Lester Holt’s replacement Tom Llamas drops cryptic warning before NIGHTLY NEWS debut—what’s the ‘BIG QUESTION’ shaking NBC behind the scenes?

With Lester Holt’s legendary era coming to a close, all eyes are now on Tom Llamas as he prepares to take the reins of NBC Nightly News. But instead of a smooth transition, Llamas has raised eyebrows with a mysterious statement about a looming “big question” still hanging in the air. What exactly is he referring to—and why are insiders whispering about internal uncertainty at NBC? Could this signal deeper changes ahead for the network’s primetime future?

Uncover what Llamas really meant—read the full story to find out.

t’s a big day for Tom Llamas over at NBC.

On Monday, June 2, the former ABC World News Tonight weekend anchor will be officially stepping up to the plate as Lester Holt’s replacement for NBC’s Nightly News.

The start of his new gig comes two days after his predecessor gave his final broadcast for the network’s flagship evening news program on Friday, May 30, ten years after he first became its anchor.

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Tom is making his debut on June 2

Before the big night

Prior to making his big debut Monday night, Tom stopped by TODAY, where he has been a frequent contributor, to chat all about it.

Speaking with 3rd Hour hosts Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker, plus Peter Alexander, who was subbing in for Craig Melvin, Tom first shared what his “vision” of his “version” of Nightly News would be, maintaining they are not “going to drastically change the show.”

“It’s a beautiful show, viewers know what to expect, it’s why millions tune in, they’ve been tuning in for decades. Lester has built a beautiful broadcast,” he continued, noting that “little by little” he would “put his stamp” on it.

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The anchor with NBC mainstays Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie

What to expect

He did however reveal that his debut broadcast will feature the “launch” of a new franchise looking into the insurance industry, given the “tough time” people are having with it in recent years.

“I want to lean into some good news tonight,” he went on, noting he hopes to “expand that franchise as well.” He also added that they are “going to own breaking news.”

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Lester is staying with NBC and expanding on his work with Dateline

One big question

One thing Tom however is still having some doubts over is what his catchphrase or farewell message might be, following Lester’s signature “Take care of yourselves and each other.”

Noting it’s a “big question” everyone has been asking, he confessed: “I think if something happens organically I will. I have been thinking about a few different phrases,” and revealed: “My dad gave me one, he’s like, ‘Why don’t you say at the end of the newscast, I’ll see you at home mom.’ And I’m like, ‘Dad … that’s not going to work.’”

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The anchor was host of Nightly News for ten years

He went on: “I have something I’ve been working on and we’ll see, if it feels right I’ll do it, but I like to just thank the viewers … the most important thing is the 99% of it that takes to get to that point of the night.”

Tom was announced as Lester’s replacement in March. In a statement at the time, he shared: “Anchoring NBC Nightly News is a profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility. I look forward to working with the world class journalists at Nightly News and Top Story to bring viewers the most important stories every night,” and praising his predecessor, he added: “Lester Holt is a great man and one of the most trusted broadcasters of our time. Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth.”