fal-roker-today-main-082025-3a21de18a0b245fdb4502610cea5b674.jpg&w=3840&q=75)