Lester Holt gets emotional in final sign-off from ‘NBC Nightly News’ after 10 years: ‘It has been quite a ride’

Lester Holt‘s time at NBC Nightly News has come to an end.

Its lead anchor signed off for the last time on Friday with a thoughtful speech to commemorate his time on the show.

“After 10 years, this is my last Nightly News broadcast,” Holt said. “As anchor, it has been an honor to lead this program, and an honor to be welcomed into your homes. I’m so grateful for your trust. Around here, facts matter. Words matter. Journalism matters. And you matter.”

Holt went on to briefly recall some of the biggest stories from his tenure at Nightly News. “Over the last decade, we have shared some dark and harrowing days and nights in our country: the pandemic, mass shootings, natural disasters,” he said. “Each testing our resilience and our compassion. It’s why I often like to leave you with something to smile about, moments that reassure and connect us.”

The anchor emphasized his gratitude toward his staff, family, and viewers. “I’ll miss our evenings together, and I’ll miss the team that puts it all together: my dear friends and my colleagues,” he said. “But for now, I just want to say thank you to my incredibly supportive and patient family and all of you.”

Holt also expressed support for his successor at Nightly News, Tom Llamas, who steps into the role on Monday. He ended his remarks with a modified version of his signature sign-off: “Please continue to take care of yourself and each other, and I’ll do the same.”

The show then cut to a montage of some of Holt’s most memorable stories, including reporting from Puerto Rico, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, and France, as well as interviews with Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris.

Holt slipped in a few more words after the montage. “Oh my goodness,” he said. “It has been quite a ride. Thanks, everybody.”

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The broadcaster began his career at CBS stations in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, reporting from 1981 until 2000. He moved to MSNBC in 2000 and became a substitute anchor for both NBC Nightly News and Today in 2003. Holt then anchored the weekend edition of Nightly News from 2007 to 2015, before replacing Brian Williams as the show’s weekday host.

Holt announced his departure from Nightly News in February amid internal shakeups at NBC. However, he will remain on the network following his exit, pivoting into a full-time role as the lead presenter of Dateline NBC. 

Watch Holt’s final sign-off from Nightly News above.