Lester Holt Announces Departure From ‘NBC Nightly News’ After More Than A Decade

Lester Holt, the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, has announced that he will depart the broadcast after a decade of service. In a memo to staff at the network on Monday, Holt reported that he will leave the evening newscast at the start of the summer. He will, however, continue in a full-time role at Dateline NBC, where he has been the lead anchor for almost 15 years.

Looking back on his career, Holt was grateful for his illustrious career trajectory. He began anchoring NBC Nightly News in June 2015, following eight years with the weekend broadcasts and a 12-year run co-anchoring Weekend TODAY. He reminisced about his early days as a 20-year-old San Francisco radio reporter and was amazed at how his career had unfolded.

Lester Holt covered most important events of the past decade

During his time at NBC Nightly News, Holt has covered a lot of important stories. He covered President Donald Trump’s journey back to the White House, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian military involvement in Ukraine. Holt also reported on the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel and the subsequent Gaza conflict.

In recent years, he conducted an exclusive interview with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and anchored a Dateline special on the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. He has conducted one-on-one interviews with leaders such as former Presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Lester Holt isn’t the only one leaving NBC

Holt’s announcement comes on the heels of several other high-profile NBC departures. On Feb. 7, MSNBC veteran Andrea Mitchell concluded her near-17-year run on Andrea Mitchell Reports. Her departure, initially announced in October, marks the end of an era for the daily show.

She will transition to a role handling field reporting as NBC News and MSNBC’s Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent. Other prominent names have also departed. NBC’s Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd have also departed recently.