Who is Tom Llamas? All about new host replacing Lester Holt following shock NBC Nightly News exit
Tom Llamas will be replacing Lester Holt after he announced he'd be leaving NBC Nightly News after nearly 10 years of hosting.
Tom Llamas will succeed Lester Holt as the lead anchor of NBC Nightly News after the latter retires this summer. His career in journalism has been marked by impressive work.
NBC revealed the news that Llamas was replacing Holt, who recently broke his silence about his departure from the show and surprised many by sharing his plans. Once the news dropped, other reporters began to “duke it out” behind the scenes to be named his replacement.
Despite the competition for the role, Llamas won out. Llamas, 45, has been Holt’s chief substitute host since he joined NBC in 2021, filling in for Holt during any absences.
He has also been the lead anchor for the NBC News Now streaming service, hosting the Top Story show.
“Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling, and unyielding integrity–all characteristics that have long been trademarks of NBC Nightly News," Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News’ executive vice president of programming, said in a statement alongside the announcement.
Llamas, who is also a senior national correspondent for NBC, is expected to continue hosting Top Story even after he takes over for Holt.
He revealed in a statement of his own that he was “honored” by the announcement.
“Anchoring NBC Nightly News is a profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility,” he said.
“I look forward to working with the world-class journalists at Nightly News and Top Story to bring viewers the most important stories every night,” he continued.
"Lester Holt is a great man and one of the most trusted broadcasters of our time. Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth," he added.
Llamas was born in Miami on July 2, 1979.
He is the son of Cuban exiles who fled the Castro regime.
He graduated from the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and Loyola University in New Orleans.
Notable tories he has covered throughout his career have included the New Orleans terror attack, the Israel-Hamas War, the California wildfires, and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
He also worked for ABC News as the weekend anchor of ABC News Tonight from 2014 to 2021.