END OF AN ERA: Dylan Dreyer’S TRIBUTE TO Lester Holt AFTER NEWS BREAKS Of His DEPARTURE FROM NBC Nightly News Leaves Viewers HEARTBROKEN

Dylan Dreyer on the Today show(Image: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Dylan Dreyer has shared a heartfelt message paying tribute to Lester Holt after it was announced he will be leaving NBC Nightly News this summer.

The 43-year-old meteorologist, who frequently appears on Today on weekdays as a weather correspondent and is also an anchor on 3rd Hour, shared some memories of her early career, saying her co-host Lester made her feel “so comfortable from day 1” when she joined Weekend Today. Dylan posted images of herself working alongside Lester and wrote on Instagram, “You’d think the most nerve-wracking day of my career was my first day on air at Weekend Today. 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!!”

Lester replied with a cheeky comment, saying, “Thanks Dylan. And all those years I thought I rattled you on that first day!” Dylan joined Today as the meteorologist of Weekend Today in 2012 and worked alongside Lester for years. Many fans commented Dylan’s post as one said, “Lester will definitely be missed. Congratulations on your next adventure.”

Another added, “Great photo! I will miss seeing Lester every night. I wish him well with his next adventure.” One more recalled, “I met Lester working downtown at Dominick’s he was so nice and he was with his son and introduced him to me a very genuine person I felt happy to have met him.”

Earlier this week, the TV host, 65, announced he planned to step down from NBC Nightly News at the beginning of the summer – and will continue working at Dateline, where he as been the main anchor for almost 15 years. According to NBC News, the anchor wrote a note both shows staffers, saying, “A smile comes to my face when I think that with Nightly News, and Dateline, I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history.”

Lester Holt is leaving NBC News to focus on Dateline(Image: Getty)
He continued, “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. What an amazing ride.” Lester also revealed to the staff that he would 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.”

In his 10 years on NBC Nightly News, Lester has covered many major events, including the political rise of President Donald Trump, the Covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza. In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the anchor stated that he intends to utilize the show to explore personal interests.

He said, “Crime reporting, so many people have an appetite for that. And Dateline does it really well.” He continued, “At the same time, we’re not all true crime. I went to Louisiana State Prison in Angola, Louisiana, and spent a couple of nights there really trying to get inside the idea of mass incarceration. That’s something I appreciate, to take an hour and spend it on a given topic.”