Today Hosts React to Lester Holt Stepping Down as NBC Nightly News Anchor - E! Online
Today hosts Savannah Guthrie and Dylan Dreyer showed Lester Holt some love following his announcement that he’s leaving NBC Nightly News this summer.
Watch : Lester Holt to Exit NBC Nightly News After 10-Year Run
Lester Holt is receiving his flowers.
Shortly after the 65-year-old announced on Feb. 24 that he’ll be signing off as NBC Nightly News’ anchor this summer, Today hosts Savannah Guthrie and Dylan Dreyer sent him well wishes.
Savannah, 53, shared a photo of her working with Lester during last November’s presidential election coverage on Instagram. “Congrats to @lesterholtnbc on an amazing decade and the new chapter about to unfold!” she wrote on the Feb. 24 post, reflecting on their co-hosting journey together. “I’m grateful for getting to share so many historic moments right by your side – always, always the class act.”
The duo have not only worked together, but Savannah has occasionally filled in for Lester on NBC Nightly News over the years.
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She also welcomed him to his current role—which he took over from Brian Williams—in June 2015 by interviewing him on Today, complimenting him as one of her “favorite” members of the NBC family at the time.
NBC News
Dylan also praised Lester on Instagram following his announcement, thanking him for making her “feel so comfortable” when she joined Today’s third hour in September 2012.
“It has been a true honor to work and grow alongside him from then, to hurricane coverage, to @nbcnightlynews, to fun experiments on @nightlykids,” the 43-year-old host captioned the tribute, which features several photos of them working together. “A true professional, an incredible interviewer, anchor [and] friend. Congratulations on this next phase of your inspirational career!”
Tyler Essary/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Despite his departure from his news anchor duties, Lester won’t be leaving the NBC family for good. In his touching statement, the legacy newscaster shared that he’s moving to a full-time role at Dateline, where he’s been a principal anchor for nearly 15 years.
“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,” Lester said of his storied career journey, adding his signature sign-off, “Please take care of yourself and each other.”
Keep reading for more stars who left their hit shows….
Katrina Marcinowski/HBO Max
Reneé Rapp, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Ahead of The Sex Lives of College Girls' third season, Reneé Rapp announced she would be leaving the Max series.
"College Girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people," she wrote on social media in July 2023. "2 and a half years later—it's given me y'all and this community."
The show's co-creator Mindy Kaling also confirmed Rapp's exit. "We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray!" Kaling wrote on her Instagram Stories before referencing Rapp's thriving music career. "We can't wait to see our friend on tour!!"
Paramount Network
Kevin Costner, Yellowstone
More than a year after Kevin Costner was rumored to have unexpectedly walked away from the hit Paramount drama after four and a half seasons, he confirmed in June 2024 that he will not return to finish out the series' fifth and final season.
ABC
Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy
After 19 years as Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo scrubbed in for the last time as a series regular on the ABC drama in February 2023.
"I gotta mix it up a little bit," Pompeo explained on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, though she has already returned for a May guest appearance and continues narrating the series. "I'm 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs. I gotta do something new. You can't do The New York Times crossword puzzle every single day."
Susie Allnutt/Netflix
Henry Cavill, The Witcher
Batman vs. Superman star Henry Cavill revealed he would be stepping away from the Netflix fantasy drama after its third season—with the announcement that Liam Hemsworth will assume the role of Geralt for season four, and potentially beyond.
"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures," Cavill wrote on Instagram in October 2022. "Alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4."
Matt Dinerstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Jesse Lee Soffer, Chicago P.D.
Original castmember Jesse Lee Soffer turned in his badge in 2022, saying goodbye to his beloved character Detective Jay Halstead role after 10 seasons.
"To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show," Soffer said in a statement after his final appearance in the NBC procedural's Oct. 5 episode. "I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead."
JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME
Damian Lewis, Billions
After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime's Billions in Oct. 2021.
Fox
Emily VanCamp, The Resident
In Aug. 2021, it was reported that Emily VanCamp hung up her stethoscope for good as she had exited Fox's The Resident.
The CW
Madeleine Mantock, Charmed
After three seasons of feeling Charmed, Madeleine Mantock, who played eldest sister Macy on the CW reboot, announced her exit ahead of season four in 2021. Calling the role "an immense privilege," in a statement, the actress shared how much she "enjoyed working with our fantastic producers, creatives, cast and crew."
NBC
Megan Boone, The Blacklist
Turns out Elizabeth Keen never will find out the truth about Raymond Reddington's identity. Megan Boone chose to leave NBC's The Blacklist at the end of season eight, and of course her character was killed off before she had the chance to read the letter that would have revealed everything. Boone marked the end of Liz's journey in 2021 with an Instagram post in which she called the experience "a dream."
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Rege-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Season two of Bridgerton was down one duke. Rege-Jean Page became the breakout star of Netflix's massive hit drama, and then broke hearts all over the place when it was announced that he would not be returning for the second season in 2021.
"I signed up to do a job and I did the job and then I did some other jobs," he later explained to Vanity Fair. "That's it. That's the story. I wish it was more glamorous than that."
CW
Ruby Rose, Batwoman
Ruby Rose made her debut in 2018's Arrowverse crossover and then starred in one season as the titular Batwoman (a.k.a. Kate Kane) in the CW drama—making history as the first lesbian superhero to headline their own show, as Batwoman came out of the closet in a major TV moment—before announcing her exit just two days after the season one finale aired in 2020. The role was eventually replaced with Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, a new character set to take control of the Batcave in season two.
Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.
NBC
America Ferrera, Superstore
America Ferrera decided to exit Superstore at the end of season five in 2020, leaving Cloud 9 without a manager and the show without a lead. She ended up appearing in the first two episodes of season six due to the pandemic, and then when season six was deemed the end, she returned for the series finale to give Amy and Jonah (Ben Feldman) the happy ending they deserved.
Syfy
Jason Ralph, The Magicians
In the 2019 season four finale of the Syfy series, Jason Ralph's character Quentin completed his quest to save Eliot (Hale Appleman), but sacrificed himself in the process. While the show does feature dead characters—it's called The Magicians after all—Ralph did not return for the fifth and final season.
CW
Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow
Ahead of the final season, Arrow's Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.
"Felicity and Iare a very tight twoBut after one through sevenwe will be saying goodbye to you," she wrote.
She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show's 2020 series finale.
AMC
Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead
Lauren Cohan said see you later to The Walking Dead in 2018 following prolonged contract negotiations. She appeared in a handful of season nine episodes, but after a six-year time jump her character Maggie Greene was nowhere to be seen. Producers were hopeful she'd return in some capacity for season 10, and after her short-lived ABC series Whiskey Cavalier was canceled, they got their wish. Cohan made her grand return in this season's 16th episode, which aired in October 2020.
AMC
Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead
Hot on the heels of Cohan and Andrew Lincoln bidding farewell to the zombie drama came Gurira's exit. After joining the AMC series in season three as the katana-wielding Michonne, she made her last appearance in a season 10 episode, which aired in March 2020.
CW
Nicollette Sheridan, Dynasty
A recurring player in season one and series regular in season two, Nicollette Sheridan starred as the iconic Alexis Carrington. She announced plans to exit the CW reboot ahead of season three in 2019 to spend time with her ailing mother.
CBS
George Eads, MacGyver
George Eads exited the CBS remake in 2019, midway through season three. At the time, he expressed his desire to leave and spend more time with his family.
Fox
Damon Wayans, Lethal Weapon
Fox's Lethal Weapon is no stranger to cast exit drama. Clayne Crawford was fired from the series after the second season and his former TV partner Damon Wayans announced his plans to exit the hit drama after the 13-episode third season. "I'm going to be quitting the show in December after we finish the initial 13, so I really don't know what they're planning, but that's what I'm planning," he said in October 2018. "I'm a 58-year-old diabetic and I'm working 16-hour days… Murtaugh said, ‘too old for this.'"
Producers didn't need to work on a replacement plan, though. The show was canceled at the end of season three.
Showtime
Cameron Monaghan, Shameless
Ian Gallagher went to the slammer. When Cameron Monaghan left Shameless during its ninth season, his character was locked up. In reality, Monaghan was ready to explore new projects after nine years on the show. But, in a true TV twist, he went ahead and signed on to return for season 10 anyway and was present and accounted for when the show returned for its 11th and final season in December 2020.
Showtime
Emmy Rossum, Shameless
After nine seasons as Fiona Gallagher, Emmy Rossum announced plans to leave Shameless in 2018.
"Emmy Rossum will forever be part of the Shameless family," executive producer John Wells said in a statement. "She has been integral to the show's success, from her wonderful portrayal of Fiona to her leadership role on set, as well as directing multiple episodes of the series. We are hard at work now creating a season nine finale for Shameless which we hope will provide a Gallagher-worthy sendoff for Fiona that honors the great work Emmy has done. It is always bittersweet when an ensemble member decides to move out of the proverbial house, but our door will always remain open for Fiona to return home for a visit, or to move back in. I look forward to continuing the stories of this wildly unpredictable family and all of us on Shameless will miss Emmy and her wonderful Fiona."
NBC
Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Chelsea Peretti appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine when it made its NBC debut, but she didn't stick around for the whole run. In a series of tweets in 2018, the actress announced her plans to leave the comedy, but maintained she would be back. She even used Rossum's farewell letter to Shameless as the basis of her own. Peretti welcomed a son with husband Jordan Peele in 2017. Her character was on maternity leave and sat out several episodes in season five.
AMC
Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead
Lincoln said goodbye to the blood, sweat and dirt of the zombie apocalypse and left The Walking Dead during season nine. "These guys have been the best surrogate family I could have hoped for," Lincoln said at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018. "But I do have a real family and it is time for me to go home,"
Sonja Flemming/CBS
Pauley Perrette, NCIS
After 15 years, Pauley Perrette hung up her lab coat and left NCIS in 2018. "I believe in God and the universe so firmly, and it just suddenly became blindingly apparent that now was the time," she said. "After a lot of thought, I decided to announce it myself on Twitter because I didn't want it to be turned into anything 'shocking. Abby leaving is more than a cheap TV ploy."
CW
Willa Holland, Arrow
Original cast member Willa Holland's exit from The CW's Arrow had been in the works for a while, boss Marc Guggenheim told TVLine in 2018. She asked to have her episode count reduced and then to be written out in season six. Her departure just happened to coincide with the return of Thea's boyfriend, Roy (Colton Haynes), and so they headed off into the sunset together to destroy the dangerous Lazarus Pits that her late father had discovered.
CBS
Grace Park, Hawaii Five-0
Grace Park, who shot to fame on Battlestar Galactica, left Hawaii Five-0 ahead of its eighth season in 2017. She and costar Daniel Dae Kim left after negotiations to reach pay parity with their co-stars failed.
“I’m grateful for the lessons learned, but I chose what was best for my integrity,” Park later told Entertainment Weekly. “I know that people are always trying their best, and everyone’s coming from their own backgrounds.”
CBS
Daniel Dae Kim, Hawaii Five-0
Like Park, Kim left the CBS drama in between seasons seven and eight. In a Facebook post, Kim said the choice to leave was difficult, and that he made himself available to come back, but "CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract."
NBC
Sophia Bush, Chicago PD
Season four of the NBC drama ended with Sophia Bush's character entertaining a job offer in New York with the FBI, taking her out of the titular Windy City. In December 2018, the actress explained that she quit the series after "a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior."
HBO
T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley
After four seasons on the HBO comedy, T.J. Miller departed in 2017, calling it an "organic ending." He told Entertainment Weekly, "Also, in a weird way, it's interesting to me to leave a show at its height. It's interesting to me to see how the show will grow and change with the exit of this character."
CBS
Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait
After just one season on the CBS comedy, there was quite a shakeup afoot. Erinn Hayes, who played wife to Kevin James, left in 2017 as part of a creative shakeup. However, from the sounds of her tweet, it wasn't a mutual decision. "True, I've been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1," Hayes said on Twitter. "Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans."
Kevin then moved on, in a way, with former King of Queens costar Leah Remini. CBS then moved on and canceled the show altogether.
photos
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