Lester Holt has officially stepped down as anchor of NBC Nightly News after a decade at the helm, with his final broadcast airing on May 30, 2025. At 66, Holt made the decision to leave the nightly anchor desk not to retire, but to take on a full-time role with NBC’s Dateline, where he plans to focus on in-depth, long-form reporting and investigative projects.
Tom Llamas has been named as Holt’s successor and will begin anchoring NBC Nightly News starting Monday, bringing his own experience and perspective to the iconic program Holt expressed gratitude to viewers and colleagues during his farewell, emphasizing that while he is leaving the nightly broadcast, he remains committed to journalism and will continue to be a prominent presence at NBC.
Holt’s move comes after ten years of guiding audiences through major national and global events, and he described the transition as the right time to step away from the anchor chair while still having “gas in the tank” for new challenges He will now dedicate his efforts to Dateline, expanding his role and diving deeper into stories he cares about, while wishing Llamas “great success” as the new face of NBC Nightly News.
