How Al Roker's Wife Deborah Roberts Put Him In The 'Friend Zone' When They Met

Before becoming one of our favorite celebrity couples, Al Roker's wife had a different view of the beloved weatherman.

Roker believes he owes his life to his wife, Deborah Roberts. The "Today" alum's bone-chilling statement came after he was hospitalized for blood clots in his legs and lungs in November 2022. He told Page Six, "I wouldn't be alive without her." Roberts also ensured that he prioritized his health by keeping distractions to a minimum. Roker added, "I didn't know it at the time. Deborah was great at keeping all that away from me so I thought I was doing OK but that was great because I was able to focus on getting better." After spending three decades together, Roberts knew what Roker needed to recover, and she stood by her husband and the father of her two children.          

The power couple wed in 1995 after a year-long engagement. They welcomed two children, Leila and Nicholas, to their family. And through it all, they've had each other's backs. Roker has had a history of health problems, including knee replacement surgery, a back operation, a hip replacement, and even gastric bypass surgery. However, Roberts became emotional when her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020. Roker told "Today" that Roberts burst into tears after learning the news. As for himself, he claimed, "Knowing that Deborah was there was the greatest comfort." With their epic love story that continues to this day, it's hard to imagine there was a time when Roker was paying his dues in the friend zone. 

When Al Roker met Deborah Roberts in 1990, he was married to his former wife, Alice Bell. He later divorced Bell in 1992 after a decade-long marriage. About their backstage meeting at the "Today" show, Roberts recalled to People, "Al was so sweet. He showed me pictures of his daughter and talked about his family." So, she firmly relegated our guy to the friend zone. Roberts had designated Roker as her pal, and he would have to work hard to establish himself as a contender for her heart.

The loved-up couple appeared on "The Rachael Ray Show" and spoke about the rather lukewarm start of their relationship. Roker shared, "I thought she was beautiful, and she thought that I was taking up space." So, when Roberts had to cover the Olympics for work, she asked him to take care of her apartment while she was abroad. He continued, "We were friends, so I was safe you know." Roker confirmed he was in the friend zone, saying, "It's like being in the phantom zone." He told Ray that his future wife just wanted him to look after certain things while she was away. Roker revealed, "I was plant boy." However, the weather guru's actions took her by storm when he used the apartment-sitting gig to his advantage.

Deborah Roberts considered Al Roker a friend — someone trustworthy enough to look after her apartment while she was covering the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. In their interview with Rachael Ray, he shared that he not only watered her plants, but he also went the extra mile and checked her appliances too. Roker said, "I open the fridge, and there's like a bottle of champagne, an old piece of cheese, and a thing of Grey Poupon..." His curiosity was piqued, and he opened her pantry and discovered cobwebs. Roker investigated even further and made a startling discovery. "I opened the oven, and there's still cardboard on the racks," he shared. So, when he got wind that she was returning, Roker impressed Robert with a heartfelt gesture that would herald a new era in their relationship. 

"I stocked her fridge, I stocked the pantry, and I left flowers on the table and said, 'Welcome home.'" Roker revealed. "And then I got a date the next week. I broke out of the friend zone, baby!" he raved. Roberts confirmed the same on "Live with Kelly and Mark," saying, "He wore me down with that kind of sweet kindness." Kelly Ripa noted, "He went directly into the husband zone." And that's how Roker and Roberts' love story started. Roberts told the "Today" show, "At the end of the day, I love us, and I'm determined to cheer us on and be there for us."