‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer Jim Thornton suspended

LOS ANGELES: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer Jim Thornton has been suspended from the game show. Sony Pictures Television shared the update with The Hollywood Reporter via a statement.

The suspension follows Sony Pictures Television’s investigation into unspecified allegations against Jim. In the meantime, the long-running game show will temporarily recast its announcer role.

“We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” the company said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation”.

While SPT did not specify what sparked the investigation, TMZ reported that it involved an incident that allegedly took place on a commercial flight earlier this year.

“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

Thornton is not the most public-facing figure on ‘Wheel of Fortune’, which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, but he has served as the game show’s announcer since 2011. His long association with the programme has made him a familiar voice to viewers.

Before joining ‘Wheel of Fortune’, Thornton also voiced episodes of another long-running game show, ‘The Price Is Right’, which airs on CBS.

‘Wheel of Fortune’ remains one of the long-running and widely recognised game shows on American television, with Thornton having served as its announcer for more than a decade.

In India, the popular game show was adapted earlier this year, with actor Akshay Kumar serving as host. The show aired from January through April. (ANI)