If you turned on the TV last night, you likely realized longtime NBC news anchor Lester Holt wasn’t on Nightly News. Instead, Tom Llamas was gracing your screen for his debut on the program.
Tom was joined by Today show star Al Roker, who was giving weather updates to the Nightly News audience. But before his appearance, Al decided to root on his friend by posting a heartwarming Instagram post.
“And so begins a new era. Add @llamasnbc to the roll call of Swayze, Huntley, Brinkley, Chancellor, Mudd, Brokaw, Williams, And Holt. Honored to be on the inaugural broadcast tonight of this latest evolution with My Friend, Tom Llamas.”
And Al wasn’t the only one who was excited for Tom. After fans saw the post, they rushed to the comments section to also share how happy they were for Tom’s new role. “So thrilled about this. He’s so deserving,” one person wrote. “Wishing you only the brightest future,” another person commented. “We will miss @lesterholtnbc, but @llamasnbc will rock it,” someone else said.
As many know, Nightly News was hosted by Lester for 10 years. In February, he announced that he was stepping down to focus more time on his role as host of Dateline. It was then announced that Tom would be taking over the role.
Of course, Llamas is no stranger to the NBC family. He hosts Top Story with Tom Llamas and has even acted as a substitute anchor on Today, alongside Al.
We’re wishing Tom all the best in his new role!
Kate Franke (she/her) is an editorial assistant in the Hearst Lifestyle Group, covering for Woman’s Day and Good Housekeeping. She loves all things lifestyle, home, and market related. Kate has a BAJMC in Magazine Media and BA in Writing from Drake University. She is a proud ASME alum whose work has appeared in Food Network Magazine, The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmhouse Style, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, and more. Next to writing, Kate’s two favorite things are chai lattes and pumpkin bread!
