NBC’s Lester Holt reveals real reason for surprise departure after 10 years at Nightly News

The evening news over at NBC will be looking quite different come early summer.

On Monday, February 24, longtime anchor Lester Holt announced that he was departing from his role as host of NBC’s Nightly News, a role he has held for the past decade.

He is the latest in a growing tally of news anchors who have left their posts or announced they are leaving their posts since the new year — and new administration — started. The list includes fellow NBC anchors Hoda Kotb, Andrea Mitchell, and Chuck Todd, CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell, and CNN’s Jim Acosta.

In a memo to colleagues sharing the news, Lester revealed that the departure is in part to focus and expand on his hosting duties at Dateline, of which he has been principal anchor since September 2011.

He also said he will continue anchoring the network’s flagship evening newscast until “the start of summer.” There has been no word on possible replacements yet.

“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,” the veteran newscaster, 65, wrote, adding: “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.”

He then shared that “before we play the walk off music, I have another announcement,” before revealing his forthcoming plans for Dateline.

“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 further wrote.

He maintained: “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.”

Lester took on the Nightly News gig in June 2015, following the demotion of his predecessor Brian Williams — Girls alum Allison Williams’ dad — who at the time had just come under fire over false claims he made about a reporting trip to Iraq.

Outside of his time on NBC, Lester is based in Manhattan, and has been married to Carol Hagen, a real estate agent, since 1982.

They share two sons, Stefan Holt, 38, who is also a journalist, and Cameron Holt, 35, who is a musician.