Lester Holt Stepping Down from NBC Nightly News Anchor Role

NEW YORK, NY — Lester Holt, 66, is stepping away from his role as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” after a decade, with his last broadcast set for May 30. Holt, who has anchored during significant national events, will return to his reporting roots as a full-time contributor to the newsmagazine “Dateline.” In an interview, Holt shared that his decision arose from a desire to work on in-depth stories that are often sidelined during nightly broadcasting.

Holt revealed that he did not have a sudden epiphany leading to his departure, stating, “I never saw myself doing this job forever.” He noted discussions with his wife and close advisors fueled his decision, emphasizing that he feels he still has energy and passion for journalism.

The veteran journalist plans to use his time on “Dateline” to cover stories that require extensive investigation and storytelling, stating, “We’re still doing journalism, but these are hour and two-hour shows we’re doing. Some of the stories you’ll see me doing will be months in the making.” Holt expressed enthusiasm about this new chapter where he can explore different facets of news reporting.

His exit comes amid a changing landscape in broadcast journalism, as he noted the challenges faced by traditional news formats. Holt believes there remains a substantial audience for straightforward, fact-based news. “I do think that there is value in this tradition,” he asserted.

With Holt’s departure, NBC News has appointed Tom Llamas to take over the anchor position on June 2. Llamas has prior experience as a fill-in anchor for Holt and hopes to help NBC regain its footing in the competitive evening news market. Holt’s longstanding career includes previous roles at CBS before joining NBC in 2003, where he has helped navigate the network through critical events.

Looking ahead, Holt remains committed to journalism through his work on “Dateline,” saying, “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.'” He is optimistic about the future of news programming and the unique role he will continue to play in it.