Savannah Guthrie, Dylan Dreyer, and Lester Holt. Getty Images (3)
Lester Holt is feeling the love from his NBC family after announcing his exit from NBC Nightly News.
Several Today hosts took to social media to honor the former Weekend Today coanchor after news of his Nightly News departure broke on Monday, February 24. “Congrats to @lesterholtnbc on an amazing decade and the new chapter about to unfold!” Savannah Guthrie captioned an Instagram pic of the two working together on past presidential election coverage. “I’m grateful for getting to share so many historic moments right by your side – always, always the class act ❤️.”
In addition to working together on Today and covering political events for NBC over the years, Guthrie, 53, has filled in for Holt on Nightly News a handful of times. She even interviewed Holt on Today when he was named as Brian Williams’ Nightly News successor in June 2015.
Dylan Dreyer also reminisced on her time working with Holt in an Instagram tribute of her own. “You’d think the most nerve-wracking day of my career was my first day on air at Weekend Today. But @lesterholtnbc made me feel so comfortable from day 1,” she captioned photos of the pair on Monday.
Lester Holt is leaving his role as the host of NBC Nightly News after a decade behind the news desk. “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, 65, wrote […]
She continued: “It has been a true honor to work and grow [alongside] him from then, to hurricane coverage, to @nbcnightlynews, to fun experiments on @nightlykids A true professional, an incredible interviewer and anchor, a friend. Congratulations on this next phase of your inspirational career Lester!!”
Dreyer, 43, joined the Today crew as the weather anchor of Weekend Today in 2012. She worked with Holt on the series until he exited Weekend Today in 2015. Dreyer has also appeared with Holt on Nightly News and its children-focused spinoff, Nightly News: Kids Edition.
Savannah Guthrie and Lester Holt. Joe Scarnici/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Holt announced he would be stepping down as the anchor of Nightly News after a decade in the role in a memo to staff members on Monday. “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,” his message read, per NBC News. “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.”
In another memo shared by Variety, Holt clarified that he will continue his role as a Dateline anchor in a full-time capacity. (Holt has appeared on Dateline since 2011).
Guthrie and Dreyer weren’t the only Today personalities to congratulate Holt on his career move.
“Thank you @lesterholtnbc – everyone is better having worked alongside you, learned from you, and benefited from your support of an afternoon snack,” Weekend Today coanchor and NBC News correspondent Laura Jarrett wrote alongside an Instagram pic of herself and Holt sitting at the news desk. “Very grateful 🤎.”
Her fellow Weekend Today coanchor and NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander wrote that he “could not be more grateful” to Holt “for his mentorship and friendship over so many years” in his own Instagram post. “Lester, @nbcnews is better because of you,” he gushed.
