A live introduction on the Third Hour of NBC’s Today turned into an awkward moment when Al Roker stopped after saying only “The.” Dylan Dreyer and Craig Melvin immediately stepped in with laughter, before Roker reintroduced the show—prompted by a personal mile
When the opening credits rolled on the Third Hour of Today, Al Roker was supposed to sail into the next segment with ease. Instead, the meteorologist’s introduction caught on a single word.
He began introducing the show and then abruptly stopped after uttering “The.”
Dylan Dreyer and Craig Melvin didn’t try to fill the silence politely. They burst into awkward laughter right away. Craig leaned in and said, “Alright, welcome. Good morning.” Dylan turned to Al and asked. “Did you lose your voice?” Craig added. “I’ve never heard that happen. you could have done it live.”.
Al tried to recover. “But I didn’t know if we were,” he replied. Dylan pushed the moment forward with a blunt, practical cue: “Do it now, say it.”
Then the reintroduction began. Dylan and Craig watched as Al corrected the start. “Live from Studio 1A this is the Third Hour of Today and this happens to be the third birthday of one Sky,” Al said. “Yes!” Dylan and Craig answered together.
The on-air stumble landed with extra warmth because the timing mattered. July 3 marked Al Roker’s granddaughter Sky’s third birthday. Al posted a tribute on Instagram ahead of the show. writing: “Three years ago. at 11:41am. Sky Clara Laga came into the world and made it juuuuust a little bit brighter. Happy Birthday, my smart, beautiful, funny granddaughter,” alongside a montage of photographs.
Sky’s parents are Al’s daughter, Courtney Roker Laga, and her husband, Wesley Laga, who welcomed their daughter in July 2023.
After Sky’s birth, Al talked about what it meant to become a granddad and how her presence had changed him. On the Today Show, he said, “It is magical, it really is.”
He continued with the kind of thought that tends to sound quiet—until it’s said on live television: “The thing is, everyone tells you it’s going to be this thing and you don’t know.”
Al likened it to the way people describe becoming a parent for the first time. “It’s like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? … she’s just perfect.”
The Third Hour moment with Dylan and Craig played out like a reminder of the chemistry Al has built with his co-stars. He previously described that dynamic on the show, saying, “The great thing about the Today Show” is that “the sum is greater than its equal parts.”
He pointed to the way the cast can keep moving even when someone isn’t there. “They’ve all subbed, they’ve all stepped in, and we don’t miss a beat. So no matter what happens, we’re going to be in great shape,” he said. He also emphasized the show’s long-running ability to adjust. noting that it has been on the air since 1952 and is “built to evolve.”.
Al added that each person is “very fortunate to be in this position” while they’re part of it. and that the show’s momentum continues when they move on: “Each one of us is very fortunate to be in this position. for however long we have. and then we pass the baton off to somebody else. So the future of the show is just as strong and bright no matter who steps in.”.
On this day, even a single halting word—“The”—couldn’t stop the show from finding its rhythm. It just turned the start into something messier, funnier, and more personal, with Sky’s third birthday sitting right underneath the laughter.
Al Roker Today Show Third Hour of Today Dylan Dreyer Craig Melvin on-air blunder Studio 1A Sky Clara Laga Sky's third birthday Courtney Roker Laga Wesley Laga