‘Wheel of Fortune’ Announcer Suspended Amid Investigation
Sony Pictures Television says that it is suspending Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton while it conducts an investigation into unspecified allegations. The long-running game show will recast the announcer position in the meantime.
“We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton,” the company said in a statement. “He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
While SPT didn’t specify what sparked the investigation, TMZ reported that it involved something that happened on a commercial flight earlier this year.
While Thornton is not the most public-facing figure on Wheel, which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, he has been the game show’s announcer since 2011.
Sony Pictures Television produced Wheel , as well as Jeopardy! , which are the two most popular syndicated game shows in the country.
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