Tom Llamas has been confirmed as the new host of NBC Nightly News, replacing Lester Holt.  

The former ABC News anchor had long been touted as Holt’s successor, and confirmed he would be the one stepping in to succeed him on Wednesday.

Llamas, 45, did so in a statement delivered a little over a week after Holt’s exit on February 24, calling it ‘a profound honor’ to be the one to step into Holt’s shoes.

DailyMail.com previously reported how NBC’s senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson had also wanted the job, causing the two correspondents to become embroiled in a bitter war of nerves to convince bosses they were the perfect fit.

Llamas has seemingly now emerged victorious, and will continue to host his old show Top Story with Tom Llamas on NBC News NOW, he said in a statement – mentioning the network’s streaming service.

Bosses were previously said to be fearful at the prospect of Llamas assuming such a position, at a time where ABC’s World News Tonight already rakes in more than 1million sets of eyes nightly.

Still, Llamas appeared confident while confirming the promotion in his statement, despite the big shoes he will fill.

‘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,’ he wrote, before receiving some recognition from his higherups.

Tom Llamas has been confirmed as the new host of NBC Nightly News, replacing Lester Holt.

The former ABC News anchor had long been touted as Holt’s successor, and confirmed he would be the one stepping in to succeed him on Wednesday

‘Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity – all characteristics that have long been trademarks of NBC Nightly News,’ Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez wrote in a written notice sent around 30 Rock Wednesday.

‘Additionally, he’s been instrumental in growing NBC News NOW into the leading streaming news network, helping to introduce NBC News to a new generation of viewers,’ she went on.

Llamas added separately of the 65-year-old who manned the Nightly News desk for the past decade: ‘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.’

But a former senior staffer familiar with the matter just last week said the former weekend host for World News Tonight does not inspire much confidence, as was the case with Jackson. She will continue to anchor Sunday’s edition of Nightly News.

‘Long-timers in the newsroom think neither and have the name recognition for the job,’ the source said at the time,’ as a second insider familiar with the matter claimed Llamas ‘was promised [Holt’s] job’ after being poached by from ABC in 2021.

‘There’s already real anxiety in the newsroom after the loss of both Hoda [Kotb], and now Lester,’ the first source said.

‘He was promised it when he went over,’ added the second, referring to Llamas. ‘He sees it as his.’

DailyMail.com previously reported that NBC’s senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson had also wanted the job

Back in November, insiders told The Ankler how higher-ups would have been happy to install Llamas as a replacement for Holt – due to latter’s relatively modest salary.

Reportedly around $2.5million, it pales in comparison to the $10million Holt was said to be commanding, according to reporting from the New York Post – as the iconic host is set to now work solely for Dateline.

Holt himself secured the job in 2015 thanks to experience garnered with a weekend role under Brian Williams.

His face has since become synonymous with American evening news, leaving behind some large shoes to fill.

Llamas, meanwhile, started his career more than two decades ago as an intern at a Telemundo-affiliated station in Miami, before starting his professional career at NBC News.

There, for his first stint with the network, he worked as an overnight production assistant, before becoming a local journalist in New York at both WTVJ and WNBC.

Llamas went on to work for ABC as the station’s chief national affairs correspondent, while anchoring weekend editions of World News Tonight.

He rejoined NBC News in 2021 as a senior national correspondent, and has since been a regular fill-in anchor for ‘Nightly News’ when Holt is out.

Llamas started his career more than two decades ago as an intern at a Telemundo-affiliated station in Miami, before starting his journalism career at NBC News

He also frequently appeared on the Today Show, and will assume Holt’s usual seat when the latter steps down this summer.

Nightly News, meanwhile remains well behind World News Tonight – a gap that can only grow, according to first source.

Speaking to DailyMail.com last week, they said they are fueled in large part by Holt.

‘Lester’s an icon – and some night’s he’s still down to [ABC’s] David Muir by more than 1million viewers,’ they said.

Unlike Llamas, ‘Holt has that recognition,’ they said – after which a third insider disputed the idea of infighting over the sought-after position.

‘It’s laughable that anyone would be “duking it out” for a position no one knew was open until this morning,’ the network source told DailyMail.com last week.

‘Everyone is focused on celebrating Lester, and any rumors of infighting are just that – rumors.

‘This is complete BS – [Llamas and Jackson] are both very talented and highly regarded.’