Al Roker is sending an important message to his fellow dads on Father’s Day.
The TODAY host shared a video on Instagram on June 16 talking to his followers about the special holiday.
“Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there and all the guys who are like dads to so many of us,” he began the video. “Just enjoy the day, bask in the kids, and do what you want. Believe me, it’s the one day it’s a criticism free zone. Nobody can tell you what to do. Enjoy this day, because it only comes once a year.”
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In the caption, he shared another note about the holiday, writing, “To all the Dads and Dad figures, enjoy your day and do you!!!”
Al is a proud dad of three kids: Courtney, Leila and Nick. He also became a first time grandfather in July 2023 when his daughter Courtney welcomed her first child with her husband, Wesley Laga.
He marked the holiday with several additional Father’s Day posts, including a video montage shared on Instagram of snaps posing with his kids over the years.
In the caption, he said he “could not have been given any greater gift” than his children and his granddaughter before also sharing a sweet tribute to his wife, ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts.
“Thank you @debrobertsabc for nurturing and raising these terrific kids, who turned out so amazingly in spite of me,” he added.
In another Instagram post, Al shared a photo collage featuring his children and grandchild, though they had to get a little creative for their long-distance celebration.
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The collage featured a snap of the TODAY host posing with Courtney and Nick in the same room, along with a photo holding Sky. Leila, who lives in Paris, dialed in virtually and was featured solo in her own frame of the post.
“Thanks to FaceTime, I had all my kids and my granddaughter around the table,” Al wrote in the caption.
Roberts also shared a post honoring her husband on Instagram alongside two snaps of Al posing with their children.
“You show up with love, strength, wisdom, heart and humor,” she wrote of Al in the caption. “How blessed our children are. Happy Father’s Day to you @alroker and all the fathers and father figures who show us what ‘fathering’ is all about.”
During a sit-down with his fellow TODAY dads, Al spoke about his first Father’s Day as “Pop-Pop,” calling it the “best part” of the holiday this year.
While Al admitted that he previously got bored when he heard people talk about their grandchildren, after Sky was born, he finally understood.
“It’s pure joy,” he said. “There’s no responsibility, other than you want them to be safe and happy. I don’t have to teach her anything.”
During the conversation, Al and his fellow co-hosts also opened up about being emotionally available and vulnerable as fathers. He cited his recent health issues, including his November 2022 health scare.
“You know, that was the hardest thing for me in the last year and a half: letting them see that I’m not invincible. Because that’s how, kind of, our dads were,” he explained. “It’s OK to ask for help, whether it’s mental health, physical health, whatever, because if they see you do it, then you’re giving them permission to do it.”
