Al Roker discusses risky element he can't control ahead of return to beloved Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Last year, the beloved TV star was recovering from surgery so was unable to host the annual show
Al Roker is getting ready to return to one of his favorite jobs of the year, hosting the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, taking place on November 23.
The NBC star will be reporting on the parade as it takes place, from Uptown, having been forced to miss out on the gig for the first time in decades last year due to illness.
And on Monday's episode of the Third Hour of Today, Al was talking to co-hosts Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer about the upcoming event, and the one factor he has no control of - the weather!
Just after the weather reports, which highlighted the fact that weather "could be an issue" in many parts of the United States over the next few days, particularly winds, Dylan turned to Al and asked: "Will the winds ease in time for the parade?"
The beloved weatherman replied: "They are going to be a little breezy but well within the parameters of them being able to fly the big balloons."
Craig then added: "No wind is going to keep Tom Turkey on the ground!" Dylan recently went to visit the floats in their warehouse in a fun segment for Today.
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She called the experience "mind blowing" and had a lot of fun looking at the artistic creations that will be taking part in the 2023 parade.
The star shared several snapshots on social media, and wrote: "Let’s have a parade!! I love getting a sneak peek at the floats at @macys Studio leading up to next week’s Big Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!! The detail that goes into each one is mind blowing! Cowabunga Dude!!!"
Dylan stepped in to co-host the 2022 parade for her good friend and co-star Al, when he was unable to do so due to health issues.
This was the first time in over a decade that Al had missed this special hosting role - where he presents the parade from Uptown Manhattan, but he was incredibly grateful to Dylan.
Shortly after hosting the parade for the first time, Dylan opened up about the experience on Today. She said: "I was at the parade, it was nice to step in and help fill out.
"I had never been to the actual parade before, well from a distance but I was never allowed through. But thanks to some credentials this year I was allowed through. Then I went home and cooked for my whole family."
Dylan went on to reveal that the cooking process wasn't too difficult thanks to her preparing a lot of it in advance, and credited her mother-in-law for helping out "so much".
Not only will this Thanksgiving be the first since his illness that Al is able to host the parade again, but it will mark his first as a grandfather too. Earlier this year, the star's oldest daughter, Courtney, welcomed a baby girl, Sky Clara, and Al has been a besotted grandfather ever since.
He will also be looking forward to his youngest child Nick, 19, returning home for the holidays from college. During a chat with HELLO! ahead of Thanksgiving in 2022, Al opened up about his routine on the day.
He explained: "After I finish Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Nick and Deborah and our dog Pepper usually watch the parade from uptown, we will meet for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants for a lovely Thanksgiving meal, and then come home and pass out." Al - who is a talented cook - gave an insight into what his family enjoy eating too.
"I still try and make my mother’s sweet potato Poon each year, which is basically a crustless, sweet potato pie with a marshmallow topping. The trick is to not let the marshmallows catch fire underneath the broiler."
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