‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Suspended, Role Recast
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Sony Pictures Television has confirmed it has suspended "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and is recasting his role while it carries out a "thorough investigation" into unspecified allegations against him. The studio's statement follows an incident on an American Airlines flight in May, though neither Sony nor the airline has disclosed what Thornton is alleged to have done, and the case has drawn attention because it sidelines one of American game-show television's most familiar voices.
The story first broke via TMZ, which reported that a fellow 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 arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on 14 May following concerns raised by a customer onboard, but gave no further details. Thornton has announced the syndicated "Wheel of Fortune" since 2011 and its ABC spin-off "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" since 2021, covering 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". Sony says the recasting is temporary for now, pending the outcome of its investigation.
- Sony suspends Thornton and recasts his role amid an investigation
- Trigger: an alleged incident on a May flight, details undisclosed
- Recasting is described as temporary while the probe continues
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Sony Pictures Television has suspended the announcer of "Wheel of Fortune" and is temporarily replacing him while it investigates unspecified allegations against him. He is a voice familiar to American television audiences, having narrated the syndicated version of the game show since 2011 and its celebrity spin-off since 2021, in addition to work on other programmes.
The suspension follows an incident on an American Airlines flight in May, when the airline says law enforcement met the plane on landing in Los Angeles after a passenger raised concerns about him. Neither Sony nor the airline has said publicly what he is alleged to have done.
The case has drawn attention partly because it involves a well-known figure from a long-running, widely watched programme, and partly because so few details of the allegations have been made public. Sony describes the recasting as temporary while its inquiry continues.
Full account
Sony Pictures Television has suspended Jim Thornton, the long-standing announcer of Wheel of Fortune, and is temporarily recasting his role while it carries out an investigation into unspecified allegations against him. A studio spokesperson said the company had "recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton" and that he had been stood down from the syndicated game show "while we conduct a thorough investigation". No timeframe has been given for how long that process might take, nor has the studio detailed the nature of the allegations.
The move follows an incident aboard an American Airlines flight in May, first reported by the entertainment outlet TMZ. According to that account, a fellow passenger raised concerns with a flight attendant about Thornton's conduct during the journey, with reports noting he was wearing clothing bearing the Wheel of Fortune branding at the time. American Airlines confirmed that Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement officers on landing at Los Angeles International Airport on 14 May, saying this followed "concerns reported by a customer onboard". Exactly what triggered the complaint remains unclear, and it has been reported that Thornton was not taken into custody or detained by police.
Thornton has voiced Wheel of Fortune since 2011, when he took over from Charlie O'Donnell following O'Donnell's death the previous year, and has also announced the ABC spin-off Celebrity Wheel of Fortune since it began in 2021, amounting to well over 2,200 episodes across his tenure. He has additionally lent his voice to The Price Is Right and, at various points, Jeopardy!, alongside animated and comedic projects including Celebrity Deathmatch, The Cleveland Show and Pixar's Monsters, Inc. Before establishing himself in television, and for decades alongside it, he was a fixture of Los Angeles talk radio as a newsreader at KNX 1070, a role reportedly stretching back to 1985, and he has been recognised during his broadcasting career with honours including an Emmy and an Edward R. Murrow award.
Coverage of the story varies in emphasis. Reporting has stressed how little is publicly known about the underlying allegations and has highlighted that the recasting, while framed as temporary, has prompted public scepticism about whether Thornton will ultimately return, given that a replacement announcer must be found regardless of the investigation's outcome. Other reporting has focused more on the biographical detail of Thornton's career and has been more explicit in noting that he was not arrested or taken into custody after police met his flight, a detail not emphasised elsewhere. Sony Pictures Television has not indicated when the investigation will conclude or whether Thornton could resume the role.
Where outlets differ
Deadline dwells on the ambiguity of the allegations and includes reader reaction questioning whether recasting implies presumed guilt, while Fox News Digital's account is more matter-of-fact and adds that Thornton was not taken into custody after police met the flight.
Fox News Digital includes extra career detail not found in the Deadline report, such as Thornton's work on Jeopardy! and Pixar's Monsters, Inc., his KNX 1070 tenure dating to 1985, and his Edward R. Murrow and Emmy awards.
Deadline specifies that a passenger complained to a flight attendant and mentions Thornton was allegedly wearing Wheel of Fortune-branded clothing, a detail Fox News Digital does not repeat in the same way.
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