Jim Thornton, who has been the announcer on “Wheel of Fortune” since 2010, has been suspended from the game show, Sony Television confirmed on Tuesday.
“We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” a Sony spokesperson said. “He has been suspended from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
The alleged incident was related to an American Airlines flight Thornton took in May, Variety reported.
“Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended from the show following an incident on a commercial flight in May, when a passenger expressed concerns about Thornton to a flight attendant. TMZ wrote that “sources with direct knowledge tell us the pilot called ahead… pic.twitter.com/3CMhUdeL2Z
— Variety (@Variety) September 1, 2026
TMZ was the first outlet to report the alleged incident.
According to the celebrity gossip website, another passengers complained about Thornton’s behavior. He was met by law enforcement officials.
Thornton’s attorney said that his client “did not engage in any illegal conduct” and was not arrested. He also has not been charged with a crime, TMZ reported. Thornton spoke to law enforcement officials “for five minutes or less” and was “free to go.”
Thornton was hired by the popular syndicated game show to replace Charlie O’Donnell, who died at the age of 78 on Nov. 1, 2010. O’Donnell had been with “Wheel of Fortune” for 25 years, USA Today reported.
Thornton, who also has announced “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” since 2021, had a guest role as an announcer on the show in late 2010 until he was hired full-time in 2011, according to the newspaper.
Thornton previously worked as an afternoon anchor on KNX Radio in Los Angeles, which he first joined in 1985 as a traffic reporter, Variety reported. He also provided traffic reports on KCBS-TV.
Thornton also worked for Westwood One Radio Networks, and he was the voice of Los Angeles station KCOP-TV for four years, the entertainment news website reported.
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