Former 'Today' Show Host Bryant Gumbel Has Had at Least One Significant Health Scare

Back in 2023, Bryant Gumbel wrapped his final episode of Real Sports. To mark the occasion, he spoke with his former Today co-host Jane Pauley about a career that spanned decades. Jane pointed out that the two of them had spent roughly 2,000 mornings together, which makes for good television and a better friendship.

Bryant made history with Jane when he became the first Black man to host a morning network news show. His background was in sports, but he shifted seamlessly into news. As Jane put it, Bryant was as "impeccably prepared as he was dressed." After co-hosting Today for 15 years, Bryant left to return to the world of sports. Since his official retirement, he has mostly stayed out of the public eye until he was rushed to the hospital in October 2025. Here is the latest on his health.

News of Bryant's hospitalization was first reported by TMZ, which said he was transported from his Manhattan apartment around 9 p.m. on Oct. 20. The outlet learned that first responders brought Bryant out of his apartment building on a gurney due to an undisclosed "medical emergency." He was still hospitalized the following day.

An unnamed family member spoke with TMZ but could only say Bryant was OK. The 77-year-old's brother, Greg Gumbel, died in December 2024 at the age of 78 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

In 2009, Bryant was a guest on Live! With Regis & Kelly where he revealed that he recently had surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his lung, per CNN. Few people outside of the new anchor's family were aware of the diagnosis. Bryant was filling in for Regis Philbin, who had undergone hip surgery.

Bryant and Kelly were on the topic of dancing when he broke the news that it wasn't possible at the moment. "I can't," he joked. "I have a note from my doctor." He went into some detail about the surgery, explaining that doctors opened up his chest, took out the tumor, part of his lung, and some "other goodies." He added, "The pathology on most of the stuff came back benign, but enough aggressive cells had escaped the tumor that it warranted some treatment."

In August 2021, Bryant showed off a slimmer frame during the annual fall TV press tour, telling the media he lost 55 pounds while working out, reported the Chicago Tribune. "I feel better than I have in years, and I don’t know if that’s because I get up knowing I don’t have to face that grind," he said. "There’s a lot more than just television to life."