Deborah Roberts, Al Roker’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Al Roker wife, Deborah Roberts husband, Al Roker Deborah Roberts

Al Roker and Deborah Roberts have been married since 1995. (Getty)

Today Show meteorologist Al Roker, who also co-hosts the NBC morning show’s third hour, is married to Deborah Roberts. The 56-year-old Roberts is a journalist, working at ABC News.

Rocker and Roberts have two children, Leila Roker (born in 1998) and Nicholas Albert Roker (born in 2002). Roker also has a daughter, Courtney Roker (born in 1987), from his marriage to Alice Bell from 1984 to 1994. Roker has an estimated net worth of $30 million, Celebrity Net Worth estimates.

Here’s a look at Roberts’ career and her relationship with Roker.


1. Roberts Is an Accomplished Journalist Who Has Been at ABC News Since 1995

Deborah Roberts, Al Roker wife, Deborah Roberts husband, Deborah Roberts 2016

(Getty)

Roberts graduated from the University of Georgia in 1982 and began her career in journalism in Columbus, Georgia. She then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, working at WBIR-TV. During the late 1980s, she was the bureau chief for the ABC affiliate in Orlando, Florida and covered NASA.

Her national network career began at NBC News in 1990, notes Roberts’ ABC News profile. She started as a general assignment correspondent, reporting from Atlanta and Miami. She covered the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and earned an Emmy nomination for her coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

In 1995, she moved over to ABC News, reporting for 20/20 and occasionally working as a substitute anchor on World News Tonight Weekend and Good Morning America. She has been with the network ever since and continues to contribute to the national broadcasts.

In May, Roberts got the first interview with Celine Dion after her husband, Rene Angelil, died.


2. Roberts Came Up With the Idea of Writing a Book About Their Marriage, but Roker Didn’t Want to

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Roker and Roberts at a White House State Dinner in May 2016. (Getty)

In January 2016, the couple published Been There, Done That: Family wisdom From Modern Times, written with Laura Morton. The idea behind the book was Roberts’, since Roker wasn’t too keen on letting the world know about their marriage.

“While I have written about my personal struggle with weight and fatherhood, this was something that I was not used to,” Roker told People Magazine. “Writing about my marriage was something that I really wasn’t anxious to share.”

Roker eventually agreed to do it, especially because they wrote their sections of the book separately.

“Al worried that we would not do well writing together since we have different styles and was initially not enthusiastic,” Roberts told People. “But, once we landed on the idea of writing alternate chapters and revealing our different points of view, we were both on board.”

Roberts’ section was really personal, as she wrote about the deaths of her childhood best friend and her father. She also writes about being a working mother. Both of their children contributed to the book.

“There is one chapter where not only Deborah and I go back-and-forth, but the kids comment as well. Nick was a little upset that Leila had more lines in that chapter than he did,” Roker said.


3. Roker Describes Their Marriage as ‘Mixed-Weight’

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The Roker family. (Instagram/Deborah Roberts)

As longtime Today Show viewers know, Roker has struggled with his weight throughout his life. He had gastric bypass surgery after once reaching 340 pounds. He wrote about his struggles in Never Goin’ Back (2013). In a Today.com post, he called his marriage with Roberts a “mixed-weight” marriage.

“My wife is a size 4; she runs, she works out and it became a problem in our marriage,” Roker wrote. “On a Saturday she’d get up, get dressed to run and I’d be sitting on the couch or making breakfast for the kids and was quite happy about our choices. She, on the other hand, was not. Unless you communicate that, it’s going be a problem.”

He continued, “She was upset about it, she was frustrated, she was angry. She thought, ‘Why don’t you care enough about yourself and why don’t you care about me and our relationship enough to change?’ And I said, “Look, it’s not about you. It’s about me.'”

Roker wrote that Roberts has been a runner for 30 years and she was “ticked” off a bit when Roker began running too. “But that’s a good problem to have,” he wrote.


4. Roker Felt Guilty About Roberts Taking a Step Back in Her Career After Leila Was Born

Deborah Roberts, Al Roker wife, Deborah Roberts husband, Deborah Roberts 2016

Roberts posted this photo from their wedding on their 21st anniversary. (Instagram/Deborah Roberts)

In a Today Show segment earlier this year, Roker said he feels guilty that he was able to stay on the Today Show while his wife’s career was put on hold after Leila was born in 1998.

Roker said that around that time, ABC News offered Roberts a chance to be the newsreader on Good Morning America. She had wanted that job for so long, but she decided to stay home since someone needed to be with Leila in the mornings.

“When we had Leila, it became a difficult point in our marriage because I was already working mornings, and ABC came to her and said, ‘We’d like you to do the newsperson’s job on Good Morning America,'” Roker recalled. “Deborah decided to step back. Her career suffered some for it. You always feel guilty about that.”

“I will admit that deep down in my heart of hearts I have felt at times that I have sacrificed more but I think also he’s also listened to me, too, and tried to feel a little bit of my pain,” Roberts added.


5. The Couple Live in the Upper East Side of New York City & Share a Dog Named Pepper

Deborah Roberts, Al Roker wife, Deborah Roberts husband, Deborah Roberts 2016

(Instagram/Deborah Roberts)

Roberts, Roker, their two children and dog Pepper live in a brownstone on the Upper East Side. In May 2015, Roker took the Today Show on a tour of his home, particularly in the kitchen.

“It’s the central place in the house,” Al said about the kitchen. “My son does his homework here, my daughter will come home, sit down and talk. We download here.”

While promoting Been There, Done That, the couple let the New York Times follow them on a Sunday. Each Sunday starts with a cup of coffee for Roberts before Roker wakes up.

“We can program our coffee maker the night before but I just like pressing that button. When I hear the coffee percolating, I can start my day,” Roberts said. “I enjoy my coffee, pull up The Times. Then Al comes down.”

Roberts said they don’t have TV in their bedrooms and she tries to stay away from screens before sleeping.

“I did a report on the negative effects of the light being emitted from the screen. It is toxic to sleep. So I read,” she said. “I have a stack of magazines next to my bed. The Atlantic, Time and Newsweek, Elle Décor, Vogue.”