Sony Pictures Television has suspended long-time "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and is temporarily recasting his role while it investigates allegations against him. The move follows an incident on an American Airlines flight in May, though the exact nature of the allegations has not been made public, and the case matters because it puts on hold one of the most recognisable voices in American game-show television.

The allegations first surfaced via TMZ, which reported that a passenger complained to a flight attendant about Thornton, who was reportedly wearing Wheel of Fortune-branded clothing at the time. American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement met Flight 1276 on its arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on 14 May following a customer's concerns, though no further details were given. Thornton has announced the syndicated "Wheel of Fortune" since 2011 and its ABC spin-off "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" since 2021, working on more than 2,200 episodes; he has also announced "The Price Is Right" and lent his voice to shows including "Celebrity Deathmatch" and "The Cleveland Show".