Al Roker ‘almost died’ last year, concerned he ruined Thanksgiving

The “Today” show’s Al Roker is speaking out about the serious health issue he endured last year that landed him in the hospital.

On a recent episode of the podcast “Your Mama’s Kitchen,” Roker, 69, opened up about the ordeal — and how it forced him to skip Thanksgiving.

“It’s no secret that I had a severe medical issue, and to be completely honest, I almost died. I didn’t know it at the time,” the anchorman told host Michele Norris in a show clip obtained by People.

“But I missed Thanksgiving, and almost missed Christmas,” Roker added. “And I forgot how important those touchstone moments are.”

He then noted how when he came out from surgery, the first thing he told his wife, Deborah Roberts, was a dish that he wanted to whip up for Christmas.

That was a sign that he knew he was going be fine.

He confessed that one of the main things that kept his spirits up was knowing he’d spend the holidays with his family.

“I felt, in a sense, badly because I ruined Thanksgiving for the family and I was not going to let that happen for Christmas,” he sighed.

Norris tried to comfort Roker by reassuring him that he wasn’t giving himself enough credit for pulling through his health battles.

The broadcaster replied: “I know…but it was important to me and gave me something to push for. And I made Christmas dinner.”

Roker was hospitalized last November due to blood clots in both his leg and his lungs.

He had to take a leave of absence from the “Today” show and did not return to the NBC stage until January 2023.

In a virtual appearance last December on his morning talk show, Roker explained that his experience has been a “tough slog” and he was doing physical therapy amid his recovery.

“I feel good. I feel strong. Every day I feel a little bit better,” he said at the time.

Earlier this year, he told his “Today” co-hosts that his “life-threatening” medical procedures were “frightening.”

He noted that he had two bleeding ulcers, his colon had to be restructured his colon, his gallbladder was removed and he had surgery on his small intestine.