Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton is edited out of upcoming episodes amid investigation

Jim Thornton, the suspended announcer of Wheel of Fortune, is reportedly being cut out of the show's new season as he's the subject of an investigation by Sony Pictures Television Studios.

According to TMZ, sources with behind-the-scenes knowledge said that a month's worth of episodes for the new season have already been shot ahead of its September 14 premiere.

But in a 'major undertaking,' producers are said to be working fervently to edit out Thornton's cues and replace him with a new announcer.

It's unclear if the change in announcers is intended to be permanent, or if Thornton could return to the series at the conclusion of his suspension. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Thornton for comment but has not yet received a response. 

The publication previously reported on Tuesday that the longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer had been suspended from the series while an investigation was launched by Sony Pictures Television Studios. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Sony said: 'We have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton. He has been suspended from Wheel of Fortune and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.' 

The statement notably didn't give any indication of what allegations had been leveled.

TMZ reported that the investigation stems from a commercial American Airlines flight Thornton took in May, during which another passenger allegedly complained about him to a flight attendant.

The situation was apparently serious enough that the plane's pilot arranged to have law enforcement waiting for Thornton once he reached the gate. 

Thornton's attorney told TMZ that the announcer '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.'

Thornton, who was pictured in a photo from the flight while wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket, was questioned by the officers before he was allowed to go on his way. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: 'On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer onboard.' 

Amid his suspension, Thornton appeared on Tuesday's pre-taped episode of the show. 

Thornton's tenure with Wheel of Fortune goes back to 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O'Donnell after his death in November 2010 at 78.

At the time, the long-running game show was hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White.

Thornton is rarely seen on the show, but TMZ notes that in 2023 he filled in for Sajak to host a round of the competition because one of the contestants was hoping to meet him.

After Sajak's retirement, Ryan Seacrest joined White to co-host Wheel of Fortune beginning in September 2024. 

Thornton has previously served – briefly – as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004. 

In addition to being the announcer for Wheel of Fortune, Thornton is also a voice actor who has recorded small roles in Disney-Pixar's film Monsters, Inc. and the videogame adaptation of Wall-E. 

Outside of his work as a live-action announcer, Thornton is best known for appearing on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch. 

He appeared in the main cast role on the Celebrity Deathmatch revival, which aired for two seasons from 2006 to 2007, after the original cult series was on the air from 1998 to 2002.

Each episode of the stop-motion animation comedy series featured gruesome wrestling matches between celebrities that ended with one of them dying in comically over-the-top manners.

Thornton voiced one of the wrestling announcers and commentators, Johnny Gomez, which represented his most significant acting work to date.