‘Today Show’: Why Al Roker Absolutely Hates the Compliment He Receives the Most
Celebrities meet their fans almost daily. Some fans appreciate the meet up while some decide to give compliments, which sometimes feel backhanded. For Today Show‘s Al Roker, the one praise he gets the most anytime he steps out is the one he hates with a passion. The weather anchor even wrote a book bearing the compliment he receives the most.
Who is Al Roker?
Albert Lincoln Roker Jr., also known as Al Roker, is an American television personality, weather forecaster, and author. Roker was born on August 20, 1954, in Queens, New York, to Isabel and Albert Lincoln Roker Sr. Roker’s mother was of Jamaican descent while his father was Bahamian.
Roker grew up as a Catholic and attended the Xavier High School. While growing up, the weatherman wanted to be a cartoonist and even handled a few projects in his school’s Cartooning & Illustration Club. He graduated from the State University of New York with a BA in communications.
Roker became a weather forecaster quite early. He worked as WHEN-TV’s weather anchor for two years after his graduation. In 1978, he was hired by WKYC, where he worked for five years before being promoted to WNBC-TV in his hometown.
The author moved to New York, where he replaced Dr. Frank Field, who left his job due to contract issues with the network. Roker went on to work as a substitute for various weather forecasters, and in 1995 he landed his own show, The Al Roker Show, on CNBC.
Among Roker’s many achievements are the several books under his belt. In 2009, he co-authored a murder mysteries series with Dick Lochte about a celebrity chef who doubles as an amateur detective. The second book in his murder mystery series was nominated for a Nero award in 2010. He has also co-authored a book with his wife of 25 years, Deborah Roker, called Been There Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times.
What is the Today Show
The Today Show is a news and talk TV show that airs on NBC. The program premiered in 1952 and set the record for the first news and talk show in America. The show has been around for almost seven decades and is ranked the fifth longest-running television series.
The Today Show has continued to gain favor with its audiences. From 1995 to 2012, the show has held the top position in ratings, even beating rival show Good Morning America. By September 2006, the show had raked in a total of 6 million viewers. This figure was 1.6 times more than what Good Morning America had earned.
Al Roker joined the Today Show as a substitute for Matt Lauer in 1995 and Willard Scott whenever he was away. In 1996, Scott announced his retirement, which resulted in Roker landing the regular weekday weather slot. Roker’s take on the weather earned him a large fan base.
Most of his weather reporting was done outside, where he gave some guests some airplay while reporting the weather. In November 2004, Roker set on a marathon cleverly dubbed Roker-thon, where he did a 34-hour nonstop weather forecast. The Roker-thon raised money for the military and USO.
Roker hates the compliment he receives the most
Over the years, Roker has gained a large following, with many praising his weather forecasting techniques. As a celebrity, Roker comes into contact with many of his fans. The weatherman has stated that he always gets one compliment, which he can’t stand.
Roker stated that many people always tell him that he looks much better in person. His disdain for the compliment even served as inspiration for his recent book, You Look So Much Better in Person. In Justin Long’s Life Is Short podcast (available on Apple), Roker stated that he hates it when he gets that compliment adding that he makes his living reporting the weather, and if people think he doesn’t look nice on TV, they should look away.
