Jim Thornton, the longtime announcer on "Wheel of Fortune" has been suspended from the program and will be replaced, per officials at Sony Pictures Television. Thornton has been in that position since 2010 and joined the "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" show when it debuted in 2021.
Thornton was suspended following an "incident" on a commercial flight in May. It seems Sony Pictures Television only became aware this incident recently, hence the suspension. The pilot apparently called ground control and police met Thornton when the aircraft landed. The announcer position will be recast while Sony Pictures Television conducts an investigation.
“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
[TMZ] reported that the suspension came in light of an incident on a commercial flight in May, when a passenger told a flight attendant ... concerns about Thornton. TMZ wrote that “sources with direct knowledge tell us the pilot called ahead to have law enforcement meet Thornton when they arrived at the gate.”
“We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” Sony Pictures TV said in a statement. “He has been suspended from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
Neither TMZ nor Variety elaborated on what the passenger's concerns were, but TMZ reported that Thornton's attorney told them his client "did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime. When questioned about the complaint made by a fellow passenger on the flight, law enforcement spoke to him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no wrongdoing had occurred, and told my client he was free to go."
TMZ also noted that Thornton appeared on last night's episode of "Wheel of Fortune," which had been pre-taped.
So we have no idea what he actually did, but he was fired and is being recast.
— Warlizard (@Warlizard) September 2, 2026
Well that's lame.
This is a fair observation. What happened that warranted a police response, only for police to not arrest Thornton or charge him with a crime?
Why is the role being recast if there was no wrongdoing?
No outlet has reported on exactly what these allegations were, and there's scant information about the accusations on social media. Season 44 of "Wheel of Fortune" began taping in August for the September 14 premiere, so it seems Thornton's voice will continue being heard on the program for a while.