Latest news with #Llamas
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Llamas Marks the Start of a 'New Adventure' as He Anchors First 'NBC Nightly News' After Lester Holt's Exit
Tom Llamas celebrated his debut as the new anchor of NBC Nightly News on the June 2 episode, calling it the start of a "new adventure" Llamas, who is also host of Top Story with Tom Llamas, succeeds Lester Holt in the role The journalist spoke to Today ahead of his first episode behind the Nightly News desk, revealing how he feels as the first Latino weekday evening news anchorTom Llamas is signing on. Llamas made his debut as the new anchor of NBC Nightly News on the June 2 episode, taking over the reins from Lester Holt. "That's Nightly News for tonight, my first as the anchor of this great broadcast," Llamas said at the end of the episode. "My thanks to all of you as we start this new adventure together. Tonight, and always, we're here for you." Llamas also introduced a new series during his debut episode called "The Cost of Denial," which he explained is "a spotlight on the issues millions of American face across healthcare and homeownership when it comes to insurance coverage." Ahead of his first episode anchoring Nightly News, Llamas sat down with Savannah Guthrie on Today to discuss his new role. "I feel excited. I'm so looking forward to this. I can't wait," he said, adding that he "never in my wildest dreams" thought he could get to this point in his career. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I think it's good to be a little nervous." With his new gig, Llamas is the first Latino weekday evening news anchor — something he called both a privilege and an honor. "I thank all the Hispanic journalists that came before me because when I was watching news and growing up, we'd watch news in English and Spanish, I saw people like José Díaz-Balart, people that I could look up to. And I saw, well, if they can do it, I could do it," said Llamas, who is Cuban-American. "I think even bigger than that, my parents came here as immigrants. They came here with nothing. Their son is now going to be the anchor of Nightly News, one of the biggest and most important newscasts in our country," he continued. "What it tells me is that the American dream is still alive. I know that because I'm living it." Llamas also called his wife, Jennifer, and their three children "my biggest cheerleaders." Holt signed off as Nightly News anchor on the May 30 episode after more than a decade in the role, calling his stint on the evening news show "the honor of a lifetime." "Around here, facts matter, words matter, journalism matters and you matter," Holt said in his farewell. "Over the last decade, we have shared some dark and harrowing days and nights from our country — the pandemic, mass shootings, natural disasters — each testing our resilience and our compassion. That's why I often like to leave you with something to smile about, moments that reassure and connect us." "Please continue to take care of yourself and each other, and I'll do the same," he added, also wishing Llamas "great success." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBC Nightly News: Tom Llamas Makes His Debut as Anchor — How'd He Do?
Tom Llamas is officially NBC's new top newsman. Llamas made his debut as anchor of the NBC Nightly News on Monday, taking over for departing anchor Lester Holt, who signed off on Friday after a decade behind the anchor's desk. More from TVLine SNL 50 Delivered 3-Year Audience High, Broadcast's Top-Rated Series AGT Video: The Judges Lose Their Minds Over Season 20's Wildest Audition Yet (Exclusive) Brett Goldstein Reveals How His Role in Bill Lawrence-Donald Faison Pilot 'Space Turk' (?!) Led to Ted Lasso Llamas didn't waste any time introducing himself on Monday's broadcast: He got right to business, giving us the latest details on the fire bomb attack on a Jewish community group in Boulder, protests against ICE and the war in Ukraine. He did add a personal note at the end, though, telling viewers: 'My thanks to all of you as we start this new adventure together. Tonight, and always, we're here for you.' Holt announced in February that he was stepping down as NBC Nightly News anchor, a role he's held since 2015. Moving forward, he will focus on NBC News' Dateline, which he has anchored since 2011. '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,' Holt said in a statement to NBC staffers. '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.' Llamas, whose ascension to the Nightly News anchor chair was first reported in March, has served as a senior national correspondent for NBC News and reported for NBC Nightly News alongside Holt. He also anchored Top Story with Tom Llamas, a daily primetime newscast for NBC News NOW, and contributed to various NBC News outlets, including Today. How did Llamas do in his debut as anchor? Give him a grade in our poll, and let us know in the comments if you plan to keep watching. Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Llamas takes over the anchor desk on NBC Nightly News
NEW YORK (WSAV) — Monday, Tom Llamas becomes the new face of 'NBC Nightly News.' Taking over as anchor, Tom brings 25 years of reporting and anchoring experience, along with a passion for journalism, to this prestigious role. This is a special moment for Llamas who says the opportunity is the American Dream. 'My parents left communist Cuba in the late 50s and early 60s. They came here with little to no money. They didn't know the language, and this incredible country gave them a second chance. So my parents taught me to always work hard, but to also love this country, and I do. I think it's the greatest place in the world. It's a testament to the American Dream is still alive. I started working in newsrooms when I was 15 years old. I started working at NBC overnights, making very little money. I've worked every single job in this in this business at NBC and now to be anchoring nightly News, it truly is the dream of a lifetime.' You can see Llamas tonight and every weeknight at 6:30 p.m. following WSAV News 3 at 6 with Tina Tyus-Shaw and Ben Senger. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Llamas 'excited' and ready to put his stamp on 'Nightly News' as he takes over
Tom Llamas said he's "excited" to take the helm of "Nightly News" and will live by his tenets of being "tough but fair" while reporting "without fear or favor." Llamas succeeds Lester Holt as anchor and managing editor of 'Nightly News' in a historic move making him the first weekday Latino evening news anchor of an English-language show. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm looking forward to the challenge," Llamas told "TODAY" anchor Savannah Guthrie in a sit-down interview. His new role is the peak of his decadeslong career in journalism, that started when he was just 15. "Never, ever in my wildest dreams, did I think I could get to that point ... You get a new opportunity, a new challenge, and you get to a point where you think, 'Wow, maybe that could be me,'' Llamas reflected. "You just kind of keep running your race, and that's what I've been doing. It's like everybody dreams of this happening to them." He said he'll come into work with the same fire and fuel he had when he was younger working overnights in the industry "because I know this is a calling." Llamas said that little by little, "I do want to put my stamp" on "Nightly News." "I'd like to launch an investigative series into the insurance industry. I think people are having a tough time getting house insurance, getting medical insurance, trying to find a doctor, trying to get their kids covered. So I think we should take a look at that a little closer," he explained. Holt announced in February that he planned to step down over the summer. He will remain a fixture at NBC with a full-time role at 'Dateline,' where he has been the principal anchor for nearly 15 years. In addition to his duties at 'Nightly News,' Llamas will continue to anchor 'Top Story,' a daily evening newscast that streams on NBC News NOW. Llamas started out as an intern at a local Telemundo station before kick-starting his professional journalism career at NBC News, working as an overnight production assistant and then a political campaign embed. He rose through the news business as a local journalist at WTVJ in Miami and WNBC in New York. He later moved to ABC, serving as the network's chief national affairs correspondent and anchoring weekend editions of 'World News Tonight.' Llamas returned to NBC News in 2021 as a senior national correspondent and then took the helm at 'Top Story.' He was a regular fill-in anchor on 'Nightly News.' In recent years, Llamas has led coverage of major breaking news and political events for NBC News Now, reporting on pivotal storylines such as the Israel-Hamas war; Russia's invasion of Ukraine; the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump; and the Tokyo and the Paris Olympics. He has interviewed key world leaders, including Trump during the 2016 presidential contest, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Llamas, who grew up in Miami in a Cuban American family, credited his parents with inspiring his journey. "My parents came here as immigrants. They came here with nothing. Their son is now going to be the anchor of 'Nightly News,' one of the biggest and most important newscasts in our country. What it tells me is that the American dream is still alive. I know that because I'm living it," he said. He also praised his three children, calling them "my biggest cheerleaders," and his wife, a television producer and "his best editor," with helping him soar in his career. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New anchor Tom Llamas on his vision for Nightly News and his memories of NBC4
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Before Tom Llamas took over as anchor of NBC Nightly News, he took a visit to NBC4. Llamas made Columbus one of several stops in the weeks after he was announced to replace Lester Holt, who stepped down Friday after nearly 10 years to focus on his role with Dateline. That leaves Llamas the face of a program that viewers have trusted across six decades. Ohio lawmakers push for stricter rules on 'obscene' drag queens, indecent exposure 'It's incredible, and it's an honor,' Llamas said. 'Lester's always been a friend and mentor to me, and he's built such a trust with the viewers. I mean, his brand is America's most trusted news anchor. Can you imagine anything better to have in our business than to be known by that? 'And I hope to do the same.' Llamas spent a day at the NBC4 studios in early May. He spoke with NBC4 Today Anchor Matt Barnes about their shared passion in covering the Olympic Games, and he exchanged industry stories with Jennifer Bullock and Jerod Smalley, anchors of First at 4 and NBC4 at 5. 'It was great to talk with Tom about attending the Olympics,' Barnes said. 'He has an intimate knowledge of what it means to tell the stories of athletes that have given everything they have to reach the pinnacle of their career.' Llamas toured the Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4, a community garden on the station grounds, on a rainy, muddy afternoon. And he spoke in depth on his vision for his new show, about what's next for his current streaming show, and on what he sees for the future of journalism in America with Colleen Marshall and Kerry Charles, who anchor the NBC4 newscasts that bookend Nightly News. 'I'm thrilled to hear that Tom and his team plan to spotlight the incredible work of local journalists from all parts of the country,' Charles said. Ohio announces 2-week sales tax holiday But when Llamas got to NBC4, he was on a personal mission. He had been there before, and he wanted to know if the newsroom looked the way he'd remembered. He stopped long enough to shake hands with Matthew Herchick, who was heading to the studio to anchor NBC4 News at Midday — 'Hi, I'm Tom,' he said — before strolling through a familiar-looking newsroom for the first time in decades. 'It was the 2004 [presidential] campaign, Battleground Ohio,' Llamas said. 'I drove all over the state. I remember driving from Columbus to Cleveland and seeing all the red barns, and it was so beautiful, like a slice of Americana.' Llamas was on the MSNBC team then, reporting on the presidential aspirations of the Rev. Al Sharpton, who was part of a crowded field for the Democratic nomination. Because Sharpton was so good at challenging the establishment, Llamas said he found himself featured on cable more than those assigned to other candidates, and so his status rose. He lived in an apartment in Columbus' West Scioto neighborhood, using NBC4 as an occasional base of operations, and he got around town enough that memories of certain places persisted. 'It was a restaurant that was so good I was there almost every day, a barbecue restaurant called Hoggy's. Yeah, I really enjoyed it a lot,' he said of the spot on Bethel Road. 'And I thought the Short North, it was like it reminded me of SoHo. It was like a very cool, hip area.' He's lived in Ohio and New York, but Llamas, 45, is a Florida native. Locals paint rainbow fence at German Village bar that had Pride flags stolen Born in Miami to Cuban immigrants who escaped the island's Communist regime as political refugees, he describes his parents as news junkies. His journalism career began at a young age, as an intern for a Telemundo station. 'I started when I was 15, working in local newsrooms. I worked my way up. I've held pretty much every job in the newsroom, from answering telephones to working on graphics to reporting on campaigns, investigative reporting as well,' he said. He earned his journalism degree from Loyola University in New Orleans in 2001. Four years later, after his time with MSNBC, he joined the NBC affiliate in Miami as a reporter, and then in 2009, he went to its affiliate in New York, where he gained experience as an anchor. In 2014, ABC News offered him the chance to be a New York correspondent and a substitute anchor on World News Tonight, and he eventually became the weekend anchor. His coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign led Donald Trump to call Llamas a 'sleaze' to his face after Trump overstated how much a fundraiser had brought in and Llamas questioned him on it. It was a key moment for someone who lives by two career mantras: without fear or favor, and tough but fair. 'I learned how he wants to be covered and how you cover him, and just know that if you're going to ask a tough question, you may get something in return,' Llamas said. 'It may not be an answer, but that just comes with the territory and it's fine. Like I said, you've got to be tough but fair, and if you are, I think he knows that.' Ohio residents are among America's biggest gamblers, according to recent study Llamas has continued covering Trump and has since interviewed most members of the president's immediate family, including joining First Lady Melania Trump on a 2018 trip to Africa. When Llamas returned to NBC News in 2021 as a national correspondent, he launched a daily streaming program called Top Story. Among the major stories he has covered recently are the New Orleans terror attack, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the death of Pope Francis. Even as the anchor of Nightly News, Llamas is continuing with Top Story. 'I'm doing 90 minutes straight because I want to make sure that we have the viewers that have traditionally turned to Nightly News, but also those viewers who maybe have cut the cord,' he said. Away from work, Llamas and his wife, Jennifer, live with their three children — two daughters and a son — in suburban Westchester County, New York, about 40 minutes north of Rockefeller Center. His days usually start by 6 a.m. — 'I'm fueled on Cuban coffee,' he said — over 12 hours before Nightly News airs. 'There is a lot to admire in Tom, ' Marshall said. 'He has reported on the local and national level, but I especially like his stint as a senior national correspondent and that we share a love of politics.' And just as Llamas understands the value of network news, he said he knows the value of local news like NBC4, too. 'I worked my way up from local stations, and I know how important local stations like our stations in Columbus and across the country are,' he said. 'You guys are our central nervous system.' Llamas can be seen weeknights on NBC Nightly News at 6:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
