Sony Pictures Television has suspended longtime “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton and is recasting his role while it investigates allegations against him, the studio confirmed this week. Thornton has served as the show’s announcer since 2011, taking over the job that had been held for decades by Charlie O’Donnell and later Rod Roddy.
According to TMZ, the allegations stem from an incident aboard an American Airlines flight in May. American Airlines confirmed that Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport after a passenger onboard raised concerns about another traveler’s behavior. Thornton’s attorney has pushed back hard on the characterization, telling reporters that Thornton “did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime,” and that officers spoke with him for five minutes or less before determining no wrongdoing had occurred and letting him go.
Already-filmed episodes affected
Because “Wheel of Fortune” tapes episodes well ahead of broadcast, Thornton’s suspension has practical production consequences. Reporting indicates the show is working to scrap or re-record segments from already-filmed Season 44 episodes that feature him, rather than let them air with an announcer the studio has sidelined mid-investigation.
Sony has not detailed what specifically triggered the suspension beyond confirming that an investigation into Thornton’s conduct is underway, nor has it given a timeline for when that investigation might conclude or whether Thornton could return to the booth.
A quiet fixture facing an unusually public dispute
Thornton has been one of the more low-profile figures on a show built around its rotating cast of contestants and its two on-camera hosts. His suspension marks one of the more unusual behind-the-scenes disruptions the franchise has dealt with in years, precisely because the announcer’s job rarely generates news of its own. Until Sony or investigators release more specifics, the facts remain limited to what the studio has confirmed and what Thornton’s attorney has disputed on his behalf.
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