[SO SAD] Today Hosts Face Another Shocking Exit After Hoda Kotb’s Departur

Today Hosts Face Another Shocking Exit After Hoda Kotb’s Departure: ‘Next Phase’

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The Today show is saying goodbye to another member of the NBC family. A month after Hoda Kotb’s exit, Today alum Lester Holt announced he was retiring from his role as anchor of NBC Nightly News after more than 10 years.

“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. 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,” Holt wrote in a message to NBC Nightly News staff on February 24. “But before we play the walk off music, I have another announcement. 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. 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.”

Holt — who joined NBC Nightly News in 2007 — is set to leave in the summer. He’ll continue to host Dateline NBC, which he’s served as an anchor for since 2011. After news of his exit, many of Holt’s former Today co-hosts congratulated him on his career move. Holt served as a co-anchor on Weekend Today from 2003 to 2015.

“Congrats to @lesterholtnbc on an amazing decade and the new chapter about to unfold! I’m grateful for getting to share so many historic moments right by your side – always, always the class act. ❤️” Today co-host Savannah Guthrie —who has filled in for Holt on NBC Nighty News many times — captioned an Instagram post of her and Holt covering a past presidential election.

Dylan Dreyer, who serves as a weather correspondent on Today, recalled how Holt helped her on her first day on the morning show. “You’d think the most nerve-wracking day of my career was my first day on air at Weekend Today,” she captioned an Instagram photo of them and other Today co-hosts. “But @lesterholtnbc made me feel so comfortable from day 1. It has been a true honor to work and grow along side 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!!”

Hoda Kotb, who recently left Today in January after almost 18 years on the morning show, also honored Holt in her own Instagram post. “Lester! Hats off to a great run on @nbcnightlynews ! Now all thats left is a move to the burbs.. and a @toyota sienna mini van! Xx love you @lesterholtnbc. Xo,” she wrote.

Holt and Kotb aren’t the only recent anchors to leave the NBC news family. News also broke on February 24 that Joy Reid — who anchors The ReidOut on MSNBC — was fired from her role after a decade at the network. “Joy Reid is leaving the network and we thank her for her countless contributions over the years,” MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler said in a memo to staff, according to NPR. Reid’s final show was on February 24. “Her work has been recognized with several esteemed honors, including most recently, the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series. In the coming weeks, rotating anchors will host the hour.”

Reid confirmed her exit and thanked her supporters in a statement on Bluesky. “I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets,” she wrote. “So very proud of The Reidout @joy.msnbc.com team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends.”

Meet the real-life partners of the Today show hosts in the gallery below.