Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton suspended pending investigation

Sony Pictures Television announced that longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended and his role is being temporarily recast while the studio conducts a thorough investigation. The action follows an alleged incident on an American Airlines flight in May, though specific details have not been disclosed.

"We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton. He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune, and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation," a studio spokeswoman told Deadline. American Airlines confirmed that law enforcement met Flight 1276 at Los Angeles International Airport after a passenger reported concerns onboard. Thornton, who has announced the syndicated game show since 2011 and its celebrity spin-off since 2021, has appeared in more than 2,200 episodes. He has also provided voice work for The Price Is Right and other television programs, and previously served as an afternoon anchor at Los Angeles radio station KNX 1070.