NBC News has yet to announce a successor for the veteran news anchor, who has held the prestigious role since June 2015.
On Monday, February 24, Lester Holt announced that he would be stepping down from “NBC Nightly News” at the beginning of the summer. Fans quickly reacted, speculating whether the decision was voluntary or influenced, while some even suggested potential replacements.
Holt has been the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” for a decade. Before that, he was in charge of the weekend editions of the news broadcast for eight years. The media guru has also co-anchored “Weekend TODAY” for 12 years.
Now, he has announced his departure from “NBC Nightly News,” writing in a note, “After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of Nightly News. It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do.”
Lester Holt on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” on February 1, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
His departure from the program has come as a surprise to fans, who have shared their opinions on the sudden move. One curious viewer questioned the circumstances, “On his own, or is he being forced out?” A user with similar sentiments asked, “Is he stepping down? Or are they taking him off?”
Another fan seemed to suspect an underlying reason, stating, “This is sad, but we all know why😒.” Some users were quick to guess his next move, “He’s just moving over to ‘Dateline.’”
Financial concerns were also on the table for one observer, who remarked, “MSNBC making cuts, reports of disastrous viewership declines at CNN and NBC, really seems like they can’t afford him anymore plain and simple. Especially since he’s staying on his Dateline gig.”
Others noted that the move might simply be about easing his workload, “He’s 65 he can work one day a week on Dateline instead of every day til 7p [sic].”
Meanwhile, conversations quickly turned to potential successors, with one fan predicting, “My bet is that Tom Llamas will be his replacement.” Another fan also suggested, “I’m just going to say it, Tom Llamas would be the perfect fit to be new [sic] Anchor of @NBCNews🙂🤷♂️.”
More individuals backed up this notion, stating, “Odds-on favorite to replace Lester Holt at NBC Nightly News is (and has long been) Tom Llamas, but no news on that front yet.” However, some speculated that Llamas’ played a role, “IsTom Llamas pushing him out? Tom has been gunning for Lester’s job ever since he came to NBC!”