‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Axed By Sony
Jim Thornton, the Wheel of Fortune announcer, has been officially fired.
Sony Pictures Television, which produces the long-running gameshow, has axed Thornton after an alleged incident on an American Airlines flight in May.
“Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,” a studio spokeswoman told Deadline.
It comes only three days after the studio suspended Thornton, recasting the role and conducting an investigation.
It also comes after TMZ reported that the incident on the plane involved him allegedly visiting a chatroom that is used by “people with pedophilic thoughts”.
Thornton will no longer be heard on the gameshow with his interim replacement taking over his role on the upcoming season, which premieres on September 14, as well as on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which returns to ABC on October 2.
An American Airlines spokesperson told Deadline that law enforcement met the plane on its arrival in L.A. “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,” they said.
Thornton has been the announcer for the syndicated game show since 2011 as well as ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune since its launch in 2021. He has worked on more 2,200 episodes of the show.
He also has announced The Price Is Right, and his voice has appeared on shows including Celebrity Deathmatch and The Cleveland Show.
Before Wheel of Fortune, he was best known as the afternoon anchor on L.A. news radio station KNX 1070.
