Like much of the Today show cast, Al Roker is feeling the loss of former NBC broadcaster Willard Scott.
Willard, who spent over six decades at NBC, died at the age of 87 on Saturday at his farm in Delaplane, Virginia. His loss has been tough on the entire NBC network, but especially on Al, who considered Willard a mentor and "second father." After hearing the news, Al took to Instagram to share some of his old photos with Willard and a heartfelt message dedicated to his legacy.
"We lost a beloved member of our @todayshow family this morning. Willard Scott passed peacefully at the age of 87 surrounded by family, including his daughters Sally and Mary and his lovely wife, Paris," Al wrote in the caption of his post. "He was truly my second dad and am where I am today because of his generous spirit. Willard was a man of his times, the ultimate broadcaster. There will never be anyone quite like him."
In an effort to comfort Al, his third-hour Today costar Dylan Dreyer wrote in the comments section, "My mentor’s mentor…a man who’s had such impact on so many. I wish I could have met him! Thinking of you and his family during such a sad time." West Coast anchor Natalie Morales also noted, "the sweetest, kindest person who truly loved talking to everyone! Hope you are doing ok @alroker … what a life he had!" Meanwhile, Jenna Bush Hager commented, "What a man! Thinking of you so."
On September 6, the Today show aired a special tribute to Willard on their Monday morning broadcast. During it, Al opened up even more to Dylan, Sheinelle Jones and Tom Llamas about what Willard meant to him.
"He was always very generous. That's the thing about Willard. Unlike a lot of people in this business, you know, he could've easily kept me at arm's length as somebody who could be a competitor," Al explained. "But he was generous and what you saw was what you got. Who he was on camera was who he was off camera. And I'm better for it and so are a lot of other people."
Al took over for Willard when he retired in 1996. Before that, Willard was a household name on the NBC morning show program. Apart from being known for his showmanship while reporting the weather, Willard also famously played both Bozo the Clown and was the original Ronald McDonald on TV.
