As Lester Holt delivered his final newscast for "NBC Nightly News" on Friday, his son, NBC Chicago anchor Stefan Holt, shared a special goodbye to his dad.
"Hey Dad, greetings from Chicago," Stefan Holt said. "This is really hard to believe... it's your last broadcast on 'Nightly News,' and as you get ready to say farewell, I just want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, not only for being the kind of father that every kid hopes for, but also for being the kind of mentor that every journalist dreams of, for all the critiques, the career advice, for all those years letting me hang out behind the scenes at 30 Rock trying to soak it all in."
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WATCH HEREStefan Holt has been following in his father's Chicago footsteps after Lester Holt spent years on the anchor desk in the Windy City before becoming a staple in New York.
"I could not be more proud of your journey and all that you have done from anchoring here in Chicago to traveling to every hotspot around the world to spending 10 years on the desk of 'NBC Nightly News,'" Stefan Holt said. "I know it didn't come without sacrifice, but I also know deep down that it was worth it, and I'm grateful for all that you have done as a journalist and as a dad. I hope this next chapter with 'Dateline' is filled with as much contentment and hopefully a little more time to come hang out with Morgan and I and the grandkids here in Chicago."
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SIGN UP He ended his message with one final note to his father.
"Dad, congratulations on your final broadcast. I love you," Stefan Holt said.
Lester Holt, the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” for a decade, announced in February that he was stepping down from the long-running broadcast at the beginning of the summer.
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“A smile comes to my face when I think that with 'Nightly News,' and 'Dateline,' I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history,” Holt wrote in a note to “Nightly” and “Dateline” staffers announcing the move. “As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride.”
The 66-year-old journalist, who first joined the "Nightly News" team as a substitute anchor in 2003, has been the face of NBC's coverage of presidential debates, natural disasters and political interviews for decades. From his dedication to reporting from his bedroom during the COVID-19 pandemic to his occasional performances with his bass, Holt leaves a legacy of integrity, warmth and tenacity behind him.
"The timing just seemed right. I never wanted to be one of those people that was totally associated with just one thing," Holt said in an interview with "The Today Show." "I always think that you have to have something else in your life."
A familiar face will step into Holt's weeknight host shoes: Tom Llamas.
The transition won't mark the end of Lester Holt's presence on NBC News, however.
He will continue to be a fixture at the network with a full-time role at “Dateline,” where he has been the principal anchor for almost 15 years.
