Jim Thornton, the suspended announcer of Wheel of Fortune, is reportedly being removed from the show’s new season as he is the subject of an investigation by Sony Pictures Television Studios.
According to TMZAccording to sources with behind-the-scenes knowledge, a month’s worth of episodes of the new season have already been filmed ahead of its September 14 premiere.
But in a “major undertaking,” producers would work fervently to remove Thornton’s signals and replace him with a new announcer.
It is unclear if the change in announcers is intended to be permanent, or if Thornton could return to the series at the end of his suspension.
The Daily Mail has approached Thornton for comment but has not yet received a response.
The publication reported earlier Tuesday that the longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer had been suspended from the series while an investigation was launched by Sony Pictures Television Studios.
Jim Thornton, the suspended Wheel of Fortune host, will be removed from upcoming episodes, sources told TMZ on Wednesday
Sources said producers replaced Thornton with a new announcer in the new episodes. A month’s worth of shows have been recorded leading up to the September 14 premiere; Above, in 2024
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Sony said: ‘We have recently been made aware of allegations regarding Jim Thornton. He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are in the process of being reassigned while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
Notably, the statement did not provide any indication of what allegations had been made.
TMZ reported that the investigation stems from an American Airlines commercial flight Thornton took in May, during which another passenger reportedly complained about him to a flight attendant.
The situation was apparently so serious that the plane’s pilot arranged for police to wait for Thornton as soon as he reached the gate.
Thornton’s attorney told TMZ that the announcer “did not engage in any illegal behavior, was not arrested, and was not charged with any crime.”
“When I was questioned about the complaint of a fellow passenger on the flight, the police spoke with him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no foul play had occurred and told my client he was free to go.”
Thornton, who was seen in a photo from the flight wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket, was questioned by officers before being allowed to continue.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: “On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer on board.”
Thornton was suspended Tuesday and Sony Pictures Television Studios said it is rescheduling while conducting an investigation. The investigation reportedly stems from a May 14 incident on an airplane in which a passenger complained about Thornton. He was questioned by officers upon landing before being released. Pictured in 2013 in LA
In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: “On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer on board.”
Thornton’s tenure at Wheel of Fortune dates back to 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O’Donnell following his death in November 2010 at the age of 78. Pat Sajak and Vanna White hosted it at the time
Amid his suspension, Thornton appeared on the show’s pre-recorded episode on Tuesday.
Thornton’s tenure at Wheel of Fortune dates back to 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O’Donnell following his death in November 2010 at the age of 78.
At the time, the long-running game show was hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
Thornton is rarely seen on the show, but TMZ notes that he filled in for Sajak to host a round of the competition in 2023, as one of the contestants was hoping to meet him.
Following Sajak’s retirement, Ryan Seacrest joined White to co-host Wheel of Fortune starting in September 2024.
Thornton previously served – briefly – as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004.
In addition to being the announcer on Wheel of Fortune, Thornton is also a voice actor who has recorded small roles in the film Monsters, Inc. from Disney-Pixar and the video game adaptation of Wall-E.
Outside of his work as a live-action announcer, Thornton is best known for his appearances on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch.
Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is currently hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest (above), but TMZ notes that he filled in for Sajak in 2023 to host a round of the competition because one of the contestants was hoping to meet him.
In addition to being the announcer on Wheel of Fortune, Thornton is also a voice actor who has recorded small roles in high-profile Disney-Pixar films, including Monsters, Inc. (above) and Wall-E.
Thornton’s most significant acting work was voicing announcer Johnny Gomez (L) in MTV’s cult stop-motion animated comedy series Celebrity Deathmatch (pictured)
He starred in the revival of Celebrity Deathmatch, which aired for two seasons from 2006 to 2007, after the original cult series was on the air from 1998 to 2002.
Each episode of the stop-motion animated comedy series featured gruesome wrestling matches between celebrities that ended with one of them dying in comically exaggerated ways.
Thornton voiced one of the struggling announcers and commentators, Johnny Gomez, which represented his most important acting work to date.
