Al Roker has been delighting Today viewers with his upbeat weather reporting for more than 25 years - but he still gets surprised by the popularity of the show.
The TV host was left stunned on Thursday as he walked out of the show's studios in New York only to be met with a sight he hadn't been expecting.
In the video below, Al can be heard uttering his shock over the situation as he pans around to his surroundings. "Just walked out of #studio1a after doing @nbcnightlynews and saw all these folks waiting for tomorrow’s @todayshow @citi concert with @niallhoran Wow," he wrote on Instagram.
His wife, Deborah Roberts, commented: "Wow that is dedication," but many fans were concerned for the people planning to spend the night outside.
Given the terrible air pollution in New York due to the wildfires in Canada, they said: "That’s craziness!! And with the air quality," and, "not a mask in sight".
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While the queue may not have been for Al himself, he is one of the most popular members of the Today team and he was recently missed when he took time off to have knee surgery.
His co-hosts, including Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, were delighted to have him back and gushed about him on air.
After introducing the show, Savannah addressed the viewers as the camera panned to Al, who was standing in his usual spot by the weather monitor. "Look who's here! Mr Roker we are so happy to have you back in our studio," she said, prompting applause from Hoda, who cheered: "Come on!"
Savannah continued: "You've got a brand new knee. How is it?" Al responded: "It's all good!" before Hoda chimed in: "We're so happy you're back Al."
Last month, Al underwent knee replacement surgery. He was admitted to hospital on May 9 and the following day, gave fans an update on his progress.
Sharing a clip from his hospital room, showing the sun rising over New York City, he wrote: "Feeling grateful and #hopeful on this #firstday with my #newknee. Who knew?"
During his absence from the show, fellow meteorologist Dylan Dreyer stepped into his shoes, as well as weather forecaster Bill Karins.
It wasn't the first time Al has been forced to take a break from the show due to health reasons.
Last year, the 68-year-old was away for over a month after suffering from blood clots in his lungs and undergoing a subsequent surgery.
Thankfully he made a full recovery, but his family and Today colleagues were very worried about him for a while. His tough and lengthy battle made Al even more grateful as he confessed: "It's good to be alive."
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