“I kind of take strength in reminding people that we’re going to honor their story,” the anchor tells PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• Lester Holt is teasing the new season of Dateline
• The journalist tells PEOPLE that he’s particularly excited for the newsmagazine’s forthcoming 35th season given a few more two-hour-long projects
• “When you see Dateline on your front doorstep, it may not be the best day of your life. It may be telling a difficult story and a difficult passage in your life. And so I kind of take strength in reminding people that we’re going to honor their story,” Holt says

After more than three decades on air, Dateline’s success can be attributed to one important thing, at least according to anchor Lester Holt.

Holt, 67, spoke with PEOPLE about the newsmagazine’s forthcoming 35th season — a milestone he says can largely be attributed to the writing that goes into it.

“I think sometimes people forget that that’s one of the main components of what we do is not just standing in front of the camera, but it’s the writing. It’s how you tell the story,” Holt says. “I’ve always believed, and I think a lot of people agree, that the Dateline producers and correspondents are really the best storytellers out there.”

He adds, “The ability to take these complicated stories with incredible twists and tell them in a way that creates this narrative that people have a hard time walking away from. You hear these stories and you want to know more and more and more.”

Viewers should expect more of that when Dateline returns for its next run on Sept. 25. As Holt explains, he’s “personally excited” for this inclusion of some lengthier stories in season 35. “I think we’re going to be seeing more two-hour Datelines, which we know the audience really likes,” he says. “And so we’re going to be pretty busy. We’ll acknowledge 35, but then we got to put our metals to the grindstone and then crank out some more broadcasts. But we’re excited about next season.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dateline launched in 1992, with Holt’s reporting for the newsmagazine beginning in 2005 before he became its principal anchor in 2011. After exiting his post at NBC Nightly News in May 2025, Holt began working full time for the newsmagazine — now with a new podcast under his belt in Before and After.

The new project features conversations with guests whose lives changed in an instant, including the likes of Colin Kaepernick and Jeremy Renner. “As a reporter, I’ve seen many people who, in the worst of circumstances, still manage to put one foot in front of the other and keep going, and they figure their way,” Holt says. “So we thought, what a great idea for a podcast. We can talk to people who have been in circumstances like that and learn about not only what divided their life, but how they dealt with that.”

While Dateline stories — and certainly the stories highlighted in his new podcast — can understandably get heavy, Holt has a way of staying grounded.

“For me, a lot of it is music. I’m a musician, but I also enjoy music. It sounds trite, I know, but I really find it as a grounding experience,” says the journalist, who doubles as a bassist. “And I like to get close to a lot of the people we cover in the stories. Make sure they understand that their stories are valued by us, that we bring respect to the table.”

He adds, “When you see Dateline on your front doorstep, it may not be the best day of your life. It may be telling a difficult story and a difficult passage in your life. And so I kind of take strength in reminding people that we’re going to honor their story or their loved one’s story, if that’s the case. And it helps center me, certainly.”

Dateline’s new season premieres Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

#Lester #Holt #Reveals #Change #Coming #Dateline #Season #Personally #Excited #Exclusive