Viewers across the U.S. were stunned by the emotional goodbye of the NBC legend, revealing never-before-shared secrets after a decade of making broadcast history. What’s next for him and the nightly news?

Lester Holt was emotional as he signed off from NBC Nightly News one final time after 10 years on the show.

The 66-year-old news anchor announced earlier this year that he would be leaving Nightly this summer.

In his final sign-off on Friday, he gave a speech to commemorate his decade at the desk, sharing words of optimism and hope.

After 10 years, this is my last Nightly News broadcast,” Lester said. “As anchor, it has been an honor to lead this program, and an honor to be welcomed into your homes.

“I’m so grateful for your trust. Around here, facts matter. Words matter. Journalism matters. And you matter.”

Lester Holt© Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He then recalled some of the biggest stories he covered while on the program, including the coronavirus pandemic, mass shootings and natural disasters.

The TV host said each event tested “our resilience and our compassion” as he added, “It’s why I often like to leave you with something to smile about, moments that reassure and connect us.”

Lester also paid tribute to his staff, family and viewers for their support over the years, saying, “I’ll miss our evenings together, and I’ll miss the team that puts it all together: my dear friends and my colleagues.

“But for now, I just want to say thank you to my incredibly supportive and patient family and all of you.”

Lester also expressed support for Tom Llamas, who is replacing him and will step into his role on Monday.

He ended his speech with a tweaked version of his signature sign-off, “Please continue to take care of yourself and each other, and I’ll do the same.”

The show then shared a montage of some of Lester’s career highlights which included reporting from Iran and Ukraine, as well as interviewing Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.

After the video aired, Lester stepped in and as he got emotional, he said, “Oh my goodness. It has been quite a ride. Thanks, everybody.”

Lester Holt© NBC News

Lester took over the fulltime position on NBC Nightly News from Brian Williams 10 years ago and announced his decision to step down in February.

However, he is not leaving NBC completely as he will continue working on Dateline, which he has anchored since 2011.

Speaking of his decision to continue working despite leaving Nightly, Lester said, “We’re still doing journalism, but these are hour and two-hour shows we’re doing. Some of the stories you’ll see me doing will be months in the making.”

He continued, “I’ve done a lot of things that are outside of what many would think is a traditional Dateline, but I want to do more of those.”