Jim Thornton has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune, and Sony Pictures Television Studios said it is recasting the announcer role while it conducts a thorough investigation. The move puts one of daytime television’s most familiar voices on hold while the company looks into allegations it says it recently became aware of.
Thornton has been the show’s announcer since 2011, when he stepped in after Charlie O’Donnell died in 2010. He is also a longtime KNX 1070 Newsradio employee, a career that has stretched back to 1985 and helped make him a steady voice in broadcast radio as well as on game shows.
The allegation now under review is linked to an American Airlines flight Thornton took in May. TMZ reported that another passenger complained about his behavior on the flight, and that American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement after landing at Los Angeles International Airport on May 14, following concerns reported by a customer onboard. Thornton was not taken into custody.
That detail matters because Sony’s statement does not spell out the accusations, yet it does make clear the company is not treating the matter as routine. Recasting while an investigation is still underway is a step that points to a broader personnel decision than a temporary scheduling fix. For viewers, it means the announcer heard on Wheel of Fortune will change while the case remains unresolved.
Thornton’s profile on the show has long reflected a broader voice-acting resume, including work on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Jeopardy!, The Cleveland Show and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. His biography also says he has received an Edward R. Murrow award and an Emmy. But the immediate question is not what he has done before. It is whether Sony’s investigation ends in reinstatement, replacement or a longer-term break from the show, and the recasting decision suggests the company is already preparing for more than a brief pause.
