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Jim Thornton, the announcer for Wheel of Fortune, has been suspended from the show after allegations were made against him. This brings his 15-year run on the program to a temporary halt.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Sony Pictures Television issued an official statement on the matter, confirming that the host had been put under suspension.
“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.”
Jim Thornton, who began announcing for Wheel of Fortune in September 2011, has been working with the show for 15 years now.
There is no information about the nature of the allegations against Thornton provided by Sony. However, per the sources to TMZ, the incident is related to Thornton and another passenger on an American Airlines flight in May.
It was confirmed by American Airlines to E! News that law enforcement intervened in a flight after complaints made by a passenger. The airline reportedly said:
“On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following concerns reported by a customer onboard.”
The plane was heading for Los Angeles, and there were reports that the plane was met by officials after landing in LAX. The airline did not identify the passenger involved or provide further details about the reported concerns.
Thornton’s suspension comes as Wheel of Fortune continues its current run without longtime host Pat Sajak, who retired from the program in 2024. He first joined Sajak and Vanna White on the game show back in 2011, following the death of Charlie O'Donnell.
Ryan Seacrest now hosts the syndicated show alongside White.
Before Wheel of Fortune, Thornton worked as a news reporter and had smaller roles on shows like Price Is Right, The Soup, Celebrity Deathmatch, The Cleveland Show, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, and others before landing his biggest job.
For now, Sony plans to recast the announcer position while its investigation into the allegations continues.
What to know more about Jim Thornton
Jim Thornton is married to Sue Thornton, and they have a son named Sam.
Little information is available on Sue except that Jim wrote a moving tribute on Facebook in 2023 for her on their wedding anniversary.
The announcer stated:
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“Happy Anniversary to my beautiful Sue, who changed my world by saying, ‘I do.’ The years have flown by, but oh, what a run. Since that sunny Spring day in 1991. I love you always.”
Along with his romantic note goes their wedding picture where Sue can be seen wearing a bridal dress and Jim appears to be dressed smartly in his big black coat. They were holding flowers in their hands while smiling into the camera.
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