NEW YORK, N.Y. (WSAV) — On Friday, Lester Holt will step down from “NBC Nightly News.” On Monday, Tom Llamas takes over anchoring duties.
Holt has been a steady presence in the anchor seat for more than a decade. And, while Holt isn’t leaving NBC completely — he will continue to host “Dateline NBC,” he will be missed by those who have turned to him during many major events over the last decade. He reported weeknights during the pandemic, international conflicts and presidential elections, just to name a few.
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DATELINE NBC — Season 33 — Pictured:(l-r) Josh Mankiewcz, “Dateline NBC” Correspondent; Blayne Alexander,”Dateline NBC” Correspondent; Lester Holt, Anchor of “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and “Dateline NBC”; Keith Morrison, “Dateline NBC” Correspondent; Dennis Murphy, “Dateline NBC” Correspondent; Andrea Canning, “Dateline NBC” Correspondent — (Photo by: Miller Mobley/NBC via Getty Images)
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Journalist Lester Holt during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The RNC chairman warned against complacency when his party concludes its official nominating jamboree this week with polls predicting ex-President Donald Trump prevailing over President Joe Biden in the November election. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 1: NBC Television newscaster, Lester Holt, left, interviews Kieran Burke, right, a FDNY fire marshal and resident of Breezy Point whose home was burned November 1, 2012 after Superstorm Sandy left millions without power or water in the Queens borough of New York. With the death toll continuing to rise and millions of homes and businesses without power, the U.S. east coast is attempting to recover from the effects of floods, fires and power outages brought on by Superstorm Sandy. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, Holt spoke with “Variety” about his impending departure and his new role.
“The big buy-in was to be able to do more of the hours,” Holt told Variety. “I once spent two nights in prison for a Dateline, and I’ve done heartbreaking stories on the asthma crisis and the economy. I’ve done a lot of things that are outside of what many would think is a traditional Dateline, but I want to do more of those, and I want to be able to tell a producer, ‘Yes, I’ll be there for that interview next week,’ because I won’t be jumping after whatever is happening for Nightly.”
During the interview, Holt discussed how his decision didn’t come quickly. “It wasn’t like one moment of epiphany. I never saw myself doing this job forever. I decided that I needed to come off the Nightly gig, but I still had gas in the tank.”
You can see Lester Holt’s final night as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” Friday following WSAV News 3 at 6.
Tom Llamas will take over as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” on Monday, June 2.
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