WASHINGTON — Lester Holt is set to anchor his final “NBC Nightly News” broadcast on Friday evening. Holt, 65, has led the network’s flagship evening program since 2015, but announced in February that he would be departing the role.
While Holt will continue to have a full-time role as the primary anchor for “Dateline,” a new host will soon take over the “NBC Nightly News” desk.
Who is replacing Lester Holt?
NBC national correspondent Tom Llamas will take over as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” following Holt’s departure. Llamas, who has been in the journalism industry for over 25 years, will continue to host his daily primetime streaming program “Top Story with Tom Llamas” on NBC News NOW while stepping into the “Nightly News” role.
“I look forward to working with the world class journalists at Nightly News and Top Story to bring viewers the most important stories every night,” Llamas said in a statement.
Llamas began his journalism career at NBC before moving to ABC News, where he served as chief national affairs correspondent and weekend anchor for “World News Tonight.” He returned to NBC four years ago and has since filled in on “Nightly News” and contributed to “Today.”
Before stepping into his new role as managing editor and anchor of “NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas,” he was deeply involved in breaking news and political coverage across NBC News platforms. His marathon coverage of major events like the 2024 Election Night and presidential debates helped drive NBC News NOW to record viewership, according to the network.
He has reported globally on stories including the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict, the 2024 assassination attempt on President Trump, and natural disasters like the Lahaina wildfires.
Llamas has also interviewed world leaders and key figures such as President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
A native of Miami, Llamas has been honored with multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, as well as recognition from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He holds degrees in broadcast journalism and drama from Loyola University in New Orleans.
Why is Lester Holt leaving?
In an interview with Variety, Holt explained that the decision came from a desire to spend more time on in-depth storytelling through “Dateline.”
“The big buy-in was to be able to do more of the hours,” Holt said. “I once spent two nights in prison for a Dateline, and I’ve done heartbreaking stories on the asthma crisis and the economy… but I want to do more of those.”
Holt added that shifting away from the fast pace of Nightly News would give him flexibility to do more longform stories. “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.”
