Lester Holt's last night as anchor of 'NBC Nightly News'
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.
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.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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