TV

Drama on the set of Wheel of Fortune just took an even more serious turn. Just days ago, Jim Thornton, the show’s longtime announcer, was suspended from the series amid allegations against him. While details of the allegations have not been made public, Sony is taking serious steps to distance itself from Thornton. An editing …

Drama on the set of Wheel of Fortune just took an even more serious turn. Just days ago, Jim Thornton, the show’s longtime announcer, was suspended from the series amid allegations against him. While details of the allegations have not been made public, Sony is taking serious steps to distance itself from Thornton. An editing team is working overtime to scrub him from any episodes that were filmed for season 44 ahead of the suspension. Here is where the situation stands now.

On September 1, several outlets reported that Jim Thornton has been suspended from his duties as the announcer for Wheel of Fortune while the production company investigates reports of wrongdoing. Sony, which owns the long-running game show, did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations or how long the investigation may take.

TMZ has reported that the investigation actually stems from a May 14 incident on an American Airlines flight. According to the outlet, a fellow passenger complained to flight attendants about Thornton, who was outfitted in show merch. An insider told the outlet that the pilot arranged for law enforcement to meet the flight at the gate. Thornton was met by police upon arrival and spoke directly with officers. It is unclear if the other passenger was in any way associated with the show.

Thornton’s attorney has disputed any suggestion of wrongdoing. In a statement to TMZ, the attorney said Thornton “did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime.” The longtime announcer has not issued a personal statement in the wake of the allegations.

While it was initially unclear how Sony would deal with episodes that had already been filmed, recent reports suggest it is taking a hard line and actively moving to distance itself from Thornton. TVInsider has reported that editors are currently at work scrubbing Thornton from the episodes that have not yet aired. A new announcer will be dubbed into those episodes, though a replacement has not yet been named. Recasting the role while investigating and re-editing existing episodes suggests Sony may not expect Thornton to return. Roughly a month’s worth of Season 44 episodes had already been filmed by the time Thornton was suspended. It is unclear exactly how many episodes that amounts to, but most full seasons contain around 195 episodes, with several taped during each filming day.

Thornton took over as Wheel of Fortune’s full-time announcer for the show’s 29th season in 2011, following a stint as guest announcer after the death of longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell. He has announced roughly 2,980 episodes and has also served as announcer for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune since 2021.