‘Wheel of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Suspended After Alleged Plane Incident

Longtime “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended by producer Sony Pictures TV following an alleged incident that occurred on a plane. “We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” a Sony Pictures TV spokesperson said in a statement. “He has been suspended from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.” The company did not provide details regarding the allegations, though TMZ reported that Thornton was involved in an incident on a commercial flight in May that prompted a passenger to alert a flight attendant. Per the report, the incident was escalated enough for the pilot to call ahead to law enforcement to have them meet Thornton at the gate. The police reportedly questioned Thornton, though he was eventually released. During the incident, Thornton was wearing his “Wheel of Fame” jacket. “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 onboard,” American Airlines said in a statement to TMZ. Thornton started on “Wheel of Fortune” as a guest announcer back in 2010 following the death of longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell, and began regularly announcing starting in 2011. He also serves as an announcer on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.” He worked alongside Pat Sajak, who ended his four-decade run as “Wheel of Fortune” host in 2024. His hosting role was taken over by “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest. His voice roles have included “Monsters, Inc.,” “Celebrity Deathmatch,” “WALL-E” and “The Cleveland Show.”