‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Suspended, Role Recast
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Sony Pictures Television has suspended Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton following an alleged incident on an American Airlines flight in May, and is temporarily recasting his role during an ongoing investigation.
- Details of the incident remain unclear, but law enforcement met the plane upon arrival in Los Angeles after a passenger complaint involving Thornton, who was reportedly wearing a Wheel of Fortune-branded top.
- Thornton has been the announcer for Wheel of Fortune since 2011 and also works on ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, with over 2,200 episodes to his credit.
- In addition to Wheel of Fortune, Thornton has announced The Price Is Right and contributed voice work to shows like Celebrity Deathmatch and The Cleveland Show, and was formerly an afternoon news anchor on L.A. radio station KNX 1070.
