Did Lester Holt Retire? An Update on His Post-‘NBC Nightly News’ Career

It’s been one month since viewers last saw Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News, and the former host has been keeping himself busy ever since.

Holt surprised fans by announcing his exit from the series earlier this year. “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,” he said in a February 24 statement. “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.”

However, Holt revealed at the time that he would be taking on a new role on another of his NBC series. “I’m excited to report I will be continuing as anchor of Dateline NBC, but for the first time in a full time capacity whereby I will be expanding my footprint on the broadcast and crafting Dateline hours on subjects I care deeply about,” he shared. “I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with my enormously talented friends at Dateline as the broadcast continues to grow and attract new viewers in new places.”

Tom Llamas was announced as Holt’s Nightly News replacement one month later, and the journalist made his debut as the show’s new lead anchor on June 2.

Miller Mobley/NBC

Before Llamas took his seat at the Nightly News desk, Holt bid an emotional farewell to his longtime TV gig on May 30. “As anchor, it has been an honor to lead this program and an honor to be welcomed into your homes,” he told viewers at the end of the episode. “I’m so grateful for your trust. Around here, facts matter, words matter, journalism matters, and you matter.”

The 66-year-old continued, “I’ll miss our evenings together and I will miss the team that puts it all together; my dear friends and my colleagues. But for now, I just want to say thank you to my incredibly supportive and patient family and all of you.”

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Lester was joined on-air by his wife, Carol Hagen, and sons, Stefan and Cameron Holt, for his Nightly News farewell and shared hugs with each of them as he signed off for the last time.

Lester — who has served as the principal anchor of Dateline since 2011 — has shared his excitement about taking on a bigger role on the true crime series. “Long form is something I really wanted to get into. It’s a different set of news muscles,” he told Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on the May 30 episode of Today.

He added, “You hit a certain age and you start kind of thinking, ‘What’s the back part of my career gonna look like?’ And I’ve been having that conversation with myself and those close to me for a couple of years now. But the timing just seemed right.”

In addition to Lester having more time to enjoy his passion for playing the bass guitar and upright bass, Melvin noted that the journalist will also get to spend more quality time with his grandkids. Lester is a grandfather of three to grandchildren aged 7, 5, and 3.

NBC Nightly News With Tom Llamas, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, NBC