Latest news with #TomLlamas
Yahoo
an hour 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
6 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
10 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
NBC News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
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 tenants 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 decades-long 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 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, who held those roles for a decade, 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 kickstarting 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 President Donald Trump; and the Tokyo and 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 Nicolas 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.
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Tom Llamas is taking over for Lester Holt. Will viewers keep watching?
For the past 10 years, 'NBC Nightly News' viewers have come to expect Lester Holt in the anchor seat at 6:30 every weeknight, providing a tight and polished overview of the day's biggest news stories. The newscast has only had three anchors in the past 40 years: Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, then Holt. On Monday, Tom Llamas will take over the job, while Holt will remain at the network to expand his role on 'Dateline.'
