After being suspended earlier this week, “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has now been fired from the long-running game show, TVLine has confirmed.
“Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been terminated, effective immediately,” a spokesperson for producers Sony Pictures Television tells TVLine in a statement.
According to Variety, an interim announcer has been brought in to re-voice all of Thornton’s parts on the new season of “Wheel,” debuting Monday, September 14. A permanent replacement has not yet been announced.
Thornton was suspended on Tuesday after reports surfaced of an incident involving him aboard an American Airlines flight in May. No details on the incident have been publicly confirmed, but TMZ reports that a fellow passenger complained to a flight attendant that Thornton was using his laptop to access “a disturbing chatroom” where “images and texts made it appear it was a chatroom for pedophiles.” Law enforcement was called and met Thornton at the gate when the plane arrived, questioning him before releasing him.
Thornton’s attorney explains to TMZ that Thornton “become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.”
Thornton has been the announcer of “Wheel of Fortune” — which still ranks as one of TV’s most-watched entertainment programs — since 2011, taking over for longtime announcer Charlie O’Donnell. Thornton also serves as announcer on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” which returns for Season 7 on Friday, October 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
