“I needed to come off the Nightly gig, but I still had gas in the tank,” the legendary anchor reveals.

After a decade at the helm of NBC Nightly News, Lester Holt is signing off from the anchor desk on May 30, marking the end of an era and the beginning of an exciting new chapter as Holt shifts his focus to Dateline.

Holt has stolen hearts with his calming spirit and commitment to informing audiences. The father of two has guided viewers through countless major events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous international conflicts, and several presidential elections. In his revamped role at Dateline NBC, Holt aims to dive deeper into investigative projects and longer-form storytelling, a testament to his love for in-depth reporting. Holt’s been on the Dateline beat since 2011, but now, he’ll be able to weigh in on stories full-time.

“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,” Holt wrote in his official statement. “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.”

Ahead of his final day at Nightly News, Holt spoke with Variety about the emotional exit and the exciting journalistic plans he still has in store.

Lester Holt reveals the big reason he chose to leave NBC Nightly News

In his recent interview with Variety, Holt opened up about his next chapter at Dateline, expressing his excitement about some of the creative possibilities that come with a shift away from the Nightly News gig.

“The big buy-in was to be able to do more of the hours,” Holt told Variety. “I once spent two nights in prison for a Dateline, and I’ve done heartbreaking stories on the asthma crisis and the economy. I’ve done a lot of things that are outside of what many would think is a traditional Dateline, but I want to do more of those, and I want to be able to tell a producer, ‘Yes, I’ll be there for that interview next week,’ because I won’t be jumping after whatever is happening for Nightly.”

Holt revealed that it was his wife and trusted colleagues who helped him decide that moving to Dateline full-time was the right call. Still, Holt’s hunger for journalism wasn’t satiated. “It wasn’t like one moment of epiphany,” Holt said. “I never saw myself doing this job forever. I decided that I needed to come off the Nightly gig, but I still had gas in the tank.”

The move to Dateline allows Holt to dedicate more time to stories that unfold over days, weeks, or even months, rather than the fast-paced nature of nightly broadcasts. He says he is excited to work “some different news muscles” in the process. “We’re still doing journalism, but these are hour and two-hour shows we’re doing. Some of the stories you’ll see me doing will be months in the making.”